RSX SIG

RSX SIG OPENING SESSION

Q017

The roadmap part of the session opens the week's activities for the RSX SIG. We will highlight sessions sponsored by the SIG and announce any last-minute changes. Special note will be made of various places to get your questions answered: the campground, question and answer sessions, product panels and SIG business meetings.

The agenda will include:

  • Introduction of SIG Leadership and DIGITAL Representatives

The SIG Executive Board, SIG Steering Committee, and the DIGITAL representatives will be introduced. This is the group that makes it all happen. Learn their names and faces so that you can take your suggestions, complaints, or At-A-Boys to them during the remainder of the week.

  • SIG Activities Reports

Each of the SIG's working groups and committees will present a brief report on their activities. This is when you can find out what the SIG is doing and who to contact if you would like to become involved in a specific activity.

  • SIG Business

Any reports or announcements concerning other SIG activities will be given at this time. Any suggestions for new SIG activities should be brought up at this time.

  • Questions and Answers

The floor will be open for questions and answers or general discussion. The discussion will be limited to policy or informational questions about the SIG or DIGITAL. Technical discussions will be referred to the appropriate technical session.

ORIENTATION: General

RSX PRODUCT PANEL

Q034
Laine Heiser
Digital Equipment Corporation

This presentation describes the status of RSX products. It includes information concerning current product features, new product announcements, and product futures.

ORIENTATION: Managerial

DEALING WITH FOREIGN MAGNETIC TAPE
FORMATS UNDER RSX-11M

Q010
Steve Mylroie
Philips Research Laboratories

Over the last ten years, the RSX utilities have supported a number of different magnetic tape formats (FLX/DOS, PRESERVE, DSC, BRU, ASCII 1966 [RSX V3.2], and ASCII 1978 [RSX V4.0]). In addition, RT-11 and VMS, as well as other vendors such as IBM, HP, and CDC and operating systems like UNIX, generate magnetic tape formats which the RSX utilities do not understand. This paper will first examine a number of these formats to give the listener an appreciation of work required in dealing with foreign tape formats. Next the use of QIO calls to the magnetic tape driver to generate user-written tape utilities for accessing and writing tapes in non-RSX formats will be discussed. The paper will finish with a discussion of utility programs available from the DECUS Library or on the symposium tapes which deal with non-RSX magnetic tape formats.

ORIENTATION: Technical(Intermediate)

A WARM-UP FOR NEW RSX USERS

Q002
Nancy L. Pallett, Cameron Shaw
Cameron Shaw Associates

Get yourself or your colleagues started using either RSX-11 M or RSX-11M-PLUS. The manual, "Introduction to RSX-11M and RSX-11M-PLUS", and the associated files from the distribution kits will be discussed in this session. Time will be reserved for a question and answer period following the presentation.

ORIENTATION: Technical (novice)

HISTORY OF D AND IAS

Q049
Ray French
Boeing Commercial Airplane Company

This presentation is an RSX anniversary special session to cover the history of RSX-11D and IAS operating systems.

ORIENTATION: General

WHAT DIGITAL ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
RSX BUT WAS AFRAID TO ASK

Q038

A panel of experienced DECUS users totaling over $200,000,000 in installed equipment will answer questions posed by DIGITAL development and product groups.

ORIENTATION: General

RSX-11M TASKBUILDER TUTORIAL

Q030
Laine Heiser
Digital Equipment Corporation

TKB is one of the most frequently used utilities in a typical RSX-11M Program Development System. In spite of this, many users only learn about the smallest subset of capabilities required to build most tasks. This session will present an overview of TKB, with emphasis on features that are not used as often as they could be. Topics will included introduction to overlays, the creation of resident libraries, device commons, and the use of various options to control and optimize task image.

ORIENTATION: Technical (Novice/intermediate)

BOOTSTRAPPING RSX-11S FROM ROM MEMORIES

Q001
Ann Chipman
Sandia National Laboratories

A scheme has been devised for bootstrapping RSX-11S from ROM memories. This paper describes a method for storing an RSX-11S system into PROMs and then loading it into RAM for execution. A full 128 KW system was saved into 64 4Kb PROMs. The bootstrap program necessary to load and execute the system is also described.

ORIENTATION: Technical

USING THE CONNECT TO INTERRUPT
(CINT$) DIRECTIVE UNDER RSX

Q059
Alan E. Frisbie
Flying Disk Systems

New users of RSX often seize upon the Connect to Interrupt directive to solve their data collection problem(s). Many times, however, it is the wrong tool for the job. Even when it is the proper tool, the results are often less than desirable: system crashes, mysterious bugs, and project delays.

This tutorial will address the issue of when CINT$ should bused and when other methods should be used. For those times when it is the correct solution, the proper use of the directive will be shown. Examples from real-world programs will show how to avoid typical pitfalls.

ORIENTATION: Technical (intermediate)

RSX MAGIC

Q045
Jim McGlinchey
Kidfilly Systems

Monday and Thursday nights are now cluttered with “...Magic". But why settle for imitations when you can go to where it all started. We are bringing back RSX Magic, complete with cape and cane, wizard and assistants, Etherbunny, and pizza-to-go.

We will have another debate on the virtues of operating systems. We will have another "TKB is so slow that..." contest. And we will stay at it until all the boxes are empty. In other words, we will faithfully fulfill every tradition that RSX Magic has ever had.

We also plan some new events such as a t-shirt contest. Also, the wizard emeritus promises his biggest and best surprise. So start making your t-shirt, rehearsing your war story, and finishing your latest system hack. RSX magic is back in town.

ORIENTATION: General

RSX DISK OPTIMIZATION GUIDELINES PANEL

Q005
Terry Medlin
GEJAC, Inc.

The intent of this session is to review the ODS-1 file structure that exists on RSX-11M-PLUS systems and to use this knowledge to describe guidelines to improve disk performance under RSX. We will review ACPs:

  • How many to use
  • Performance parameters of the MOU command
  • Disk fragmentation
  • Usage of the INI command with discussion of where to place the index file
  • And other issues

This topic may be of particular interest to users of virtual disk or Winchester disks that are viewed as multiple unit disks. We will also discuss the overlap seek algorithms of RSX-11M-PLUS.

ORIENTATION: Technical (intermediate)

AN RSX INTERPROCESSOR REAL-TIME SYSTEM

Q006
Barry Miller
Argonne National Laboratory

An RSX application approach that provides RT-11 real-time performance and RSX functionality. Features are:

  • A modularized multi-tasking target processor operating system featuring an executive kernel, system common, system and user tasks, and device drivers for the communications channel and a CAMAC crate.
  • Half duplex interprocessor communication protocol supported on either a DL11 type or DR11-B type device.
  • Host processor interprocessor communication server task.
  • ODT-style debugging of the target processor.
  • Target processor downloading.
  • 24K word interprocessor data transfers.
  • Application oriented command line interpreter.
  • System driven from user changeable ASCII parameter files.
  • Application programs written in "C" using the DECUS "C" compiler.
  • "C" and FORTRAN callable ISAM file system supporting high performance shared file access.

ORIENTATION: Technical (intermediate)

RSX SIG TAPE WORKING GROUP

Q003

The RSX SIG Tape Working Group will meet to discuss the distribution status of the Spring 1983 SIG tape. We will also review and combine information collected from various LUGs and previous symposia for both documentation and generation of a "Best-of-SIG-Tapes" tape. We will also discuss the re-submission status of old FLX SIG tapes to the DECUS Library in BRU format, as well as the status of the master index of previous tapes.

ORIENTATION: General

TUTORIAL: RSX SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT UNDER VAX/VMS COMPATIBILITY MODE

Q063
Mary A. Fuka
Los Alamos National Laboratory

The control system for the Proton Storage Ring now being built at Los Alamos will use a VAX-11/750 as its main control computer with several LSI-11/23 microprocessors reading and controlling the hardware.

VMS Compatibility Mode makes it possible to use the VAX as a development system for the LSI-11/23 microprocessors running the RSX-11S (standalone) operating system. DIGITAL-supplied software is used to generate the RSX-11S operating system and DECnet-11S network software. We use the VMS editors to create source files, the MACRO-11 assembler and the PDP-11 FORTRAN-77 compiler to generate object code and the RSX Task-Builder to link the executable RSX task image. The RSX task can then be tested to some extend on the VAX before it is down-line loaded to the LSI-11/23 for further testing.

Several areas of difficulty and 'incompatibility' exist in VMS Compatibility Mode. Areas which can give trouble include file protection, process protection, privilege, directory names, device names, and the indirect command file processor. Understanding these differences between RSX and VMS Compatibility Mode facilitates system and task development.

This presentation will describe how to do RSX-11S SYSGENS, DECnet-11S NETGENS, and how far it is possible to develop and test RSX-11 control system software under VAX/VMS Compatibility Mode.

ORIENTATION: Technical (Intermediate)

CHEAP (FREE?) NETWORKS

Q007
David R. Birkenmeyer
Clark Equipment Company

Most installations with two or more processors in close proximity eventually need to transfer files from one machine to another. Media compatibility and the availability of disk and tape drives often make it inconvenient to physically move data between machines. While DECnet provides a very comprehensive solution to this problem, it is much more than required in many cases, where the costs in dollars, memory, and processor utilization are not justifiable. The presentation will review several software packages designed for simple inter-processor communication and data transfer. Each package discussed will meet most of the following criteria:

  • Low cost - should not be more than media charge and shipping
  • Wide availability - available through DECUS or the user community
  • Easy installation - preferably no SYSGEN
  • Minimal system degradation
  • Easy to use

ORIENTATION: Technical

RSX VIRTUAL DISK TUTORIAL

Q022
Robert W. Hayes
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

This session will develop the concept of a virtual disk, show how it is implemented on RSX, and present some of the favorite uses of this facility. Technical details will include a description of the driver and data structures and associated privileged tasks. Applications include the use of virtual disks to implement a loosely-coupled, triple-processor system, virtual disks for project partitioning, and other interesting applications. This session should be of interest to both the novice and the more advanced user.

ORIENTATION: Technical

DEC PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT:
THE BIRTH OF A NEW PRODUCT

Q035
Laine Heiser
Digital Equipment Corporation

Bringing DIGITAL products to market often appears externally to be smooth and sometimes at random. A highly integrated set of processes drives the development, administration and eventual announcement of DIGITAL products. This session will discuss product development process within DIGITAL describing the technical and business decision making process for both hardware and software products. The presentation will be in three sections describing the development, manufacturing, and support.

ORIENTATION: Managerial

HISTORY OF RSX-11M AND RSX-11M-PLUS

Q039
Allen Watson
The Record

An RSX anniversary special session to cover the history of RSX-11M and RSX-11M-PLUS operating systems.

ORIENTATION: General

WORST BUG I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED

Q040
Ralph Stamerjohn
Monsanto

RSX users are asked to submit their worst bug ever found, Several will be selected for presentation. The one voted best will receive an appropriate prize to heal the wounds.

ORIENTATION: General

HOWS AND WHYS OF RUNOFF

Q065
Nancy L. Pallett
Cameron Shaw Associates
and
Allen Watson
The Record

This session is designed to introduce the RNO (Runoff) utility to beginning users of RSX-11M. RNO is a very useful utility for generating printed text and many other things to be explained at the session. The most useful run switches will also be covered.

ORIENTATION: Novice

RSX WORKING GROUP: DATA
ACQUISITION/SIMULATION/PROCESS CONTROL

Q008
Allen Jay Bennett
Clark Equipment Company

The RSX SIG has a working group whose charter is to provide a forum for the discussion of utilizing RSX for real-time performance for data acquisition, simulation, and/or process control. The working group has collected several lists of items for submission to the MULTI-TASKER concerning RSX realtime performance. These items will be considered and discussed. Members of the working group will explain their usage of RSX for real-time performance. Time will be allocated for planning future actions.

ORIENTATION: Technical

RSX IN THE VAX/VMS ENVIRONMENT

Q066
VAX/VMS Development Group
Digital Equipment Corporation

This session will discuss DIGITAL's plans for RSX in the VAX/VMS environment.

DISTRIBUTED FILES-1 I AND SHARED DISK ACCESS

Q058
Robert Bismuth
Digital Equipment Corporation

This presentation will discuss a possible implementation of a distributed file system for the RSX operating system family. Inherent in the implementation is the transparent access of Files-11 volumes across multiple systems with no code changes necessary to user application tasks. The design is centered around the constraints of low cost system interconnection while maintaining an easy to manage software facility. Examples of the use of such a system feature will also be presented. Such as diskless systems, cross system on-line disk backup/shadowing and file system redundancy.

ORIENTATION: Technical

RSX SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
WORKING GROUP SESSION

Q004
Paul Sorenson
Mayo Clinic

General discussion of enhancements to RSX-11M and RSX-11M-PLUS from the user community and the monitoring of system performance.

ORIENTATION: General

INTRODUCTION TO RSX-11M/RSX-11M-PLUS SYSGEN

Q048
Gary L. Maxwell
U.S. Geological Survey

This session will present an overview of the RSX-11M/RSX-11M-PLUS System Generation procedure for new RSX users and system managers. Topics to be discussed will supplement the RSX System Generation documentation, with an emphasis on helpful procedures for making the SYSGEN process easier to execute. Topics will include:

  • Overall flow of SYSGEN, including intermediate and final output files produced by SYSGEN
  • Procedures to be performed by the system manager prior to invoking SYSGEN
  • A walk-through of the SYSGEN dialog procedure
  • Helpful operations to perform following SYSGEN to bring the generated system online

Time will be provided at the end of the session for SYSGEN-related questions and answers.

ORIENTATION: Managerial(Novice)

HOW TO IMPLEMENT TIMER SUPPORT
IN RSX-11M DRIVER

Q047
Alan J. Carney
Harris Graphics Corporation

The RSX system allows for the inclusion of system timer support within a device driver using the $CLINS Executive Routine. This capability can provide added functionality and control to your user-written driver. This session will discuss the following topics:

  • Using the $CLINS Executive Routine
  • Programming protocol and flow for timer support
  • Sample driver example
  • Applications for "watchdog" timers

ORIENTATION: Technical (Advanced)

AN RSX GENERAL PURPOSE
TOUCH PANEL MENU SYSTEM

Q046
Andrew Simmons
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

A touch panel menu system developed for use with the VT100 (advanced video) terminal and running under RSX-11M will be described. The system is currently used to provide a "friendly" user interface to complex data acquisition and process control applications. The menu can contain up to thirty cells. A cell can be either a label, a parameter value, or a task name. Input can come from either the keyboard and/or a touch panel. Each menu screen is described by an ASCII input file. Sequences of menu selections and parameter entries can be saved and associated with a single selection. The system can also be used with a standard ASCII video terminal without a touch panel. The system is flexible enough to be used with applications that are constantly evolving or with a variety of different applications.

ORIENTATION: General

PSI PRODUCTS IN RSX AND VMS

Q055
Rodger Miles
Digital Equipment Corporation

This paper will discuss the Packet Switching Interface (PSI) product as provided by DIGITAL for the RSX and VAX/VMS operating systems. The relationships to DECnet will be examined and the use of X.25 virtual circuits as DECnet links will be presented. Network Management Services to control the PSI product will also be presented.

The use of PSI to connect computers together will be augmented by the ability to use terminals to interface computers through X.25 networks. The X29 server package allows remote terminals to interface to the host computer while the PAD program allows terminals on the host computer to interface to remote computers. These features will be compared to the virtual capability of DECnet. The session will conclude with some examples of the use of the PSI product and some of the limitations encountered.

ORIENTATION: Technical