Software aspects of a closely coupled multicomputer system

This paper describes the philosophy and structure of the operating-system software which is currently being developed for a closely coupled multicomputer system. The proposed operating system is effectively distributed between the individual computing elements of the system. Each computing element or module contains a copy of a simple operating system or nucleus which has been designed on the one hand to provide a standard software interface for the applications software within the module and on the other to form an interface with other modules through the intercomputer-communication facility. A necessary and sufficient condition for a computing module to function in the proposed system is the possession of a copy of this nucleus. The nucleus software has been implemented in a high-level procedure-based language and is designed to provide the applications programmer with a basic set of commands or primitives which facilitate the creation and control of other application processes resident within other modules. The paper also includes details of the size of the implemented system.