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Convergent Technologies Operating System

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Architecture. Applications are added as services to the main server. Each client consumes the services via its own mailbox called "exchange" and well-published message formats. The communication works on "request codes" that are owned by the service. The operating system maintains the exchanges,
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The system shell was extensible, making it possible to define new commands. To get the parameters, the system would display the form which was to be filled out by the user. The input form had conventions for mandatory and optional input fields, which made it very easy to train new users.
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The spreadsheet allowed blocks of cells to be protected from editing or other user input. The BTOS version allowed scripts to be written that included opening the spreadsheet for user input, then automatically printing graphs based on the input data.
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was one of the first screen-oriented editors with many high-powered features, such as multiple views of the same file, cut/copy/paste, unlimited undo/redo, no typing lost after a crash or power failure, user-selectable fonts, and much more.
307:(IPC) is primarily based on the "request" and "respond" messaging foundation that enhanced the Enterprise Application Integration among services for both internal and external environments. Thus CTOS was well known for the message-based 260:
CTOS had many innovative features for its time. System access was controlled with a user password and Volume or disk passwords. If one knew the password, for example, for a volume, one could access any file or directory on that volume
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adapters using CTOS Cluster Hub-R12 designed by Paul Jackson Ph.D. of SumNet Pty Limited in Australia. Each workgroup (called a "cluster") was connected to a server (called a "master"). The workstations, normally
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message queues, scheduling, control, message passing, etc., while the service manages the messages at its own exchange using "wait", "check", and "respond" macros.
633: 89: 61: 1153: 68: 1158: 962: 933: 430:. Unisys was the single largest customer and acquired Convergent Technologies in 1988. At its peak, CTOS had over 800,000 users worldwide. 75: 462: 357:-like pattern-matching macro facility unmatched by almost any other assembler before or since. There was an always-resident debugger. 57: 1163: 564: 108: 737: 681: 656: 626: 446: 849: 747: 46: 1127: 676: 661: 475: 600: 585: 457:. The Coast Guard used the operating system from approximately 1984 until 2000. In Australia, CTOS/BTOS was used by the 722: 707: 666: 580: 888: 835: 354: 304: 82: 595: 903: 742: 619: 458: 35: 938: 757: 717: 712: 671: 483: 454: 202: 981: 868: 732: 433:
CTOS is no longer marketed to new customers. Former major customers included police forces, banks, airlines,
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processor, which had CTOS as its operating system. This was a modular operating system with built-in
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from the master, and could optionally be locally booted from attached hard drives.
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It was possible to custom-link the operating system to add or delete features.
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used these databases for logistics administration for their vessels.
438: 427: 327: 288: 611: 131: 515:"When the mission is critical, leaders plug into BTOS workstations" 1049: 407:' first product was the IWS (Integrated Workstation) based on the 369: 365: 316: 279:
cables (daisy-chain topology) and in later versions carried over
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Exhuming CTOS: The Convergent Technologies Project, Nadia Ilyin
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made a commercial database application for CTOS that was in
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processor, a processor seldom used by standard PCs.
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June 23, 1986. p. 15. 836:User space and kernel space 372:which compiled directly to 305:Inter-process communication 179:; 44 years ago 1180: 743:Real-time operating system 591:Paul Mooney's CTOS Central 459:Trade Practices Commission 232:, also known variously as 939:Multilevel feedback queue 934:Fixed-priority preemptive 718:Hobbyist operating system 713:Embedded operating system 581:The CTOS FAQ October 1999 484:United States Coast Guard 455:United States Coast Guard 129: 1164:Unisys operating systems 982:General protection fault 733:Network operating system 687:User features comparison 728:Mobile operating system 405:Convergent Technologies 148:Convergent Technologies 831:Loadable kernel module 337:was presented to both 899:Process control block 865:Computer multitasking 703:Disk operating system 493:for CTOS running the 413:local area networking 248:, multiprocess-based 1070:Virtual tape library 662:Forensic engineering 495:Presentation Manager 489:There was a port of 435:Nationwide Insurance 368:-like language from 339:high-level languages 275:carried over serial 273:peer-to-peer network 43:improve this article 1079:Supporting concepts 1065:Virtual file system 463:NSW Auditor-General 443:U.S. Postal Service 126: 1002:Segmentation fault 850:Process management 606:Convergent archive 1136: 1135: 992:Memory protection 963:Memory management 957: 956: 949:Shortest job next 844: 843: 643:Operating systems 343:assembly language 226: 225: 119: 118: 111: 93: 1171: 1091:Computer network 855: 763: 636: 629: 622: 613: 608:at bitsavers.org 570: 541: 540: 529: 523: 522: 521:. November 1989. 511: 250:operating system 187: 185: 180: 134: 127: 121:Operating system 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 16:Operating system 1179: 1178: 1174: 1173: 1172: 1170: 1169: 1168: 1139: 1138: 1137: 1132: 1074: 1035:Defragmentation 1020: 1011: 997:Protection ring 966: 953: 925: 918: 840: 814: 752: 691: 645: 640: 577: 567: 548: 545: 544: 531: 530: 526: 513: 512: 508: 503: 422:(STARSYS), and 402: 378:runtime library 351: 258: 246:message-passing 183: 181: 178: 174:Initial release 137: 122: 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1177: 1175: 1167: 1166: 1161: 1156: 1151: 1141: 1140: 1134: 1133: 1131: 1130: 1125: 1124: 1123: 1121:User interface 1118: 1108: 1103: 1098: 1093: 1088: 1082: 1080: 1076: 1075: 1073: 1072: 1067: 1062: 1057: 1052: 1047: 1045:File attribute 1042: 1037: 1032: 1026: 1024: 1013: 1012: 1010: 1009: 1007:Virtual memory 1004: 999: 994: 989: 984: 979: 973: 971: 959: 958: 955: 954: 952: 951: 946: 941: 936: 930: 928: 920: 919: 917: 916: 911: 906: 901: 896: 891: 886: 881: 879:Context switch 876: 861: 859: 852: 846: 845: 842: 841: 839: 838: 833: 828: 822: 820: 816: 815: 813: 812: 807: 802: 797: 792: 787: 782: 777: 771: 769: 760: 754: 753: 751: 750: 745: 740: 735: 730: 725: 720: 715: 710: 705: 699: 697: 693: 692: 690: 689: 684: 679: 674: 669: 664: 659: 653: 651: 647: 646: 641: 639: 638: 631: 624: 616: 610: 609: 603: 598: 593: 588: 583: 576: 575:External links 573: 572: 571: 565: 552:Exploring CTOS 543: 542: 524: 505: 504: 502: 499: 401: 398: 385:word processor 350: 347: 257: 254: 224: 223: 218: 212: 211: 206: 199: 198: 193: 189: 188: 175: 171: 170: 167: 163: 162: 157: 151: 150: 145: 139: 138: 135: 120: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1176: 1165: 1162: 1160: 1157: 1155: 1152: 1150: 1149:1980 software 1147: 1146: 1144: 1129: 1126: 1122: 1119: 1117: 1114: 1113: 1112: 1109: 1107: 1104: 1102: 1099: 1097: 1094: 1092: 1089: 1087: 1084: 1083: 1081: 1077: 1071: 1068: 1066: 1063: 1061: 1058: 1056: 1053: 1051: 1048: 1046: 1043: 1041: 1038: 1036: 1033: 1031: 1028: 1027: 1025: 1023: 1018: 1014: 1008: 1005: 1003: 1000: 998: 995: 993: 990: 988: 987:Memory paging 985: 983: 980: 978: 975: 974: 972: 969: 964: 960: 950: 947: 945: 942: 940: 937: 935: 932: 931: 929: 927: 921: 915: 912: 910: 907: 905: 902: 900: 897: 895: 892: 890: 887: 885: 882: 880: 877: 874: 870: 866: 863: 862: 860: 856: 853: 851: 847: 837: 834: 832: 829: 827: 826:Device driver 824: 823: 821: 817: 811: 808: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 793: 791: 788: 786: 783: 781: 778: 776: 773: 772: 770: 768: 767:Architectures 764: 761: 759: 755: 749: 746: 744: 741: 739: 736: 734: 731: 729: 726: 724: 721: 719: 716: 714: 711: 709: 706: 704: 701: 700: 698: 694: 688: 685: 683: 680: 678: 675: 673: 670: 668: 665: 663: 660: 658: 655: 654: 652: 648: 644: 637: 632: 630: 625: 623: 618: 617: 614: 607: 604: 602: 599: 597: 594: 592: 589: 587: 584: 582: 579: 578: 574: 568: 566:0-13-297342-1 562: 558: 557:Prentice Hall 554: 553: 547: 546: 538: 537:ComputerWorld 534: 528: 525: 520: 516: 510: 507: 500: 498: 496: 492: 487: 485: 481: 477: 473: 471: 466: 464: 460: 456: 452: 448: 444: 440: 436: 431: 429: 425: 421: 416: 414: 410: 406: 399: 397: 393: 389: 386: 381: 379: 375: 371: 367: 363: 358: 356: 348: 346: 344: 340: 336: 331: 329: 325: 321: 318: 313: 310: 306: 301: 299: 295: 290: 286: 285:star topology 282: 278: 274: 269: 266: 264: 255: 253: 251: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 222: 219: 217: 213: 210: 207: 204: 200: 197: 194: 190: 176: 172: 168: 166:Working state 164: 161: 158: 156: 152: 149: 146: 144: 140: 133: 128: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 1022:file systems 914:Time-sharing 551: 536: 527: 518: 509: 488: 474: 467: 432: 417: 403: 394: 390: 382: 359: 352: 332: 315:CTOS ran on 314: 302: 281:twisted pair 270: 267: 259: 241: 237: 233: 229: 227: 169:Discontinued 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 1040:Device file 1030:Boot loader 944:Round-robin 869:Cooperative 805:Rump kernel 795:Multikernel 785:Microkernel 682:Usage share 470:Intel 80186 374:object code 333:The system 309:Microkernel 221:Proprietary 209:Microkernel 1143:Categories 970:protection 926:algorithms 924:Scheduling 873:Preemptive 819:Components 790:Monolithic 657:Comparison 501:References 409:Intel 8086 376:without a 324:Windows NT 155:Written in 99:April 2007 69:newspapers 1060:Partition 977:Bus error 904:Real-time 884:Interrupt 810:Unikernel 775:Exokernel 491:CorelDRAW 451:U.S. Army 424:Burroughs 263:hard disk 192:Platforms 143:Developer 1106:Live USB 968:resource 858:Concepts 696:Variants 677:Timeline 453:and the 349:Programs 294:diskless 256:Overview 1101:Live CD 1055:Journal 1019:access, 1017:Storage 894:Process 800:vkernel 667:History 650:General 296:, were 287:) with 242:STARSYS 216:License 182: ( 83:scholar 909:Thread 780:Hybrid 758:Kernel 563:  482:. The 449:, the 445:, the 441:, the 439:U-Haul 428:Unisys 328:Unisys 289:RS-422 277:RS-422 203:Kernel 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  1111:Shell 1050:Inode 400:Usage 370:Intel 366:ALGOL 364:, an 317:Intel 90:JSTOR 76:books 672:List 561:ISBN 420:Bull 383:The 362:PL/M 355:Lisp 341:and 330:PC. 303:The 240:and 238:BTOS 234:CTOS 228:The 205:type 184:1980 177:1980 160:PL/M 62:news 1128:PXE 1116:CLI 1096:HAL 1086:API 889:IPC 519:CIO 480:4GL 335:API 326:on 320:x86 196:x86 45:by 1145:: 871:, 559:. 555:. 535:. 517:. 497:. 461:, 437:, 380:. 345:. 252:. 236:, 965:, 875:) 867:( 635:e 628:t 621:v 569:. 283:( 261:( 186:) 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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"Convergent Technologies Operating System"
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Developer
Convergent Technologies
Written in
PL/M
x86
Kernel
Microkernel
License
Proprietary
message-passing
operating system
hard disk
peer-to-peer network
RS-422
twisted pair
star topology
RS-422
diskless

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