The most encouraging view expressed by those responsible for the programme of conversion to MVS is that most users will require to make very few changes to existing programs, JCL and organisation of their work to get the most out of the new system.
In broad terms users may think of JES3 as a replacement for HASP and of MVS as a replacement for MVT. The new systems have an expanded range of facilities. The system messages (JCL, logging, error etc) will look different but will convey the same information.
The other areas where differences may affect users are:
Under the MVT, control records beginning with '//*' and any non blank character in column 4 are treated as comments and are ignored by the JCL interpreter. Under MVS/JES3 all such records are considered as JES3 commands and analysed. They must be valid commands or the job will be cancelled. However, records beginning '//*' with a blank in column 4 will still be treated as valid JCL comments.
A much finer control on routing of output is possible with JES3. For example the //* FORMAT control record can be used to produce multiple copies of output datasets or to route different output datasets to different destinations.
The MVS dataset cataloging system offers us the facility for much more efficient management of datasets. A master catalog may contain entries for OS datasets, user catalogs and private OS catalogs. The master catalogs and user catalogs are VSAM datasets. They are portable between systems, allow catalogs to be on mountable volumes, minimise the effect of errors to damaged entries in catalogs and provide performance improvements by reducing contention for a catalog.
Two languages still in use at RAL will no longer he supported - COBOL F and PL/1 F. There are, however, supported versions of these languages and conversion of programmes to use them should cause few problems.
The following items of interest have been taken from the Central Computing Site Users Meeting held on Wednesday 3 February 1982.
| TIME | C(t) | TIME | C(t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00.00 - 08.00 | 0.1 | 14.00 - 17.00 | 1.0 |
| 08.00 - 10.00 | 0.4 | 17.00 - 22.00 | 0.4 |
| 10.00 - 12.00 | 1.0 | 22.00 - 24.00 | 0.1 |
| 12.00 - 14.00 | 0.6 |
weekends and public holidays remain at 0.1.
Please note that the only change in charge rate is from 0.8 to 1.0 for the morning peak session and that it applies for a shorter time, 1000 hours to 1200 hours instead of 0900 hours to 1200 hours. The lunchtime session has been increased by 1 hour and the afternoon session ends at 1700 hours instead of 1800 hours. These changes will be implemented from the beginning of the financial year 1982/83.
Projected capacities in AUs are:
| Year | CMS | ELECTRIC |
|---|---|---|
| 1982/83 | 25000 | 7500 |
| 1983/84 | 35000 | 3750 |
| 1984/85 | 45000 | 1000 |
| 1985/86 | 50000 | 1000 |
The later figures do not imply that ELECTRIC will be available then.
Following the completion of the Technical Review of GKS at a meeting in Abingdon in October 1981, GKS was adopted by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) as a Draft Proposal for an international graphics standard. After an Editorial Review in November 1981, GKS 7.0 (the version registered as the Draft Proposal) was produced. This is now available as part of a Rutherford Appleton Laboratory report:
GKS - The First Graphics Standard by F R A Hopgood
Anyone interested may obtain a copy of the 260-page report (RL-82-007) from:
The Library
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Chilton
DIDCOT
Oxon 0X11 OQX
Tel Abingdon 21900 ext 384
One of the primary functions of the network is the transfer of files from machine to machine. This is performed by a system that is largely transparent to the user.
For GEC users the command is TRANSFER, for PRIME and Dec-10 users and CMS users the command is FTP. CMS FTP can not yet respond to requests from other machines. It must issue the requests. All other machines can both respond to requests and issue them. The FTP command will usually prompt for details required to set up the transfer request. To cause files to be transferred from (or to) your machine, you need to know how the command on your machine works. This can be found from the user manual supplied to you. The main points are shown in the examples below. In all cases the requirements are as follows:-
User input is emphasised.
a) PRIME to GEC-SENDing a file (LOGIN.CPL) to a GEC file (.FTPTEST) in DEMO's filestore.
OK, ftp
FTP V7.6: Default Parameters (without passwords):
Remote site = RLGB Local treepath = NTIN18
> site caga
> remote demo demo
> send login.cpl.ftptest
b) To list FTP requests already in the queue
> list Listing (without passwords) of queue for remote site CAGA NTIN18 09.02 On/03/82 Size 1 Kbytes LOGIN.CPL Send LF=NTIN18>LOGIN.CPL RU=demo RF=.ftptest
c) To determine current parameter settings and obtain list of all remote sites known.
> status Status Information (without passwords): Remote site = CAGA Type = GEC Local treepath = NTIN18> Remote user = demo Possible Remote sites are: (There is not enough room for the list here) > quit OK,
a) GEC from PRIME-FETCHing a file (.initjcl) from NTIN18 filestore (startup)
Ready transfer TRANSFER process for MAFS, version 10 remote computer? RLPB local filename? (null implies a device) .initjcl remote filename? (null implies a device) startup remote username? ntinIS remote password? (this is not echoed) local username? demo local password? (this is not echoed) remote account? ntin18 local account? demo options? (default is SEND, APPEND or MAKE) fetch Ready
Full documentation is available in the Edinburgh DEC10 Installation Manual, Document 3A55B.
a) To transfer a file (EXMPLE.TXT) from the user's own directory [12,45] (his UFD) to user NTBE34 on a PRIME(RLPB) on the SERCnet, and give it a different name(EXAMPLE).
The password(MYPASS) is not echoed: FTP RLPB EXAHPLE=EXMPLE.TXT PRIME login name for RLPB_EXAMPLE : NTBE34 PRIME login password for RLPB_EXAMPLE : HYPASS EXIT .
b) To list FTP requests already in the queue, with starred entries showing those in progress:
FTP/LIST
Seq# User Destination Source
4577 [12,153 RLPB EXAMPLE =ERCC EXMPLE.TXT[12,45:i
EXIT
.
c) To list the nodes to/from which files may be transferred, referring to them by site mnemonic. At the time of writing there were over 65 such mnemonics. The full names of the sites, machines, mnemonics, and network addresses are given in the documentation.
FTP/NODE
(There is not enough room for the list here)
EXIT
.
d) To cancel a transfer request :
FTP/KILL:4577
EXIT
.
e) To examine the log of transfers made to/by the user:
TYPE FTP.LOG
f) To obtain a reminder of the basic form of the FTP command:
HELP FTP or FTP/HELP
a) To transfer a file (EXMPLE.TXT) from RLPB to CMS as EXAMPLE TEMP
ftp
DASD 120 LINKED R/0; R/W BY NIFTP
DMSACC723I B (120) R/0
remote computer
rlpb
local file (default : NIFTP DATAFILE)(give no CMS filemode for incoming files)
example temp
remote file ( default is device )
exmple.txt
remote username
nsin15
remote password
fcc
remote account
options ( default : SEND APPEND,MAKE NOPFCC LOGO AS CII,EBCDIC )
fetch
Caution : fetching to existing file
PUN FILE 5460 TO NIFTP . COPY 001 NOHOLD
Initiation completed OK
DASD 120 DETACHED
R;%
b) The following shows transfer completed messages during the same session and commands to move the file to the A disk.
PUN FILE 5463 FROM NIFTP COPY 001 NOHOLD PUN FILE 5464 FROM NIFTP COPY 001 NOHOLD 15:29:45 MSG FROM NIFTP : FTP FINISHED OK query rdr all NIFTP 5~463 A PUN 00000006 001 NONE 02/24 15:29:4 4 USERLOG MAIL PH-58 NIFTP 5464 A PUN 00000044 001 NONE 02/24 15:29:4 4 EXAMPLE TEMP PH-58 NIFTP 5480 A PUN 00000006 001 NONE 02/24) 15:31:0 7 USERLOG MAIL PH-58 NIFTP 5481 A PUN 00000044 001 NONE 02/24 15:31:0 8 EX TEMP PH-58 R;% xrdr FOLLOWING MAIL ADDED TO: MAIL LOG A0 --------------------------------------------------------------- Transfer of EXMPLE.TXT of NSIN15 on RLPB to EXAMPLE TEMP Initiated at 15.29.30 on 24 FEB 82 Transfer completed OK at 15.29.44 on 24 FEE 82. 58 records transferred. --------------------------------------------------------------- R(00013);% xrdr DISK LOAD EXAMPLE TEMP (5464) ORIGIN: NIFTP R(00003);% disk load EXAMPLE TEMP T1 R;%
List of articles in FORUM 18 and 19
18.1 Christmas Greetings from F R A Hopgood 18.2 Additional FREEDISK 18.3 IBM VS FORTRAN 18.4 NAG Library (Mark 8) 18.5 UNIT=INTERNAL 18.6 PACX 18.7 VM Reference Manual 18.8 PATCHY and HYDRA 18.9 Machine Comparisons 18.10 Argument passing mechanism in ICF Computers 18.11 Speech Recognition Workshop 18.12 index 18.13 Computer Statistics 18.14 Diary 19.1 SERC Initiatives in Computing 19-2 Central Computer Replacement 19.3 Central Computing Committee News 19.4 PSS Application Procedure 19.5 GEC Installation News 19.6 Useful telephone numbers 19.7 Items from UMIST newsletter no. 197 19.8 Computer Statistics 19.9 Diary 19.10 Index
The following dates have been decided on for DECsystem-10 Users Committee meetings during 1982:
The time and place for these four meetings is 10.30 am at the James Clerk Maxwell Building, King's Buildings, Edinburgh
. AIR-CONDITIONING SHUTDOWNThe two shutdowns of all computer systems (except network equipment) scheduled during 1982 for the maintenance of air-conditioning plant are: