Contents

• 1. INTRODUCTION
• 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE AND MEMBERSHIP
• 3. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • 3.1 Conclusions
    • 3.1.1 User Needs for Interactive Computing
    • 3.1.2 User Needs for Access to Large SRC Computers
    • 3.1.3 Computer Costs
    • 3.1.4 Communications
  • 3.2 Hardware Recommendations for Period 1976-78
  • 3.3 Other Recommendations for Period 1976-78
  • 3.4 Recommendations for Period beyond 1978
  • 3.5 Management
• 4. WORKING PROCEDURE ADOPTED BY THE TECHNICAL GROUP
• 5. ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY AND USER NEEDS
  • 5.1 The Need for Interactive Computing for Engineering Research
    • 5.1.1 Architecture
    • 5.1.2 Civil Engineering
    • 5.1.3 Control Engineering
    • 5.1.4 Finite Element Analysis
    • 5.1.5 Time-dependent Structural Problems
    • 5.1.6 Fluid Dynamics
    • 5.1.7 Internal Combustion Engines and Turbo Machinery
    • 5.1.8 Ship Design
    • 5.1.9 Electronic Design
    • 5.1.10 Textile Technology
    • 5.1.11 Production Engineering
    • 5.1.12 Artificial Intelligence
  • 5.2 The Engineering Population
  • 5.3 Current Use of Computers by Engineers
    • 5.3.1 Categories of Computer Usage
    • 5.3.2 Current Use of Batch Processing by Engineers
    • 5.3.3 Provision of Interactive Computers by the Engineering Board
  • 5.4 Quantification of Hardware Needs for Interactive Computing
    • 5.4.1 User Population for SRC Provide Interactive Computers
    • 5.4.2 Central Processor Power Required
    • 5.4.3 Memory Size and File Store Requirements
    • 5.4.4 Channel and terminal Requirements
    • 5.4.5 Summary of Hardware Needs of Users and Extrapolation to the Future
  • 5.5 Software and Other Support needed for Interactive Computing
    • 5.5.1 General Requirements
    • 5.5.2 Languages
    • 5.5.3 Application Packages
  • 5.6 Requirements Resulting from Interactive Facilities for Access to the Largest SRC Computers
• 6. SOLUTIONS TO USER NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • 6.1 Should Central or Local Facilities be Provided?
    • 6.1.1 Definition of Possible Solutions
    • 6.1.2 Arguments for and against Central and Local Facilities
    • 6.1.3 Conclusions on Local versus Central Facilities
    • 6.1.4 Capital Costs
    • 6.1.5 Recurrent Costs
  • 6.2 Hardware Recommendations for the Immediate Period (1976-78)
    • 6.2.1 Recommendations for Interactive Computer Provision for Period 1976-78
    • 6.2.2 Recommendations for Provision of Terminals for Period 1976-78
    • 6.2.3 Recommendations for Provision of Communication Equipment
  • 6.3 Other Recommendations for Period 1976-78
    • 6.3.1 Software
    • 6.3.2 Bulletin
    • 6.3.3 Meeting House Function
  • 6.4 Staff Provision and Recurrent Costs for Period 1976-78
    • 6.4.1 Staff at Chilton
    • 6.4.2 Staff in the Universities
    • 6.4.3 Summary of Staff Provisions
    • 6.4.4 Recurrent Costs
    • 6.4.5 Summary of Capital and Recurrent Costs for 1976-78
  • 6.5 Recommendations for the Period beyond 1978
    • 6.5.1 Shortfall in Hardware Provision
    • 6.5.2 Recommendations for Period beyond 1978
• 7. SYSTEMS SPECIFICATIONS
  • 7.1 Criteria for Choice of Equipment
  • 7.2 Specification of the Chilton Machine
    • 7.2.1 User Work Load
    • 7.2.2 System Configuration
    • 7.2.3 Communications
    • 7.2.4 Operating System
    • 7.2.5 User Software
    • 7.2.6 Other
  • 7.3 Specifications of the Enhancements to the UMIST and Edinburgh Facilities
  • 7.4 Specification of New Multi-user Mini-computers
    • 7.4.1 Processing
    • 7.4.2 File Storage
    • 7.4.3 Input/Output
    • 7.4.4 Operating System
    • 7.4.5 Other
• 8. MANAGEMENT
  • 8.1 The Overall Management of the Programme
  • 8.2 The Management and Operation of Individual Facilities
  • 8.3 The Allocation of Resources to Users
• APPENDIX 1: COMMUNICATIONS
  • 1. LEASED LINE CONNECTION (IMMEDIATE PERIOD)
    • 1.1 Terminal Connection at 4.8 Kbits/sec compared to 1.2 Kbits/sec
    • 1.2 Comparison of Communications Costs for Central Service, Multi-User Mini and Single-User Mini
  • 2. NETWORK CONNECTION (LONG TERM)
    • 2.1 Communication Requirements with a Network
    • 2.2 Advantages of Computer Networks
      • 2.2.1 Software Site Specialisation
      • 2.2.2 Sharing Terminal Equipment
      • 2.2.3 Research Cooperation
      • 2.2.4 Best Machine for the Job
      • 2.2.5 Data Bank Access
      • 2.2.6 Lower Communications Costs
• APPENDIX 2: FALL IN COMPUTER COSTS
• APPENDIX 3: ENGINEERING SUBJECTS COVERED IN VISITS TO UK UNIVERSITIES
• GLOSSARY