GLOSSARY
(compilation in progress)
Hardware | is displayed in blue |
Software | is displayed in red |
other products | |
ACOS 4 |
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APL | General Electric Advanced Product Line (1968) |
Aquila |
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Ares |
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architecture |
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ASTO |
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Auriga | code name of CMOS processor of the upper models of the DPS-7000 |
BFAS | Basic File Access Method. First generation of GCOS data organizations regrouping tape sequential, disk sequential, disk indexed sequential (ISAM) and Queued organizations. |
Bull |
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Bull-General Electric | name of the French subsidiary of General Electric [1964-1970] |
Bull S.A. | Bull Société Anonyme, name of the main entity of Groupe Bull [1982-1998] |
CAE | Compagnie Européenne d'Automatisme Electronique, a French computer company created as a subsidiary of the electronic consortium CSF. CAE merged eventually into CII with SEA and the computer department of CGE. |
calculator | fr: calculatrice |
CGE | Compagnie Générale d'Electricité, a French electrical and telecommunications consortium, that changed name for Alcatel. CGE had been a shareholder of CII and CII-HB. |
channel | Link between the central processor and the peripherals (see PSI) |
CII | Compagnie Internationale pour l'Informatique, a French company created to be the industrial arm of French Plan Calcul [1964-1975] |
CII-Honeywell Bull | French company resulting from the merge between CII and Honeywell-Bull [1975-1982] |
CKD format | Physical disc format (Count, Key, Data) introduced by IBM with Series/360 2311 disks in 1964. Used in Level 64 and DPS-7 from 1974 to late 1980s |
CML | Current Mode Logic, a bipolar technology, variant of ECL used in the 80s for high speed circuits in DPS-7 CPU |
collator | fr: interclasseuse |
Compagnie des Machines Bull (CMB) |
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Computer | fr: ordinateur |
CPU | Central Processing Unit (fr: processeur central) |
CTG |
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DAPS | Direct Access Programming System, an operating system for the GE-400 |
Datanet |
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decor | a marketing name, introduced with the Series 60, specifying the operating architecture of a system. Synonym of emulator. |
DNS | Distributed network System. The operating system of the DSA Datanet processor. |
DOAS | Distributed Office Automation System, a generic name federating the office automation projects developed by Bull and Honeywell in the 1980s. The DPS-6 was the primary OA support system of those companies. |
DPS-7 | name of several systems marketed by CII-HB, Groupe Bull and Honeywell [1982-1987], running under GCOS-7 |
DPS-7000 | name of several systems produced by Bull running under GCOS-7[1986- ] |
DPS-8 | name of several produced by Honeywell, running under GCOS-8 |
DSA | Distributed Systems Architecture : Honeywell and Bull proprietary network architecture [1978-1991] |
emulator | a package of hardware, firmware, software able to recreate a target machine environment on a new system. A successful emulator package should give equal or superior performances at a cheaper or equal price See "modes".. |
FEB | Fédération des Equipes Bull, an association of Bull alumni.[1987- current] |
Firmware | Microcode complementing the hardware to implement the architecture |
Front End Processor (FEP) | originally, a processor system handling the connection of communication lines, later a network processor (FNP) (see Datanet) |
GCOS 62 | operating system of Honeywell-Italia Series 60 Level 62, evolved later as GCOS-4 on DPS-4 [1964-1987] |
GCOS 64 | operating system of Series 60 Level 64, [1974-1980], evolved later as GCOS 7 |
GCOS 6 | operating system on Level-6, (Mini-6), DPS-6 (evolved in HRX) |
GCOS 7 | operating system of DPS-7 and DPS-7000 [1980- ] |
GCOS 8 | operating system of Honeywell DPS-8 [1978- ] |
GECOS | General Electric Comprehensive Operating System (e.g. GECOSIII, operating system of the GE-600) [1963-1970]. GECOS lost its E into GCOS after the absorption by Honeywell. |
HIS | Honeywell Information Services, an EDP division (later subsidiary) of Honeywell |
HISI | Honeywell Information Service Italia , responsible for Level 62 and DPS-4 |
Honeywell-Bull | name of the French subsidiary of Honeywell, acquired from General Electric [1970-1975] |
Honeywell-Bull | name taken by Honeywell Information System (North American Operation) after its take-over by Bull [1985-1995] |
IDBS | Integrated Data Base System, a quasi-relational data base organization developed for GCOS4 . |
IDS | Integrated Data Store, a data base organization handling complex "network" data sets. |
Input reader | alias SYSIN, symbiont |
interior decor | an incarnation of the architecture(s) of Levl64 and DPS-7. The native interior decor is the original architecture, foreign decors are the architecture used by emulators (see mode) |
IOC | Input-Output Controller (I/O channel multiplexer) |
IOF | Interactive Operator Facility, a GCOS7 feature allowing user(s) interaction with the control language of the operating system. |
ISM | Integrated System Management, a, administration set of programs. |
ISO |
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JCL | Job Control Language, a term progressively borrowed from IBM by Honeywell. Initially "control cards" on GECOS II and GCOSIII. Later GCL (generalized control language) for GCOS7 IOF. |
Leo | code name of CML micro packaging DPS-7x0 computer system |
Lyra | a 4xSMP version of Leo DPS-7 computer system |
micro kernel | term invented after GCOS-7, but present in the L64 architecture implementing in firmware a part of the operating system (thread dispatcher, thread synchronization, segment access control,...) |
mode | a name given for the different architectures (and their interpreters) operating under GCOS7 (syn: emulators) |
MSD | (Honeywell-Bull) Medium System Department, -fr: Département des Systèmes Moyens, responsible for Level64 |
MPI | Magnetic Peripherals Inc. a common subsidiary between Control Data and Honeywell for discs design and manufacturing. |
MSC | Mass Storage Controller a PCP also named Mass Storage Processor (MSP) |
MTC | Magnetic tape Controller, a PCP also named MTP |
Multics | a time-sharing operating system developed by MIT and Honeywell (originally GE and Bell Labs) that was a model for the 1970s-1980s operating systems including GCOS 64 (GCOS-7) |
NAO | North American Operations, a division of Honeywell Information Systems, responsible for sales (and at some times product development) in USA and Canada. |
NEC | Nippon Electric Company, (jap: Nihon Denki Kobushiki Kaisha] a Japanese company associated with Honeywell, and a shareholder of Bull since 1990s. |
NPL | Honeywell New Product Line (1970-1973) |
nucleus | the inner part of the operating system (syn: kernel) |
OLTD | On-Line Tests & Diagnostics. Field Engineering hardware tests programs operating simultaneously with other operating system tasks |
Operating System | fr: système d'exploitation |
OSI | Open Systems Interconnection, a set of standards established by ISO |
Output Writer | alias SYSOUT, symbiont |
Packard Bell | an American personal computer company that joined a common developments with ZDS and that was eventually bought by NEC. |
PCP | Peripheral Control Processor |
process | alias "thread", a MULTICS and GCOS64 term |
PSI | Peripheral Subsystem Interface, channel link between the IOC and the PCP; PSI operates as a star one-to-one byte parallel connection. |
punched cards | fr: cartes perforées |
REE or R2E | Réalisations et Etudes Electroniques, a French company that created the first microprocessor based computer, and that was acquired by CII-HB and renamed Bull-Micral. |
SCP | System Control Program, a stand alone operating system of L64 and DPS-7(000) used for ancillary functions. |
SCSI | Small Computer System Interface, used for connection of industry standard mass storage devices [1988-] |
SEA | Société d'Electronique et d'Automatisme, a French computer company and a pioneer in the digital computer field. |
Segment |
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SEMS | a French minicomputer company evolved from the part of CII left apart from Honeywell-Bull in 1975 that rejoined Groupe Bull in 1982 under the Bull-SEMS name. |
Siris 3 | operating system of the CII Iris-50 a medium size business computer [1967-1974] |
Siris 8 | operating system of the CII Iris-80 a large scale system derived from SDS Sigma-7 [1967-1976] |
SPIX | name of UNIX operating system, used on Bull open systems in the late 1980s. Bull avoided to use AT&T copyrighted UNIX brand name. |
tabulator | fr: tabulatrice |
Taurus | code name for DPS-7-x5, a CML micro packaging version of Level 64 [1980-1986] |
T2L or TTL | Transistor Transistor Logic, integrated circuits technology dominant in the 70s (e.g. TI 74N technology of the level64) |
TCP/IP | a networks architecture developed as part of Internet, it became a de facto standard in the 90s [198x- ] |
TDS | Transaction Driven System, a subsystem of GCOS |
Transac |
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T&D | abbreviation for Tests & Diagnostics |
UFAS | Unified File Access System, an indexed data access method evolved from IBM VSAM by Honeywell [1973-1985] |
Unix | an operating system designed at Bell Labs that was the major architecture independent operating system. [1973- ] |
URC | Unit Record Controller, also performing as an entry-level data communications processor and as service processor [1971-1990] |
ZDS | Zenith Data Systems, a personal computer company acquired by Bull in 1989 from the Zenith group |
Revision : 29 juin 2001.