A General-Purpose Remote Job Entry System For The “Virtual Machine” Environment

Abstract

A system known as “Remote Systems Power” (RSP) has been developed as a functional extension to Control Program-67. CP-67 is a “Virtual Machine” operating system, originating from IBM’s Cambridge Scientific Centre. The version run on the Systems Corporation Model 67 has been extensively revised by SCL Systems Analysts. The function of RSP is to permit spooling of input/output files between Virtual Machine devices (virtual card reader and punch, and virtual printer) and remote medium or high-speed terminals. Since Virtual Machines may run any operating system, RSP provides the User with the ability to submit jobs to and receive output from any such system (e.g. DOS/360, OS/360, CMS, APL, etc.).

Résumé

Une extension fonctionnelle du Programme de Contrôle CP-67 a été développée sous le nom de “Remote Systems Power” (RSP). CP-67 est un systéme d’exploitation où le concept de “machine virtuelle” est utilisé. Ce systéme provient du centre scientifique d'lBM à Cambridge.

La version de RSP utilisé par l’ordinateur IBM/360, modèle 67, de Systems Corporation, a été l’objet de révisions considérables de la part des analystes da systemes de SCL. La fonction de RSP est de permettre la transmission des fichiers d’entrée et sortie entre les unités de la “machine virtuelle” (lecteur de cartes, poingon et imprimante virtuels) et les stations terminales de grande ou moyenne vitesse de fonctionnement. Comme ces “machines virtuelles” peuvent utiliser différents systémes d’exploitation (ex: DOS/360, OS/360, CMS, APL, etc.), l’usager a la possibilité de leur soumettre les travaux et d’en recevoir les données au moyen de RSP.

Summary

The advantages of remote job entry systems are well known. They include independence from the Computer Centre, and fast job turnaround for the remote User. However, with conventional systems, most remotely entered jobs join common queues for batch execution. If the computer is heavily loaded, job turnaround may be considerably degraded, because individual jobs have to wait their turn in an input queue shared by several Users. Delays of this nature are generally non-existent in the CP-67 environment, since jobs are queued to independent Virtual Machines. Thus a job submitted via RSP becomes immediately available to the Virtual Machine User, and remains under his full control during execution. This latter fact also eliminates many of the job control complexities of conventional systems. For example, in os/360 RJE, the "Job Entry Control Language" comprises 12 commands which, for a non-intelligent terminal, may only be entered through the card reader. Facilities provided by these control commands include enquiry of job and output status; under RSP, such facilities would be redundant, since the Virtual Machine User always knows the status of his jobs.

The Associated Console facility is unique to RSP, providing a degree of control over non-intelligent terminals that is unmatched in other systems. It is particularly useful for the dynamic control of print files, and for restarting after a line failure. As with all aspects of the design of RSP, the Associated Console commands are independent of the Virtual Machine whose spool files are being processed. This highlights the major feature of RSP, which is its ability to handle input and output for any operating system in a Virtual Machine in an uncomplicated manner.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dennis Klein

DENNIS M. KLEIN attended Imperial College, London University, from 1963-6, and gained a B sc (Hon.) degree in Physics. On leaving University, he joined the Government Branch of IBM (UK) Ltd., as a Trainee Systems Analyst. During his three years with IBM, he worked mainly in the area of teleprocessing applications, at locations such as the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory (System/360 Model 75). In August 1969, he accepted an offer to join his present company, Systems Corporation, as a Systems Analyst. He worked first in Italy, and then with the subsidiary company in Canada, SCL Systems Corporation Ltd. The system described in his paper, was developed during 1970, for use on the Model 67 computer then installed at SCL’S location in Montreal..