Location
Honeywell Cambridge Information Systems Laboratory, 575 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Moved to Cambridge Center in Kendall Square when CISL did, in 09/83.
First Installed
1974 (?)
Configuration
- One 6180 CPU,
- 256K words MOS memory, (core too)
- no paging device,
- lots of MSU0500 disk drives,
- four tape drives,
- printer,
- card reader & punch.
- An ARPANet connection was added in 1979.
- Up to 3 FNPs, two for MCS and one for DNS.
At some time in the 70's, a second CPU (an 8/70M), more memory, and paging device were added at the Tech Square site.
Operations
The people who operated the CISL machine included Don Fidler, Angelo Grieco, and Ed Winslow.
Application areas
This system was used at CISL to test new versions of the system, especially hardcore modifications. It was available to system programmers who wished to do a development run on a signup basis.
Eventually, it was run as a "service system" at CISL during mid-day, running the experimental-system-de jour on a beta-test basis. This also gave systems programmers the opportunity to build and preload software for development runs.
Anecdotes
[JWG] One point about the CISL machine at both sites is that it was shut down and powered off every single night! I believe it is the only GCOS or Multics system that was ever run this way. The specs said that you could but Field Engineering always complained and I'm sure this contributed to some of the disk failures.
[JWG] One other think that always blew my mind is that we had a 355 with maximum of everything that was 12 feet long! I believe we abandoned this when we moved to Cambridge Center.
[BSG] As configuration and setup of new Multics site, including the registering of projects and users is a non-trivial procedure to learn and follow, a "development hierarchy" with a small site all set up was loaded from a backup tape as part of the setup for a run. One of the endearing memories of this was the use of the IDs of a handful of prominent, senior Multicians of the era as the registered users in this environment. Junior programmers testing software at that time would say, "Gee, do I want to be Steve Webber or Noel Morris today?" (When CISL began to run its own machine as a service during the day and all CISL Multicians had accounts and real files there, this practice ended).
[Richard Shetron] The CISL 6180 had 2 memory boxes in the late 70's. One core, one semiconductor. The CISL people said they had a 2 page program and could tell by the run time which page was in which type of memory.
Final Shutdown
Moved to Billerica when CISL closed, in 06/86.