SIS(ID:5940/sis002)

Conversational programming system based on Reckoner 

for Slave Interactive System

Kenneth Busch and Gottfried Luderer, Bell Labs, 1967

Coded by G Patton and M Keller

Bell Labs conversational maths system based on Lincoln Reckoner. Anticipated some X-features
Places
Related languages
Lincoln Reckoner => SIS   Adaptation of
References:
  • Busch, Kenneth and Luderer, Gottfried "The Slave Interactive System: A one-User Interactive Executive Grafted on a Remote-Batch Computing System" pp225-240 view details Extract: Summary
    Summary
    The Slave Interactive System (SIS) gives a single user at a remote terminal the facilities of a sophisticated interactive time-sharing system within a multiprogramming remote-batch computer environment. It will be used as a research vehicle for the investigation of the user aspects of interactive computing. Because of the restricted access, SIS can provide to the one interactive user more computing power than the conventional multiple-access, timesharing system. Good machine utilization is guaranteed since background batch jobs are processed concurrently. In addition, SIS makes readily available for conversion to interactive use the software developed for the batch system.
    The Slave Interactive System provides other desirable features in addition to interaction with an executing program and manipulation of a flexible file system. SIS permits the user to suspend and overlay an executing program with another, and later to resume the suspended program. In such a way, a stack of suspended programs can be created with the last program on the stack being the first to be resumed. A program being suspended temporarily can redirect or intercept the input/output channels of a new program being invoked. A distinctive feature of SIS is the absence of a control or terminal language. All of the facilities discussed are invoked by calls from the executing program to the SIS executive routines.
    Extract: Acknowledgments
    Acknowledgments
    The extent to which this work borrows from the RECKONER design should be apparent to the casual reader of both papers. Considerable contributions to the design of SIS came from Mr. G. C. Patton, Miss R. A. Giordano, and Mrs. S. K. Wilson. Mr. Patton and Miss K. M. Keller also coded major parts of the SIS routines.
    Extract: Introduction
    Introduction
    The Slave Interactive System (SIS) is a software system that makes available an interactive computing facility on a multiprogramming, remote-batch computer system. SIS runs under the computer's operating system in the same manner as a batch (or slave) job. The other slave programs continue as background work during an interactive run. However, SIS is intended to serve only one interactive user at a time; it is not built for multiple-access, time-sharing usage. SIS is a research vehicle designed to continue exploratory programming in user-oriented computing which requires a high degree of interaction and system flexibility.

    SIS offers some advantages that may not be immediately obvious, such as the following:

    a.     SIS provides a flexible facility for experimenting with and investigating interactive computing without disturbing the flow of batch work through the machine.
    b.     SIS can provide an interactive computing system for one user with more computing power than multiple-access, time-sharing systems. Multi-programmed batch-processing systems usually have a smaller number of resident slaves sharing the computer facilities than pure time-sharing systems.
    c.     SIS has an extremely primitive terminal language which allows the programmer to experiment freely with his own control language.
    d. Batch software written for the GE 635 can be converted easily for interactive use under SIS.

    SIS was implemented on the General Electric GE 635 computer using GECOS, the standard operating system. The manufacturer has extended GECOS with the GERTS II software module to allow for remote terminal input/output via a DATANET-30 computer used as a switching center for communication. A Model 35 Teletypewriter, or a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-7 computer with attached DEC-347 display scope is used as the interactive SIS terminal.

    In designing SIS, emphasis was placed upon flexibility, simplicity, coherence, and, most important, compatibility with the available master executive (GECOS/GERTS) on the batch-processing system. Furthermore, since the number of users is limited, protection and privacy of data files were mostly omitted; but a fail-soft feature using permanent backup storage was included to allow restart after machine failures or intentional interrupts.

    Many of the ideas of SIS were adapted from the RECKONER system and the APEX operating system on the TX-2 computer at Lincoln Laboratories of MIT. In addition, the SIS file system is based both on this work and the MULTICS design.

          in ACM Symposium on "Interactive Systems for Experimental Applied Mathematics", editors Klerer and Reinfelds, Washington, D.C., August 1967 view details