RFC 90: CCN as a Network Service Center

Network Working Group 25 January 1971
Request for Comments: 90 R. T. Braden
NIC 5707


 CCN AS A NETWORK SERVICE CENTER

A. INTRODUCTION

 CCN, the Campus Computing network of UCLA, will shortly be connected
 to the ARPA Network as a host of the "Service Center" type. The
 purpose of this RFC is to describe the hardware and software available
 at CCN and the services we are now planning to provide to other
 Network Hosts.

 These services and their implementation priority were chosen in
 consultation with a particular site (RAND) which plans to use CCN via
 the Network. We would welcome requests and comments from other sites.

B. CCN HARDWARE

 CCN operates an IBM 360/91KK, i.e., a Model 91 CPU with a 4 million
 byte fast memory.

 CPU Speed: Highly program-dependent; 2-6 Mips, with 3 Mips as a
 useful average. The upper end of this range occurs
 heavy floating point in the inner loops. The decimal
 arithmetic operation of a 360 should be avoided as
 they are executed interpretively by the 91.

 Memory Speed: Memory is interleaved 16 ways and extensively
 buffered. Effective memory fetch time is 600 ns in
 lower 2 million bytes, 900 ns in upper 2 million
 bytes.

 I/O Con-
 figuration a) 6 2860 Selector Channels
 b) 1 2870 Multiplexor Channcl (with 16 control
 unit RPQ)
 c) 5 2314 Disk Storage Units (i.e., 40 disk
 drives).
 d) 1 2301 Drum (Systems residence and catalog
 only.)
 e) 5 (245x) 9 track tape drives (80O bpi)
 f) 3 (240x) 7 tracts tape drives (200/556/800 bpi)
 g) 1 2291 (Modified 2250 CRT) Operator/
 Maintenance Console.




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RFC 90 CCN As a Network Service Center January 1971


 Also on the Multiplexor Channel are:

 h) 2 card readers and 4 high speed printers at CCN;

 i) Four 40,000 baud interfaces for CCI alphanumeric
 TV display consoles (currently supporting 40
 consoles);

 j) Six data communication ports (3 dial @ 2000 baud,
 1 dedicated @ 4800 baud, and 2 dedicated @ 50,000
 baud) for remote batch entry terminals;

 k) a Calcomp plotter;

 l) an interface for BBS Teleputers (the Culler-Fried
 system);

 m) Ten dial ports for 2741 typewriter terminals;
 and finally:

 n) the IMP Interface

C. OPERATING SYSTEM

 The Model 91 operates under the IBM-supplied MVT version of OS/360,
 currently Release 18.6. This system contains a set of modifications
 developed at CCN for control of batch job flow. MVT is a realization
 of the general process model of multiprogramming, although this fact
 is obscured by IBM's terminology. For example, a process is called a
 task in MVT, while the fork primitive is called "ATTACH".

D. USER SOFTWARE

 1. Processors:

 CCN provides the following user software:

 a) The usual FORTRAN compilers (FORT G. FORT H. WATFOR);

 b) PL/1 (version 5) and PL/C (Cornell's student PL/1);

 c) Assembler G;

 d) IBM Algol F;

 e) IBM Linkage Editor F, and a fast in-core linkage editor written
 at CCN;




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RFC 90 CCN As a Network Service Center January 1971


 f) Miscellaneous processors, including:

 COBOL, SPI, XP7, META-5, SNOBOL, LISP 1.5, AUTOFLOW SIMSCRIPT
 1.5, MIX (Knuth's student machine), CSMP, GPSS, ECAP, APT, PMS,
 MATLAN, SYMAP, SPSS, and the BMD series}

 g) the IBM file utilities, SORT, and RPG.

 2. Interactive Systems

 a) URSA Conversational remote job entry system based
 on alphanumeric display consoles (IBM 2260
 and CCI CC301 consoles). URSA provides a
 number of other services, including a "desk
 calculator", an interactive/interpretive
 assembler, and on-line utilities for manipu-
 lation of the OS file system. It also con
 tains the CCN operator interface to MVT.
 URSA is not suitable for typewriter interaction
 because it is designed for "instantaneous" dis
 play of at least 480 characters at a time.

 b) APL IBM Program Product version of this well-known
 interactive system. Currently supports IBM 2741's
 (Selectric typewriter terminals) only.

 c) OLMS UCLA implementation of the Culler-Fried system;
 nearly identical in language to the UCSX On-line
 System.

 d) TSO IBM's new general purpose time-sharing subsystem
 under MVT, to be available at CCS sometime during
 1971. TSO supports 2741's and Teletypes (and at
 CCN it will support CCI consoles). TSO is
 reminiscent of CTSS in its capabilities and
 command language.


E. REMOTE JOB SERVICE

 The RJS ("remote Job service") subsystem, was written by CCN to
 support remote batch terminals communicating over dial and leased
 lines. A remote batch terminal consists of a set of unit record
 devices (one or more card readers, printers, and punches) driven
 either by a hardwired controller or by a small CPU (e.g., IBM Model 20
 or 1130). A remote RJS user enters OS/360 jobs, complete with JCL,
 into the remote reader; the jobs are spooled into the operating system
 and run in their turn, and the printed and/or punched output is



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RFC 90 CCN As a Network Service Center January 1971


 returned to the remote terminal from which the jobs originated (unless
 the user or operator re-routes the output). The remote terminal may
 also include a console typewriter to be used by the remote operator to
 receive and send messages and to exert control over his terminal.

F. FAST BATCH SUBSYSTEM

 CCN has written a fast batch subsystem called QUICKRUN to provide
 "instant" turnaround for small, simple batch jobs which are common in
 a university computing center. QUICKRUN accepts a very simple job
 control language ("QCL") without much of the generality of OS/360 JCL.

 QUICKRUN is really a batch job control subsystem which itself runs
 essentially as a job within MVT. Because of its lack of generality,
 the QUICKRUN subsystem creates much less system overhead than normal
 OS batch; this is reflected in lower cost per job in QUICKRUN.

 QUICKRUN is available at remote batch terminals through RJS as
 well as through a self-service card reader at CCN.

G. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

 1. Core Memory for Batch Jobs

 CCN can easily run batch jobs requiring up to 3 million bytes,
 although jobs over 600K bytes will normally not run during prime
 time.

 2. Disk Space

 CCN provides extensive on-line disk space for permanent files. The
 resident disk pack configuration includes:

 220 M bytes (8 packs) of user source programs, for use through
 URSA.

 170 M bytes (6 packs) of user object and load modules ("binary
 decks") and other files.

 100 M bytes of limited-time storage (n days, where n is published
 number satisfying 7<= n < 0)

 This space is charged for, at about 5s per kilobyte per month.

 In the future, we plan to significantly extend this on-line space
 by implementing a tertiary storage system using magnetic tapes.
 In addition, a batch job may always request that the user's own
 disk pack be mounted, thus allowing very large private collections



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RFC 90 CCN As a Network Service Center January 1971


 of files.

 3. Rates

 Batch charges are based upon t(CPU time), I(number of I/O requests
 ), and R(core memory region size). The current rate schedule may be
 obtained from:

 Mr. Kenneth Tom
 User Relations Supervisor
 UCLA
 Campus Computing Network
 Math Sciences Addition
 Los Angeles, California 90024

 Generally speaking, the CCN Model 91 cost is very attractive for
 compute-bound, heavy floating-point calculations, particularly
 where large regions are required. For most other jobs, the CCN
 machine is competitive with other cost-recovery computing centers
 which operate without special subsidy.

G. SERVICE TO NETWORK

 CCN currently plans to provide RJS, URSA, and (eventually)
 TSO service to the Network. Each of these will have its own third-
 level protocol. In addition, there will be a "transparent" third
 level protocol to allow a user-written program running in batch or
 TSO at CCN to converse directly with the Network.

 The third-level protocols, in the order in which we plan to
 implement them, are as follows:

 1. NETRJS

 NETRJS is the name of the third level protocol by which a
 user process in a remote host will simulate a remote batch
 terminal connected to CCN's RJS system. Thus, NETRJS will
 allow a user to submit complete batch jobs to the 360/91
 and receive their print and punch output streams back over
 the Network. NETRJS has been specified in RFC #88 and
 implementation is targeted for March, 1971.

 2. NETCRT

 This protocol will allow a Network user to simulate an
 (idealized) CCI alphanumeric display console and use CCN's
 URSA system (and eventually TS0). An initial version of
 NETCRT will be circulated shortly as an RFC.



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RFC 90 CCN As a Network Service Center January 1971


 3. NETTRANS

 This is the "transparent" protocol allowing a user process
 at CCN to talk over the Network. It has not yet been
 specified.

 4. NETTYPE

 This protocol will allow a real or simulated 2741 to use
 TS0 (and perhaps APL) via the Network.

H. REFERENCES

 1. "IBM System/360 Model 91 Functional Characteristics". IBM Form A22-6907.

 2. "An Implementation of MVT". CCN Technical Report TR-1 (August, 169).

 3. For more information, see CCN Users' Manual.

 4. "APL/360 Primer". IBM Form GH20-0689.

 5. "Planning for TS0". IBM Form GC28-6698.

 6. "Remote Job Service". CCN Technical Report TR-2 (undated).


 [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
 [ into the online RFC archives by Robert Lamothe 3/97 ]























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RFC 90: CCN as a Network Service Center