1959-1961: Upgrading AEA and NIRNS Computer Power

See NRDC and the case for a British supercomputer, 1956 - 1960 for more detail.

The need to update the computing power available to the nuclear research community in the UK proceeded in the context of two announcements:

• Univac LARC: designed to meet the requirements of the Livermore Research Laboratory defined in 1956, anticipated delivery 1958, installed in 1960
• IBM STRETCH (7030): designed to satisfy the requirements of Los Alamos defined in 1956, first STRETCH installed there in 1961

Both computer systems were supercomputers, promising to be 100 times faster than existing computers. This opened up the possibility of developed programs to tackle problems clearly outside the capability of existing computers. STRETCH was of particular interest due to close collaboration between Aldermaston and Los Alamos and IBM's intention to market it as a product.

January 1957: AERE send Report to NRDC

By 1960 the AEA will need a computer comparable to STRETCH.

March 1957: NRDC Proposal

Halsbury recommends to NRDC Board that they spend £1M over 4 years to develop a supercomputer. Agreed if AEA agree to buy one, NRDC to design the machine and place contracts for its implementation.

April 1957: First Harwell Computer Conference

AEA needs a very fast computer with large storage capacity to solve 3-dimensional field problems on top of the needs of the weapons programme.

May 1957: AEA propose to purchase an IBM STRETCH for Aldermaston

June 1957 - January 1958

Several attempts by NRDC to put structure to its consortium proposal but with little enthusiasm from AEA.

February 1958: Second Harwell Computer Conference

Harwell put forward their requirements for a supercomputer

Manchester University outline their plans for their MUSE Project

March 1958: Ferranti announce the development of Orion

Agreed to cooperate with Manchester University on their development of MUSE.

March 1958 - October 1958: NRDC

Various attempts to organise the development of a supercomputer under NRDC's control with no real support from AEA, Ferranti or Manchester University on the proposals.

October 1958: Ferranti to Develop Atlas

Atlas would be based on MUSE and the project run jointly by Ferranti and Manchester University

Sebastian de Ferranti jokingly thought it should be called BISON: Built In Spite Of NRDC ;-)

March 1959: Ferranti Presentation of Orion and Atlas

Orion would be comparable in size to an IBM 7090 (3 to 5 times the speed of Mercury). First customer delivery expected in June 1961.

Atlas would be essentially the MUSE machine designed by Manchester University. First customer delivery expected in 1963.

October 1959: AEA Computer Policy Committee

Considerable growth in computer power needed for reactor design and CTR experimental design.

Hire or purchase an IBM 7090 for Risley now, and order an Atlas for delivery to Harwell in 1963.

An Orion be purchased for the use of RHEL, Culham and Harwell for delivery in 1961.

Aim that the Atlas programming system is compatible with that of the 7090

January-June 1960

Harwell had meetings with Ferranti and interested parties in putting together the case for the purchase of an Atlas; also several meetings of AEA CPC.

November 1960: AEA Meeting

Approved 3 recommendations of CPC:

• IBM 7090 should be purchased for Risley when Stretch installed at Aldermaston
• Defered the decision on a KDF 9 for AEA Winfrith
• AEA supported the collaborative purchase of a Ferranti Atlas to be used by AEA at Harwell and Culham

December 1960: Proposal to Treasury

• A.E.A. should order an Atlas from Ferranti
• The machine should be installed at Harwell
• Half its time would be sufficient for Harwell and the overflow needs of Culham, Risley and Winfrith
• A substantial amount of time should be allocated to RHEL and universities

1960: Authorisation

• An Atlas should be ordered by AEA
• NIRNS should run the machine
• Equal shares to NIRNS (RHEL), Harwell and Universities/Government Departments
• NIRNS and university users should not be charged. Other users should pay.

January 1961: NIRNS

NIRNS were made aware of the proposals in January 1961:

• Aldermaston to rent an IBM 7030 for 3 years (1962-1965). The lowering of the anticipated 7030 speed plus security considerations indicated that time on the 7030 would not be available to academic institutions.
• If NIRNS agreed, Harwell would purchase a large Atlas and install it at Harwell under NIRNS control with a minimum allocation of time to Harwell to be agreed
• The NIRNS charter indicated it was primarily organised to provide and operate large nuclear science facilities for academic users. It was believed there was no legal objection under the terms of the Royal Charter for NIRNS to manage a computer facility with a significant nuclear science load.

February 1961: NIRNS

NIRNS agree that an ATLAS should be installed at Harwell under their management and control:

• The order should be placed quickly
• Computers of KDF9 power should be installed at some universities as well
• One or more universities may require Atlas-power computers of their own by 1964

March 1961: NIRNS

The decision was made that the new Atlas Computer Laboratory should be a separate laboratory between Harwell and RHEL and that some arrangements should be made with RHEL regarding support services that might best be provided by RHEL for both Laboratories

1961: AEA

A letter of intent was placed with Ferranti to purchase an Atlas computer to be installed at Chilton close to Harwell. Much of 1961 was spent in specifying the details of the formal order with acceptance tests.

August 1961: London University order an Atlas in partnership with the British Petroleum Company

1961-1964 NIRNS

NIRNS oversaw the creation of the Atlas Computer Laboratory. Details can be found in the Minutes of the NIRNS Atlas Computer Committee

1965-1971 SRC

The SRC Atlas Computer Committee took over from the NIRNS Committee when the Science Research Council was formed in 1964. Details can be found in the Minutes of the SRC Atlas Computer Committee that ran from 1965 to 1971.

1972-1975 SRC

The Reconstituted SRC Atlas Computer Committee took over from the SRC Atlas Committee when the decision was made to restrict the Atlas service to SRC Grant Holders giving them a guarantee of time over the period of their grant. Details can be found in the Minutes of the SRC Reconstituted Atlas Computer Committee that ran from 1972 to 1975.