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.

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;

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

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 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.

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 ]