MODULAR COMPUTER SHARING SYSTEM WITH INTERCOMPUTER COMMUNICATION CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 3,634,830 A
• Filed: 06/13/1969
• Issued: 01/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herbert B. Baskin
• Original Assignee: Herbert B. Baskin
• Inventors: Baskin, Herbert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chapnick, Melvin B.
• Application Number:
  US04/833,037
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 235/157 340/172.5
• US Class Current: 710/317
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17 using an input/output type connection, e.g. channel, I/O port

Abstract

A bank of interchangeable computers are provided, each of which is a memory/processor pair, the computers being respectively assigned to process terminal jobs as they arrive from a remote terminal. One of the computers serves as the master or control processor and supervises the collection and distribution of messages from and to the remote terminal, a disk drive suitably being provided for each connected terminal. A cross point switching network permits any of the disk drives to be connected to any computer of the bank, under the control of the control computer. Thus, while each active terminal is operatively related to a dedicated disk drive each terminal user may share the control computer with many other terminal users in a simple manner. The ratio of users to computers is dependent on the size and power of the computers which are employed and the computation requirement of the particular combination of users.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising:

a plurality of substantially interchangeable computers, each of said computers having its own memory, each of said computers being adapted to be selected as either a problem or a control computer whereby, by a chosen selection, one of said computers functions as said control computer and the remaining computers function as problem computers;

intercomputer communication control means in circuit with said computers for providing a control and data link between a selected control computer and the remaining problem computers, said intercomputer communication control means comprising;

respective intercomputer communication control units associated with each of said computers, and means for enabling communication between a computer and its associated intercomputer communication control unit;

means for enabling communication between all of said intercomputer communication control units;

file switch means in circuit with said computers and adapted to have a plurality of disk drives attached thereto;

transmission control means adapted to have a plurality of terminals attached thereto and operative to be placed in circuit with a selected control computer for providing a teleprocessing link between said terminals and said selected control computer, the number of terminals attached to said transmission control means being chosen to be equal to the number of said disk drives whereby each terminal is enabled to have one disk drive associated therewith, and input and output units controlled by the selected control computer.