GRASP was a
systems software
System software is software designed to provide a platform for other software. Examples of system software include operating systems (OS) like macOS, Linux, Android and Microsoft Windows, computational science software, game engines, search engin ...
package that provided
spooling
In computing, spooling is a specialized form of multi-programming for the purpose of copying data between different devices. In contemporary systems, it is usually used for mediating between a computer application and a slow peripheral, such a ...
facilities for the
IBM/370
The IBM System/370 (S/370) is a model range of IBM mainframe computers announced on June 30, 1970, as the successors to the System/360 family. The series mostly maintains backward compatibility with the S/360, allowing an easy migration path f ...
running
DOS/VS
Disk Operating System/360, also DOS/360, or simply DOS, is the discontinued first member of a sequence of operating systems for IBM System/360, System/370 and later mainframes. It was announced by IBM on the last day of 1964, and it was first d ...
or
DOS/VSE environment, and
IBM/360
The IBM System/360 (S/360) is a family of mainframe computer systems that was announced by IBM on April 7, 1964, and delivered between 1965 and 1978. It was the first family of computers designed to cover both commercial and scientific applic ...
running
DOS
DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems.
DOS may also refer to:
Computing
* Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel
* Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicat ...
or retrofitted with modified DOS.
The product
GRASP was a
mainframe operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also i ...
enhancement available for DOS, DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, and some third party DOS-based operating systems. Subsequent versions became known as GRASP/VS and GRASP/VSE.
It "
spooled" (queued) printer and card data, freeing programs from being dependent upon the speed of printers or punched card equipment.
GRASP was the first such spooler for
IBM mainframes, and later had competition from IBM's
POWER
Power most often refers to:
* Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work"
** Engine power, the power put out by an engine
** Electric power
* Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events
** Abusive power
Power may a ...
and DataCorp's
The Spooler. GRASP, like Spooler, could reside in an independent "F0"
partition
Partition may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive
* Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job
Software
* Partition (database), the division of a ...
.
Platforms
Software
The product ran under several DOS-related platforms:
*
DOS/VS
Disk Operating System/360, also DOS/360, or simply DOS, is the discontinued first member of a sequence of operating systems for IBM System/360, System/370 and later mainframes. It was announced by IBM on the last day of 1964, and it was first d ...
*
DOS/VSE
*
DOS
DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems.
DOS may also refer to:
Computing
* Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel
* Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicat ...
*
DOS
DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems.
DOS may also refer to:
Computing
* Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel
* Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicat ...
clones, 3rd party or modified
Hardware
Hardware platforms included:
*
IBM/360
The IBM System/360 (S/360) is a family of mainframe computer systems that was announced by IBM on April 7, 1964, and delivered between 1965 and 1978. It was the first family of computers designed to cover both commercial and scientific applic ...
which ran Power
*
IBM/370
The IBM System/370 (S/370) is a model range of IBM mainframe computers announced on June 30, 1970, as the successors to the System/360 family. The series mostly maintains backward compatibility with the S/360, allowing an easy migration path f ...
which ran Power/VS
and clones, which included:
*
Amdahl Amdahl may refer to:
People
* Einar Amdahl (1888-1974), Norwegian theologist
* Bjarne Amdahl (1903-1968), Norwegian pianist and composer
* Douglas K. Amdahl (1919–2010), American lawyer and judge from Minnesota
* Gene Amdahl (1922–2015), for ...
*
Fujitsu
*
Hitachi
*
Magnuson
*
RCA
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
F0
GRASP required a dedicated partition. With DOS having only three partitions and DOS/VS seven, giving up a partition to GRASP placed a crimp in practicability. The concept of F0 offered computers the availability of running the product without giving up a DOS partition. For DOS/VS and DOS/VSE versions, SDI re-engineered a version of Fx developed for
DOCS and
The Spooler.
History
GRASP was originally developed in Australia by Boyd Munro. Assisted by Peter Hargrave, Munro formed Software Design, Inc (known as SDI) and began selling first in Australia, then Britain, and shortly thereafter the United States, through SDI, Inc, a California corporation. The marketing manager and chief salesman was Gerry Novotny.
SDI was one of the earliest and most aggressive software marketing companies.
References
External links
SDI, Inc
Computer printing
IBM mainframe software
{{Software engineering