The Systems & Architecture thread is where many of the practical skills of computing are learned. This thread teaches you about the organization of computer systems, how they are built using different hardware and software layers and how they are programmed.

The Systems & Architecture thread deals with a complete vertical slice of system building from processor design, memory organization to virtualization and operating system layers all the way up to the programming interfaces, languages and the tool chains such as compilers, debuggers and profilers. It emphasizes different system properties such as performance, power consumption, reliability, security, and availability. This thread spans a vast spectrum of systems ranging from parallel and distributed systems to emerging multi-core systems, as well as domain specific systems (such as gaming consoles, healthcare information systems, real-time embedded controllers used in avionics, and so on).