An Introduction to the Structure of Time-Shared Computers

Abstract

“Time-sharing” is the name given to the computer technology established to provide on-line access to a large computer through remote terminals and better utilization of equipment by having more than one user share a computer. The problem of defining the term time-sharing (as applied to a computer system) is rather perilous. Nonetheless, the following early definitions by pioneers in the field are quite good and are still appropriate: “By a time-sharing computer system I shall mean one that interacts with many simultaneous users through a number of remote consoles. Such a system will look to each user like a large private computer” [McCarthy (1)]. Also, “By time-sharing systems we mean those systems in which the facilities of a computer complex are rapidly commutated among independent users who are each on-line at a remote console” [Glaser and Corbato (2)]. While these definitions do not touch upon important secondary benefits of time-sharing, such as allowing a community of users to work together, they do contain the central characteristics of nonlocal on-line usage, multiple simultaneous users, and short, but frequent, access to a computer facility that is similar to having access to a large private computer.