Convergent Technologies Operating System
Encyclopedia
The Convergent Technologies Operating System, also known variously as CTOS, BTOS and STARSYS, was a modular, message-passing, multiprocess-based operating system
.
was not hierarchical. All directories existed at the "root" level. Subdirectories were not allowed. However, very long filename
s of 255 characters were allowed. System access was controlled with a user password and Volume or disk passwords. If one knew the password, for example, for a volume, one could access any file or directory on that volume (hard disk). Each volume and directory were referenced with delimiters to identify them, and could be followed with a file name, depending on the operation, i.e. {Network Node}[VolumeName]FileName.
It was possible to custom-link the operating system to add or delete features.
CTOS supported a transparent peer-to-peer network carried over serial RS-422
cables (daisy-chain topolgy) and in later versions carried over twisted pair (star topology) with RS-422 adapters. Each workgroup (called a "cluster") was connected to a server (called a "master"). The workstations, normally diskless
, were booted over the cluster network
from the master, and could optionally be locally booted from attached hard drives.
The Inter-process communication
(IPC) is primarily based on the "request" and "respond" messaging foundation that enhanced the Enterprise Application Integration among services for both internal and external environments. Thus CTOS was well known for the message-based Micro-Kernel Architecture. Applications are added as services to the main server. Each client consumes the services via its own mailbox called "exchange" and well-published message formats. The communication works on "request codes" that are owned by the service. The operating system maintains the exchanges, message queues, scheduling, control, message passing, etc., while the service manages the messages at its own exchange using "wait", "check", and "respond" macros.
CTOS ran on Intel x86 computers, and could run concurrently with Windows NT
.
The system API was presented to both high-level languages and assembly language.
Most of the system programs were written in PL/M
, an ALGOL
-like language from Intel which compiled directly to object code
without a runtime library
.
The word processor
was one of the first screen-oriented editors with many high-powered features, such as multiple views of the same file, cut/copy/paste, unlimited undo/redo, no typing lost after a crash or power failure, user-selectable fonts, and much more.
The spreadsheet allowed blocks of cells to be protected from editing or other user input. The BTOS version allowed scripts to be written that included opening the spreadsheet for user input, then automatically printing graphs based on the input data.
The system shell was extensible, making it possible to define new commands. To get the parameters, the system would display the form which was to be filled out by the user. The input form had conventions for mandatory and optional input fields, which made it very easy to train new users.
' first product was the IWS (Integrated Workstation) based on the Intel 8086
processor, which had CTOS as its operating system. This was a modular operating system with built in local area networking. CTOS supported multiple processes or threads, and message-based interprocess communication.
Companies that licensed CTOS included Bull
(STARSYS), and Burroughs (BTOS) and who later merged with Sperry to become Unisys
. Unisys was the single largest customer with whom Convergent Technologies merged to become one company in 1988. At its peak, CTOS had over 800,000 users worldwide. Diskless workstations (e.g., Bull) used the Intel 80186
processor, a processor seldom used by standard PCs.
Progress Software Corporation made a commercial database application for CTOS that was in 4GL. The United States Coast Guard
used these databases for logistics administration for their vessels.
There was a port of CorelDRAW
for CTOS running the Presentation Manager
.
CTOS is no longer marketed to new customers; former major customers included police forces, banks, airlines, the U.S. Postal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration
, the U.S. Army and the United States Coast Guard
. The Coast Guard used the operating system from approximately 1986 until 2000. In Australia, CTOS/BTOS was used by the Trade Practices Commission, NSW Auditor-General's, CSIRO, Commonwealth Electrol Office and many commercial banks.
Though CTOS was not used in the modernized world, most of the concepts such Messaging, Request/Respond, Service, Exchange, etc are the foundation bricks of the SOA stylish architectures. The plug-and-play evolved from CTOS.
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
.
Overview
CTOS had many innovative features for its time. The file systemFile system
A file system is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the...
was not hierarchical. All directories existed at the "root" level. Subdirectories were not allowed. However, very long filename
Long filename
Long filenames , are Microsoft's way of implementing filenames longer than the 8.3 filename, or short-filename, naming scheme used in Microsoft DOS in their modern FAT and NTFS filesystems. Because these filenames can be longer than an 8.3 filename, they can be more descriptive...
s of 255 characters were allowed. System access was controlled with a user password and Volume or disk passwords. If one knew the password, for example, for a volume, one could access any file or directory on that volume (hard disk). Each volume and directory were referenced with delimiters to identify them, and could be followed with a file name, depending on the operation, i.e. {Network Node}[VolumeName]
It was possible to custom-link the operating system to add or delete features.
CTOS supported a transparent peer-to-peer network carried over serial RS-422
EIA-422
RS-422 is a technical standard that specifies electrical characteristics of a digital signalling circuit. Differential-mode signals can be sent at rates as high as 10 million bits per second, or may be sent on cables as long as 1200 metres. Some systems directly interconnect using RS 422 signals,...
cables (daisy-chain topolgy) and in later versions carried over twisted pair (star topology) with RS-422 adapters. Each workgroup (called a "cluster") was connected to a server (called a "master"). The workstations, normally diskless
Diskless workstation
A diskless node is a workstation or personal computer without disk drives, which employs network booting to load its operating system from a server...
, were booted over the cluster network
Network booting
Network booting is the process of booting a computer from a network rather than a local drive. This method of booting can be used by routers, diskless workstations and centrally managed computers such as public computers at libraries and schools...
from the master, and could optionally be locally booted from attached hard drives.
The Inter-process communication
Inter-process communication
In computing, Inter-process communication is a set of methods for the exchange of data among multiple threads in one or more processes. Processes may be running on one or more computers connected by a network. IPC methods are divided into methods for message passing, synchronization, shared...
(IPC) is primarily based on the "request" and "respond" messaging foundation that enhanced the Enterprise Application Integration among services for both internal and external environments. Thus CTOS was well known for the message-based Micro-Kernel Architecture. Applications are added as services to the main server. Each client consumes the services via its own mailbox called "exchange" and well-published message formats. The communication works on "request codes" that are owned by the service. The operating system maintains the exchanges, message queues, scheduling, control, message passing, etc., while the service manages the messages at its own exchange using "wait", "check", and "respond" macros.
CTOS ran on Intel x86 computers, and could run concurrently with Windows NT
Windows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
.
The system API was presented to both high-level languages and assembly language.
Programs
The assembler was very advanced, with a Lisp-like pattern-matching macro facility unmatched by almost any other assembler before or since. There was an always-resident debugger.Most of the system programs were written in PL/M
PL/M
The PL/M programming languageis a high-level language developed byGary Kildall in 1972 for Intel for its microprocessors....
, an ALGOL
ALGOL
ALGOL is a family of imperative computer programming languages originally developed in the mid 1950s which greatly influenced many other languages and became the de facto way algorithms were described in textbooks and academic works for almost the next 30 years...
-like language from Intel which compiled directly to object code
Object code
Object code, or sometimes object module, is what a computer compiler produces. In a general sense object code is a sequence of statements in a computer language, usually a machine code language....
without a runtime library
Runtime library
In computer programming, a runtime library is a special program library used by a compiler, to implement functions built into a programming language, during the execution of a computer program...
.
The word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
was one of the first screen-oriented editors with many high-powered features, such as multiple views of the same file, cut/copy/paste, unlimited undo/redo, no typing lost after a crash or power failure, user-selectable fonts, and much more.
The spreadsheet allowed blocks of cells to be protected from editing or other user input. The BTOS version allowed scripts to be written that included opening the spreadsheet for user input, then automatically printing graphs based on the input data.
The system shell was extensible, making it possible to define new commands. To get the parameters, the system would display the form which was to be filled out by the user. The input form had conventions for mandatory and optional input fields, which made it very easy to train new users.
Usage
Convergent TechnologiesConvergent Technologies (Unisys)
Convergent Technologies was an American computer company formed by a small group of people who left Intel Corporation and Xerox PARC in 1979....
' first product was the IWS (Integrated Workstation) based on the Intel 8086
Intel 8086
The 8086 is a 16-bit microprocessor chip designed by Intel between early 1976 and mid-1978, when it was released. The 8086 gave rise to the x86 architecture of Intel's future processors...
processor, which had CTOS as its operating system. This was a modular operating system with built in local area networking. CTOS supported multiple processes or threads, and message-based interprocess communication.
Companies that licensed CTOS included Bull
Groupe Bull
-External links:* * — Friends, co-workers and former employees of Bull and Honeywell* *...
(STARSYS), and Burroughs (BTOS) and who later merged with Sperry to become Unisys
Unisys
Unisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
. Unisys was the single largest customer with whom Convergent Technologies merged to become one company in 1988. At its peak, CTOS had over 800,000 users worldwide. Diskless workstations (e.g., Bull) used the Intel 80186
Intel 80186
The 80188 is a version with an 8-bit external data bus, instead of 16-bit. This makes it less expensive to connect to peripherals. The 80188 is otherwise very similar to the 80186. It has a throughput of 1 million instructions per second....
processor, a processor seldom used by standard PCs.
Progress Software Corporation made a commercial database application for CTOS that was in 4GL. The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
used these databases for logistics administration for their vessels.
There was a port of CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by Corel Corporation of Ottawa, Canada. It is also the name of Corel's Graphics Suite...
for CTOS running the Presentation Manager
Presentation Manager
Presentation Manager is the graphical user interface that IBM and Microsoft introduced in version 1.1 of their operating system OS/2 in late 1988.-History:...
.
CTOS is no longer marketed to new customers; former major customers included police forces, banks, airlines, the U.S. Postal Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
, the U.S. Army and the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. The Coast Guard used the operating system from approximately 1986 until 2000. In Australia, CTOS/BTOS was used by the Trade Practices Commission, NSW Auditor-General's, CSIRO, Commonwealth Electrol Office and many commercial banks.
Though CTOS was not used in the modernized world, most of the concepts such Messaging, Request/Respond, Service, Exchange, etc are the foundation bricks of the SOA stylish architectures. The plug-and-play evolved from CTOS.