PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COMPUTING CENTER
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COMPUTING CENTER
| McVey Hall, Lexington, Kentucky 40506 | Area Code 606 Phone 258-2916 |
October, 1972 Vol. 6, Issue 1
ABOUT 'THE REGISTER'
The Kentucky Register is the Computing Center newsletter which has
been published intermittently in the past. The Center has relied on
memos and "Hot News" to notify computer users of policy changes and
other information that might affect the user's computing capabilities.
("Hot News" is printed on the second page of the computer printout.)
This issue is the first of a monthly newsletter which is designed
to extend the user's general knowledge of computing, to provide
helpful hints concerning programming techniques and to keep all users
abreast of operational and policy changes. The Register is not
intended to replace the memo system, but to enhance and broaden its
effectiveness. The Computing Center is optimistic that a periodical
of this type will promote better
communication between the Center
and its patrons. Your suggestions CONTENTS
and comments are solicited.
Material for the newsletter can be
submitted to Karen Holder, news- About the Register . . . . . 1
letter editor, and if appropriate, Service Abstract . . . . . . 2
it will be published. 'T' Job Classification . . . 4
Free Batch WATFIV . . . . . 5
If you wish to have your name New Programs and Systems . . 6
added to the permanent mailing list Special User Services . . . 6
to receive The Register monthly, Mailing List . . . . . . . . 8
fill out the form on the last page
and return it to the Computing
Center.
SERVICE ABSTRACT
The Computing Center, located in the basement of McVey Hall, is a
service organization for all faculty, staff and students of the
University of Kentucky. As a centralized facility designed to serve
administrative, research and academic computing activities, the Center
strives to provide the best possible service within the limitations of
available space and funds. Comments, suggestions and criticisms are
always welcome. It is the Computing Center's goal to provide quality
computing service to meet the present and future needs of the
University.
FACILITIES
The mainframe of the computer system is an IBM 360/65 central
processor with 768K bytes of high speed storage and one million bytes
of LCS (Low Speed Storage). Additional storage facilities include one
7 track tape unit, five 9 track tape units and two 2314 disk units. A
2540 reader/punch, a 2501 reader and two 1403 printers provide
predominate input/output capabilities. Interactive terminals are
available and include five 2741 terminals in McVey Hall.
The operating system is OS/MVT with HASP - a program designed to
promote optimum system throughput by efficiently handling most input/
output and job scheduling. Multiple jobs are processed concurrently
depending on the core and other resources requirements.
PROJECT ACCOUNTING
Before an individual can use the facilities of the Computing
Center, he or she must obtain a project number. This number is
important not only because it gives the user access to computing
services, but because it enables the Computing Center to analyze and
report computer usage.
To apply for a project number, a user completes from CC.1 which is
available in Room 72, McVey Hall. Each project must apply for a
separate number. Project number assignments are forwarded to
prospective users by mail.
Computing services will be paid for from one of two sources:
either fund expenditures (normally paid from a University of Kentucky
account) or "computing dollars" (amounts allocated by each vice-
president for Computing Center services). A monthly utilization
report is sent to each project holder; it includes a complete listing
of services provided and rates charged.
CLOSED SHOP
All batch jobs are run closed shop on the 360/65. The user
submits programs with the necessary Job Control Language to the data
clerk at the Data Center in McVey Hall. The jobs will be run and
results can be picked up later. Turnaround time is a variable
dependent on the type and size of the job and the time of day
submitted. The Computing Center staff continually strives to minimize
turnaround time.
HOURS OF OPERATION
The Computing Center offices are open Monday through Friday from
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff members are available for appointments
during these hours.
The IBM 360/65 is in operation seven days a week including
University holidays. The Data Center is open to receive and return
jobs from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. each Monday through Friday, from
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
on Sunday.
Conversational terminals are normally operational from 9:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. each Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
on Saturday and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. In addition,
conversational terminals are often available from 8:00 p.m. to
midnight, Monday through Friday. Brief interruptions in service may
be experienced after 6:00 p.m. due to testing of systems programs and
maintenance requirements.
If it becomes necessary to temporarily alter the schedule of
operation, notices will be posted in advance throughout the Computing
Center and in "Hot News".
Preventative maintenance is performed on weekdays from 7:00 a.m.
to 8:00 a.m. IBM personnel repair and diagnose problems during this
period. It is occasionally necessary to extend preventative
operations beyond the 8:00 a.m. schedule. Preventative maintenance is
necessary to provide continuous computing service and prevent
inconvenient delays due to equipment failure.
CONSULTING
To assist users in the preparation and running of programs, the
Computing Center provides consulting services in Room 76 of McVey Hall
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Because of the large number
of users, the consultants cannot spend large amounts of time with any
one person; if problems or questions do require more than a few
minutes, the consultant will refer the user to another member of the
staff or schedule an appointment for another time. The consulting
service includes the following general areas of assistance:
a) Job Control Language - coding and checking of control
cards
b) error message interpretation - explanation of error codes
generated during the running of a program
c) specific problem solution - advice concerning programs
available to solve specific problems
d) conversion - advice concerning conversion of programs written
for other computers
e) numerical and statistical aid - advice concerning the most
efficient way to handle a problem involving numerical or
statistical methods
f) debugging assistance - debugging short programs for outstand-
ing errors in logic or coding.
The consultants cannot be expected to analyze program logic or
provide programming services.
KEYPUNCHING
Keypunch machines are available to users on a first-come first-
served basis in McVey Hall. A staff of keypunch operators is also
available to provide keypunching and verifying services. The keypunch
supervisor in Room 64 may be consulted for cost estimates and
approximate turnaround schedules. This service can be charged to the
user's project number. Keyverifying is available at a lower priority
than keypunching.
NEW PROGRAMS AND SYSTEMS
For the benefit of new and returning faculty members, staff and
students, a list of new programs which have been implemented at the
Computing Center since last May is printed below. A brief description
of each system is included; more detailed information may be obtained
in the consulting room.
AUTOFLOW AUTOFLOW is a flowcharting program which produces two-
dimensional flowcharts of FORTRAN or COBOL source programs.
CALL/OS An improved version (version 2) of the CALL/360 time-sharing
system has been implemented.
PCAP Princeton Electrical Circuit Analysis - this new system
should be used instead of the old ECAP program.
SAS Statistical Analysis System - SAS was obtained from North
Carolina and has been updated to include some new procedures.
SIMSCRIPT SIMSCRIPT II.5, a faster version of SIMSCRIPT II has been
implemented.
SPITBOL SPITBOL is a faster version of the SNOBOL4 compiler. It has
the ability to produce object decks which will run without
recompilation.
SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences. SPSS has been
updated and includes some new routines.
SPSSG Statistical Package for Social Sciences. SPSSG is a smaller
version of SPSS that uses less than 134K and can be used for
jobs which do not require the full capabilities of the larger
SPSS.
SPECIAL USER SERVICES
The Research and Development Group at the Computing Center is
concerned with bridging the communication gap between the computer
user and the computer professional. Faculty, staff and students may
be interested in the following special services that are coordinated
through this group.
User's guides, program documentation and general information hand-
outs are available at the consulting room. User consultation,
explained previously herein, is also provided.
The Computing Center maintains a large library of programs and is
continuously expanding this library. Individual assistance is
available to help the used utilize these programs and systems.
Special appointments can be made at the consulting room.
Staff members are available to meet with user groups to explain a
specific topic related to use of the Computing Center. For example,
course instructors can arrange for an explanation of Job Control
Language for a class; or a department may arrange for a lecture on
Computing Center services.
For more information or to arrange an appointment, contact Mrs.
Lavine Thrailkill at 8-2916.
