A rapid turnaround multi-programming system
Edgar T. Irons · Communications of the ACM · 1965
In this paper, basic features, system characteristics and the control algorithm for a multi-programming system with rapid turnaround time are described.The operating system described herein was designed to incorporate the following characteristics (in order of importance).1. Rapid turnaround time for individual programs.The maximum time for completiott of a run is N times the normal execution time for the run if there are iV programs currently being processed on the machine.There is no waiting for access to the machine. Simplicity of use.(a) The system is designed to be used without machine operators.Programmers drop their cards for a run into the card reader and await results at the printer.(b) The control language is so simple that it is almost nonexistent. Open library.The library of programs and data files is available to all programmers.Each programnmr may introduce programs and data files into the library (under his name) to be kept there indefinitely.4. Most of memory is available to the programmer.Only 1500 words (out of 32,000) of core memory are reserved for the system (including basic I/0 functions) during the execution of any program. Fixed machine ej~ieiency.An upper bound for the ratio of time used by the system to time available to programs is set by tile computing center (currently 1/10).