Honeywell CP-6

Last updated
CP-6
Developer Honeywell, Inc.
Written in PL-6
OS family Universal Time-Sharing System
Working stateHistoric, discontinued 2005
Source model Closed source
Initial releaseBeta 1979
Marketing targetFormer XDS Sigma CP-V customers
PlatformsHoneywell Level/66 and successors
Default
user interface 		Command-line interface
License Proprietary

CP-6 is a discontinued computer operating system, developed by Honeywell, Inc. in 1976, which was a backward-compatible work-alike of the Xerox CP-V, fully rewritten for Honeywell Level/66 hardware. CP-6 was a command line oriented system. A terminal emulator allowed use of PCs as CP-6 terminals.

Contents

History

In 1975, Xerox decided to sell the computer business which it had purchased from Scientific Data Systems in 1969. In a deal put together by Harry Sweatt, Honeywell purchased Xerox Data Systems, [1] and took on the Xerox sales and field computer support staff to provide field service support to the existing customer base. Xerox made available all the spare equipment and supplies and the warehouses containing them. Revenues were shared 60/40 Xerox until CP-6 General Release, and 60/40 Honeywell for three years thereafter. Following that, all revenue went to Honeywell.

In the early 1960s, Honeywell had built and sold a large number of H200 machines, together with software. In 1970 it had bought the computer business of General Electric.

LADC and the development of CP-6

In 1976, Honeywell began developing the CP-6 system, including its operating system and program products to attract Xerox CP-V users (about 750 Sigma users) [2] to buy and use Honeywell equipment. [3] [4] Honeywell employed an initial team of 60 programmers from the Xerox CP-V development team, and added another 30 programmers plus management and staff. Organized by Hank Hoagland and Shel Klee, the team was housed at an old Xerox marketing office at 5250 W. Century Blvd in Los Angeles, which became known as the Los Angeles Development Center (LADC). The new operating system was to be called CP-6. [5] LADC reported administratively to the Honeywell computer group in Phoenix, a facility, which Honeywell had acquired from General Electric.

The first beta site was installed at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, in June 1979, [4] and three other sites were installed before the end of 1979. Customers worked with LADC both directly and through the Exchange Users group throughout the specification and development period to review and approve the direction of development, the compromises and order of feature implementation.

Comshare, a major Xerox customer, but with their own operating system, needed more capacity to service their rapidly expanding timesharing business. So, with the help of LADC hardware engineers and using the Xerox specifications, Honeywell engineers in Phoenix built 30 Sigma 9 computers, 24 for Comshare and six for other customers. This project was initiated in 1978, and the machines were sold at the original retail price and delivered beginning in the third quarter of 1979 until 1981.

The CP-6 product

CP-6 was modeled on Xerox's CP-V. The code was completely rewritten in a new high-level language, PL-6, designed and built expressly for that purpose, rather than in assembly language as CP-V had been, because of increasing complexities of the new virtual addressing hardware (such as that in Honeywell's L66 and DPS 8 line). [6] During the rewrite existing weaknesses were addressed and many new features added. [4] [7]

Like CP-V, CP-6 had five access modes, which operated concurrently: batch processing, remote batch, timesharing, transaction processing, and real-time processing. It included multiprogramming and operated on multiple CPUs. [8]

Also like CP-V, the design was an integrated file management system. Files were equally and compatibly available to programs executing in any mode. The files could be sorted in indexed, keyed, relative, or consecutive order.

New in CP-6 was the use of communications and terminal interfaces through minicomputer (Honeywell Level 6)-based front-end processors, connected locally, remotely, or in combination through IMP (input manipulation processor). [9]

CP-6 included an integrated software development system which supported and included a set of language processors: APL, [10] BASIC, [11] COBOL, FORTRAN, RPG, IDP, IDS/II, SORT/MERGE, PL-6, GMAP, and a text formatting program, TEXT. Commonly needed software packages (Pascal, SNOBOL, LISP, SPSS, BMDP, IMSL, SPICEII, and SLAM) were developed by Carleton University.

The operating system supported inter-system communication, job submission and file transfer between CP-6 systems and between CP-6 and CP-V and to and from IBM and other HASP protocol systems. The system used communications and terminal interfaces through a Honeywell Level 6 minicomputer-based front-end processor. Asynchronous, bisynchronous and TCP/IP communications protocols were supported.

The Honeywell hardware system for CP-6 consisted of a mainframe host processor (L66, DPS8, DPS8000, DPS90), [12] to which connected disks, tapes, printers, and card equipment were connected. A high-speed channel connected this host to a Level 6 mini computer, which provided processing and connection for terminals, communications lines, and high-speed channel to remote computers, including LADC and customers for on-line support, new version download and problem fix patches. A terminal emulator allowed use of PCs as CP-6 terminals.

In 1979 or 1980, LADC system engineer Dave Platt developed and incorporated into the CP-6 operating system a print output identification feature called Edgemark. Invoked via JCL (job control language) parameters, Edgemark printed the username of the user submitting the print job and the job number, scaled to the number of output pages, on the perforated edge of the fanfold paper used by line printers of the time. This allowed the user or system operator to easily locate the start and end pages of a given print job in a large stack of printer output simply by looking at the stack.

Product additions in the mid eighties included adaptation for DPS8000 Bull mainframe computers. [13]

Product support

CP-6 included an on-line problem reporting and fix system, beginning in 1976, named the System Technical Action Request (STAR). The people who oversaw the STAR system were STARlords. Programmers had direct access to customers' computers, and could fix problems directly on-line. The system used Honeywell's proprietary network. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Client–server model</span> Distributed application structure in computing

The client–server model is a distributed application structure that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called servers, and service requesters, called clients. Often clients and servers communicate over a computer network on separate hardware, but both client and server may reside in the same system. A server host runs one or more server programs, which share their resources with clients. A client usually does not share any of its resources, but it requests content or service from a server. Clients, therefore, initiate communication sessions with servers, which await incoming requests. Examples of computer applications that use the client–server model are email, network printing, and the World Wide Web.

IBM mainframes are large computer systems produced by IBM since 1952. During the 1960s and 1970s, IBM dominated the computer market with the 7000 series and the later System/360, followed by the System/370. Current mainframe computers in IBM's line of business computers are developments of the basic design of the System/360.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mainframe computer</span> Large computer

A mainframe computer, informally called a mainframe or big iron, is a computer used primarily by large organizations for critical applications like bulk data processing for tasks such as censuses, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and large-scale transaction processing. A mainframe computer is large but not as large as a supercomputer and has more processing power than some other classes of computers, such as minicomputers, servers, workstations, and personal computers. Most large-scale computer-system architectures were established in the 1960s, but they continue to evolve. Mainframe computers are often used as servers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minicomputer</span> Mid-1960s–late-1980s class of smaller computers

A minicomputer, or colloquially mini, is a type of smaller general-purpose computer developed in the mid-1960s and sold at a much lower price than mainframe and mid-size computers from IBM and its direct competitors. In a 1970 survey, The New York Times suggested a consensus definition of a minicomputer as a machine costing less than US$25,000, with an input-output device such as a teleprinter and at least four thousand words of memory, that is capable of running programs in a higher level language, such as Fortran or BASIC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time-sharing</span> Computing resource shared by concurrent users

In computing, time-sharing is the sharing of a computing resource among many tasks or users. It enables multi-tasking by a single user or enables multiple user sessions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of operating systems</span> Aspect of computing history

Computer operating systems (OSes) provide a set of functions needed and used by most application programs on a computer, and the links needed to control and synchronize computer hardware. On the first computers, with no operating system, every program needed the full hardware specification to run correctly and perform standard tasks, and its own drivers for peripheral devices like printers and punched paper card readers. The growing complexity of hardware and application programs eventually made operating systems a necessity for everyday use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conversational Monitor System</span> Operating system

The Conversational Monitor System is a simple interactive single-user operating system. CMS was originally developed as part of IBM's CP/CMS operating system, which went into production use in 1967. CMS is part of IBM's VM family, which runs on IBM mainframe computers. VM was first announced in 1972, and is still in use today as z/VM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Comprehensive Operating System</span> Operating system from General Electric

General Comprehensive Operating System is a family of operating systems oriented toward the 36-bit GE-600 series and Honeywell 6000 series mainframe computers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of computing hardware (1960s–present)</span> Aspect of history

The history of computing hardware starting at 1960 is marked by the conversion from vacuum tube to solid-state devices such as transistors and then integrated circuit (IC) chips. Around 1953 to 1959, discrete transistors started being considered sufficiently reliable and economical that they made further vacuum tube computers uncompetitive. Metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) large-scale integration (LSI) technology subsequently led to the development of semiconductor memory in the mid-to-late 1960s and then the microprocessor in the early 1970s. This led to primary computer memory moving away from magnetic-core memory devices to solid-state static and dynamic semiconductor memory, which greatly reduced the cost, size, and power consumption of computers. These advances led to the miniaturized personal computer (PC) in the 1970s, starting with home computers and desktop computers, followed by laptops and then mobile computers over the next several decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM 3790</span>

The IBM 3790 Communications System was one of the first distributed computing platforms. The 3790 was developed by IBM's Data Processing Division (DPD) and announced in 1974. It preceded the IBM 8100, announced in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientific Data Systems</span> American computer company

Scientific Data Systems (SDS), was an American computer company founded in September 1961 by Max Palevsky, Arthur Rock and Robert Beck, veterans of Packard Bell Corporation and Bendix, along with eleven other computer scientists. SDS was the first to employ silicon transistors, and was an early adopter of integrated circuits in computer design. The company concentrated on larger scientific workload focused machines and sold many machines to NASA during the Space Race. Most machines were both fast and relatively low priced. The company was sold to Xerox in 1969, but dwindling sales due to the oil crisis of 1973–74 caused Xerox to close the division in 1975 at a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. During the Xerox years the company was officially Xerox Data Systems (XDS), whose machines were the Xerox 500 series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nixdorf Computer</span> German computer company

Nixdorf Computer AG was a West German computer company founded by Heinz Nixdorf in 1952. Headquartered in Paderborn, Germany, it became the fourth largest computer company in Europe, and a worldwide specialist in banking and point-of-sale systems.

LINC is a fourth-generation programming language, used mostly on Unisys computer systems.

The history of IBM mainframe operating systems is significant within the history of mainframe operating systems, because of IBM's long-standing position as the world's largest hardware supplier of mainframe computers. IBM mainframes run operating systems supplied by IBM and by third parties.

Edos is a discontinued operating system based upon IBM's original mainframe DOS. The name stood for extended disk operating system. It was later purchased by the West German computer company Nixdorf, who renamed it to NIDOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maestro I</span> IDE software developed by Softlab Munich

Maestro I was an early integrated development environment for software. developed by Softlab Munich in the 1970s and 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altos Computer Systems</span> Unix manufacturer

Altos Computer Systems was founded in 1977 by David G. Jackson and Roger William Vass Sr. It focused on small multi-user computers, starting with multi-user derivatives of CP/M, and later including Unix and Xenix-based machines. In its 1982 initial public offering on NASDAQ, the company raised $59M. Thereafter the company's stock was traded under the symbol ALTO.

The Universal Time-Sharing System (UTS) is a discontinued operating system for the XDS Sigma series of computers, succeeding Batch Processing Monitor (BPM)/Batch Time-Sharing Monitor (BTM). UTS was announced in 1966, but because of delays did not actually ship until 1971. It was designed to provide multi-programming services for online (interactive) user programs in addition to batch-mode production jobs, symbiont (spooled) I/O, and critical real-time processes. System daemons, called "ghost jobs" were used to run monitor code in user space. The final release, D00, shipped in January, 1973. It was succeeded by the CP-V operating system, which combined UTS with features of the heavily batch-oriented Xerox Operating System (XOS).

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to computing:

Distributed data processing (DDP) was the term that IBM used for the IBM 3790 (1975) and its successor, the IBM 8100 (1979). Datamation described the 3790 in March 1979 as "less than successful."

References

  1. ↑ AUUG, Inc. (December 2002). AUUGN. AUUG, Inc. pp. 23–.
  2. ↑ IDG Enterprise (16 June 1980). Honeywell Adds Mainframe for Xerox Users, Extends CP-6. IDG Enterprise. pp. 4–. ISSN   0010-4841.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ Crisman, P. A.; Bryan, G. Edward (March 1981). "Management of Software Development for CP 6 at LADC". Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Honeywell International Software Conference.
  4. 1 2 3 Warren Schwarzmann; IEEE, South Bay Harbor Section Staff (1994). IEEE Aerospace Applications Conference Proceedings. IEEE. ISBN   9780780318328.
  5. ↑ P.A. Crisman and Bryan, G. Edward, "Management of Software Development for CP 6 at LADC", Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Honeywell International Software Conference, March 1981.
  6. ↑ Honeywell, Inc. (June 1988). CP-6 Introduction to PL-6 (PDF). Retrieved Sep 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ Bryan, G Edward (March 2012). Not All Programmers Are Created Equal —Redux. 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings.
  8. ↑ Datamation. Technical Publishing Company. January 1982.
  9. ↑ CP-6 Concepts and Facilities. Honeywell. September 1980. p. §4﹘8. IMP defines sequences and special characters that will be generated as a result of specified keystrokes at the terminal. These user-defined sequences or characters may be unique combinations of system escape sequences and special characters, or new special purpose functions suited to the individual user. IMP can be used to: 1. Redefine the keys on the keyboard of one terminal so that it looks like the keyboard of another terminal. 2. Define function keys to perform commonly used functions such as checking on jobs. 3. Define keys to generate often-used strings (such as lengthy variable names in a program).
  10. ↑ Frost, Bruce, "APL and I-D-S/II APL access to large databases". in Association for Computing Machinery (1 April 1983). APL 83, Conference proceedings, Washington, D.C., April 10-13, 1983. The Association. ISBN   9780897910958. pages 103-107
  11. ↑ Ronald Brinkman (1 January 1984). Programming in Structured BASIC. Macmillan. ISBN   978-0-02-314870-5.
  12. ↑ IDG Enterprise (9 March 1981). Honeywell Forecasts Changes in CP-6 Base - Computerworld. IDG Enterprise. pp. 6–. ISSN   0010-4841.
  13. ↑ Computerworld. IDG Enterprise. 22 October 1979. pp. 34–. ISSN   0010-4841.
  14. ↑ Fielding, Roy T (1992). An Empirical Microanalysis of Software Failure Data from a 12-Year Software Maintenance Process. University of California Irvine. p. Master's Thesis.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.