IBM Remote Access Computing

Last updated
Remote Access Computing (RAX)
IBM logo.svg
Developer IBM
OS familyRACS
Working stateDiscontinued
Initial release1966;57 years ago (1966)
Marketing target IBM mainframe computers
Available in English
Platforms IBM System/360
Preceded by RACS
Succeeded by MUSIC

IBM Remote Access Computing (RAX) is a discontinued early time-sharing system for IBM System/360 introduced in 1966. [1] RAX was based on an earlier system, RACS. developed jointly by IBM and Lockheed Aircraft in Marietta, Georgia in 1965. The system influenced a number of other timesharing systems including MCGILL-RAX from McGill University, [2] McGill's MUSIC, [3] and Reactive Terminal Service (RTS) from ITT Data Services. [2] [4] In the 1970s Boston University used RAX as the basis of its VPS system, which ran as a guest operating system running on VM/370. [3]

Contents

Hardware

RAX was available from IBM as program number 360A-CX-17X, and runs on System/360 Model 30 and above. [1] As announced, it runs on systems with as little as 64 KB of main storage, and supports a mix of up to 63 IBM 1050 typewriter terminals and IBM 2260 display terminals. The languages supported are BASIC, FORTRAN IV, and IBM Basic assembly language. [note 1] In a minimal system with 64 KB memory, user programs can be up to 32 KB, with larger programs allowed on larger systems. [5]

Users

In 1968 RAX was used by the United States Department of Agriculture for their Washington Data Processing Center. [6] It was used in a number of colleges, universities, and corporations, including McGill, Boston University, St. Andrew's in Scotland, [7] The University of Rhode Island, and Bell Aerosystems. [2]

Notes

  1. RTS also supported COBOL.

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References

  1. 1 2 IBM Corporation (23 January 2003). "DPD chronology". IBM Archives. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Miller, Roy Watt. "MULTIPLE REGIONS FOR THE MCGILL-RAX TlME-SHARING SYSTEM". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Boston University's RAX Library". Cryptosmith.com. 12 January 2012. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021.
  4. "(advertisement)". The Pittsburgh Press. June 15, 1969. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  5. IBM Corporation (August 1967). Catalog of Programs for IBM System/360 August 1967 (PDF). p. 5. Retrieved Apr 25, 2023.
  6. Department of Agriculture Appropriations for 1971. 1970. p. 17. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021.
  7. "Thirty years ago . . ". University of St. Andrews. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021.