Xerox 530 User manual

Xerox Real-Time Batch Monitor (RBM)
Xerox 530 and Sigma 2/3 Computers
System Management
Reference Manual
903036C

Xerox Corporation
701 South Aviation Boulevard
EI Segundo, California90245
213679-4511
Xerox Real-Time Batch Monitor (RBM]
© Xerox Corporation, 1973. 1975
Xerox 530 and Sigma 2/3 Computers
System Management
Reference Manual
903036C
January 1975
Pri ce: $2.00
XEROX
Printed in U.S.A.

REVISION
This publication is a revIsIon of the Xerox Real-Time Batch Monitor (RBM) System Management Reference
Manual for Xerox 530 and Sigma 2/3 Computers, Publication Number 90 30 36B (dated March 1974). This revision
incorporates changes that reflect version GOO of the RBM system.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Xerox 530 Computer/Reference Manual
Xerox Sigma 2 Computer/Reference ManuaI
Xerox Sigma 3 Computer/Reference Manual
Xerox Availability Features/Reference Manual (Xerox 530 and Sigma 2/3)
Xerox Real-Time Batch Monitor (RBM)/RT and BP Reference Manual
Xerox Real-Time Batch Monitor (RBM)/OPS Reference Manual
Xerox Reaf-Time Batch Monitor (RBM)/User's Guide
Xerox Real-Time Batch Monitor (RBM)/System Technical Manual
Xerox Extended Symbol/LN,OPS Reference Manual
Xerox Symbol/LN,OPS Reference Manual
Xerox Basic FORTRAN and Basic FORTRAN IV/LN Reference Manual
Xerox Basic FORTRAN/OPS Reference Manual
Xerox Basic FORTRAN IV/OPS Reference Manual
Xerox FORTRAN/Library Technical Manual
Xerox ANS FORTRAN IV/LN Reference Manual
Xerox ANS FORTRAN IV/OPS Reference Manual
Xerox Sort/Reference Manual
Xerox Report Program Generator (RPG)/Reference Manual
Xerox ANS
COBOL/LN,OPS Reference Manual
Publication No.
90 19 60
900964
90 15 92
9030 54
901037
90 15 55
90 17 85
90 11 53
90 10 52
90 10 51
900967
90 10 61
90 15 25
90 10 36
90 18 06
90 18 07
90 17 87
90 18 41
9030 90
Manual Content Codes: BP -batch processing, LN -language, OPS - operations, RP -remote processing,
RT - real-time, SM -system management, TS - time-sharing, UT - utilities.
The specifications of the software system described in this publication are subject to change without notice. The availability or performance of some features
may depend on a specific configuration of equ ipment such as additional tape units or larger memory. Customers should consult their Xerox sales representative
for detai Is.
ii

CONTENTS
COMMAND SYNTAX NOTATION
v
Optional Foreground FaciI ities
15
Symbiont
Plotting System 15
Character-Oriented Communications
l.
I NT RODUCTI ON
Program (RCOC)
17
System Interface Un it Handlers
17
Scope and Purpose of this Manual Background Processor Memory Requi rements
17
Organization of the Manual
Disk Storage Allocation Guidelines
18
Availability Features
Disk Allocation Summary 18
Remote
Assistance
1
SYSGEN Disk-Allocation Parameters
18
Error Logging 2
Master Dictionary Formation
20
SYSERR Analysis 2 Expl
icit Area Allocation
20
Device Isolation
2
Default Area Allocation
21
On-Line Device Exercises 2
Area Write Protection
23
2.
HARDWARE CONFIGURA nON GUIDELI NES
3
4.
SYSTEM GENERATION
24
Introduction
3
Introduction
24
Hardware Interrupt Requirements 3
SYSGEN Functional
Overview 24
Main Storage (Memory) Requirements 5
Operational Overview
24
Memory Space Requirements for RBM
5
System-Release Tape Format 25
Memory Space Requ irements for the Defin
ition-Phase Operation 25
RBM Processors 5
loading SYSGEN
25
Memory Space Requirements for User-
Input Parameters
27
Foreground Programs 5
General Syntax of Input
Secondary Storage Requi rements 6 Parameters
27
RBM Secondary Storage Requirements 6
Definition Phase Output
37
User Secondary Storage Requirements 6 Messages
to the Operator
37
Removable Disk Packs and Cartridges 6 SYSlOAD-Phase Operations
38
Area Definition and Pack/Cartridge ALL Option
39
Initialization 6 RBM Symbol Map 40
Pack/Cartridge Mounting 6 UPD (Update) Option 41
Peripheral Equipment Requirements and System
load Phase Error Messages 41
Options 8
Keyboard/Printer -Required 8
Character-Oriented Commun ications
5.
LOADING RBM SYSTEM PROCESSORS 43
(COC) - Optional 8
Plotter Symbiont '- Optional
9
SystemStartup and Processor loading 43
Xerox Satell ite Processor - Optional ___
9 Saving the New System
43
Basic Spooling System - Optional
9 Additional RBM Processors
43
Additional Peri pheral Options
9 RBM Maintenance/Util ity Processors
43
Miscellaneous Hardware Options 9 Other RBMProcessors
44
Sigma 3 Extended Arithmetic -Loading RBM Maintenance/Uti lity
Model 8119
9 Processors
44
Xerox 530 Hardware Floating-Point -
Model 4118 9
6.
SYSTEM MAINTE NANCE
45
3.
SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION GUIDELINES 10
Introduction
45
Hardware/Software Requ irements 45
Introduction 10 Hardware Requirements
45
Main Memory Allocation
10 Software Requ i
rements
45
Resident RBM Modules 10
SYSGEN Considerations
45
Nonoptional Resident Modules 10 Ma.intenance
Procedures
46
Optional Resident Modules 10 RBM Module Update Procedure
46
Resident I/O Tables and Routines 13 RBM Overlay Replacement
46
File Control Table Allocation 13 Replace Operations
46
Operational Label Assignments 13 Replace Diagnostics
47
Nonresident RBM Modules
15
Repl ace Operator Messages
47
iii

Generation of SYSGE N Input Tape
47
TABLES
Hexadecimal Patching Procedure for
RBM Modules
48
l.
Model 530/Sigma 3 Interrupt-Structure Comparison_
4
Hexadecimal Patching Procedure for
2.
Processor Avai labi lity in Sample Configuration __
5
Processors
48
3.
Comparison of Secondary Storage Devices 7
Method for Magneti c Tape 49
4.
I/O Table and Routine Increments by
Method for Punched Cards
49 Device Type 14
Method for Paper Tape
49
5.
Nonresident RBM Modules
15
6. Standard SIU Handlers 17
INDEX
7.
Background Processor and Subsystem
Requirements
18
8.
Disk Data Organization
18
FIGURES
9.
System-Disk Storage Summary 19
10. Spooling Volume Requirements 20
1.
RBM Lowest-Cost, Minimum Configuration 3
11.
Defau It Area Allocations 22
2.
RBM Typical Configuration
4 12. SYSGEN Input Options and Parameters 27
3.
RBM Disk File Management 8 13. I/O Device Model Numbers 37
4.
RBM Memory AI location Example
11
14. SYSGEN Error Messages 38
5.
Background Memory Usage Example 12 15. System-Load Phase Error Messages 42
6. System Release Tape Format
26
16.
REPLACE Diagnostics
47
7.
Hex Patching Input Example
48
17.
RE PLACE Operator Messages 47
iv

COMMAND SYNTAX NOTATION
Notation conventions used in command specifications and examples throughout this manual are listed below.
Notation
lowercase letters
CAPITAL lETTERS
[]
{}
Numbers and
special characters
Subscripts
Description
Lowercase
letters identify an element that must be replaced with a
user-selected value.
CRndd
could be entered as CRA03.
Capital letters must be entered as shown for input, and wi II be printed as shown
in
output.
DPndd means lIenter
DP followed by the values for ndd
ll
•
An element inside brackets is optional. Several elements placed one under the
other inside a pair of brackets means that the user may select anyone or none of
those elements.
[KEYM] means
the term II KEYM II may be entered.
Elements placed one under the other inside a pair of braces identify a re-
quired choice.
{~}
means that either the letter A or the value of id must be
entered.
The horizontal ellipsis indicates that a previous bracketed element may be re-
peated, or that elements have been omitted.
nameG name]. .. means that one or more name values may be entered,
with a comma inserted between each name value.
The vertical ellipsis indicates that commands or instructions have been
omitted.
MASK2 DATA,2 XllEFI
BYTE DA T A, 3 BA (L(59))
means
that there are one or more state-
ments omitted between the two DATA
directives.
Numbers that appear on the line (i. e., not subscripts), special symbols, and
punctuation marks other than dotted lines, brackets, braces, and underlines
appear as shown in output messages and must be entered as shown when input.
(value) means that the proper value must be entered enclosed in
parentheses; e. g., (234).
Subscripts
indicate a first, second, etc., representation of a parameter that
has a different value for each occurrence.
sysid1, sysid2' sysid3 means that three successive values for sysid
should be entered, separated by commas.
v

1. INTRODUCTION
SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THIS MANUAL
The information in this manual falls into three general
areas, as fol lows:
• Hardware and software configuration planning.
• System
generation and initialization.
• System
maintenance.
The intended readership of this manual falls, correspond-
ingly, into three major categories.
• Installation management, responsible for planning the
functional capabilities of the desired RBM system and
for selecting a hardware configuration to best satisfy
the installation's requ irements.
• System programming staff, responsible for designing the
installation-specific system generation and initializa-
tion procedures required to achieve an operational
system, and for formu lating any post-generation main-
tenance that may be necessa ry •
• Senior operations personnel, responsible for performing
the system generation, initial ization, and maintenance
procedures.
ORGANIZATION OF THE MANUAL
The present chapter, in addition .to providing an intro-
duction to the manual, presents an overview of the Xerox
Availability Features of the RBM system. These features
are designed to complement the salient reliability and
maintainability characteristics of the hardware. (See the
Xerox Availability Features/Reference Manual, 90 30 54,
for detailed usage descriptions of the Availabi lity Features. )
The
succeeding chapters are organized as follows:
• Chapter 2 presents guidelines for the selection of a
desirable hardware configuration in terms of perform-
ance requirements, application suitability, data-band-
width considerations, etc. For example, guidelines
are given for selection of the size of main storage, and
the size and type of secondary storage, appropriate to
the user's specific needs.
• Chapter 3 presents both guidelines for software con-
figuration planning (supplementing the information in
Chapter 2 in this regard) and detailed information on
designing a specific system generation procedure for
the desired system. .
•
Chapter 4 presents the operational aspect of system
generation (SYSGEN), i.e., directions for performing
the SYSGEN process.
• Chapter 5 presents system initialization information;
that is, it gives directions for adding desired processors,
Iibraries, resident foreground programs, etc., to the
newly generated monitor so as to ach ieve a fu lIy op-
erationa I RBM system.
• Chapter 6 gives system maintenance information and
procedures: how to temporari Iy or permanently replace
RBM modules with newer or modified versions; how to
patch RBM, subsystems, and processors; how to prepare
a modified SYSGEN input tape; etc.
AVAILABILITY FEATURES
The Availability Features provided with RBM are designed to
streamline maintenance activities and reduce maintenance
down-time. These features are error logging, SYSERR anal-
ysis, device isolation, and on-line device verification. The
Avai labil
ity Features can be used by on-site customer per-
sonnel as well as (in the case of the Model 530) by remotely-
located Xerox maintenance experts, via the Xerox Remote
Assistance
interface. These features enable the user to in-
teract more effectively with the system to increase "up-time"
availabil ity.
User sites at which remote assistance is not available still
benefit by the use of the information gathered by automatic
error logging during system operation. The other features
are of course also usable whenever customer personnel or a
Xerox system
specialist is on-site (assuming provision for
these features during system generation).
Note that Xerox Remote Assistance is applicable only to
Model
530 systems. All of the availability features other-
wise apply without restriction to all RBM users.
See the Xerox Availability Features/Reference Manual,
90 30 54, for full descriptions.
REMOTE ASSISTANCE
The Xerox 530 Remote Assistance feature, in conjunction
with the use of error logging and SYSERR analysis, permits
operator-attended sites to be examined by a system special-
ist without his having to make a trip to the site. He can
monitor the transactions at the operator's console from his
remote
console. He can examine a SYSERR analysis print-
out and selectively interrogate the error log. He can
detect a pattern of error buildup for an I/o device, as seen
in the error log, facilitating proper maintenance scheduling
and increased ava ilabiiity . He can even "Iook over the
shoulder" of a Xerox Customer Engineer or of a site operator
during device isolation and exercise, all whi Ie RBM is pro-
cessing normal production tasks.
Introduction

This remote-assistance capabi lity allows for assignment of
the proper level of aid to a problem at the earliest possible
moment and permits customer self-help in increasing system
availability.
ERROR LOGGING
RBM provides hardware error detection and the automatic
logging of such errors to a special file. This error-log file
then serves as a history of errors that may be analyzed and
listed by an on-line program (in chronological or sorted
order) for use by customer or Xerox maintenance personnel.
Query of the error log reveals the quantity and type of
errors, frequency of occurrence, and the distribution of
device status reported at time of error. Analysis of error-
frequency changes and other factors leads to schedu ling of
maintenance prior to actual failure, and lessens the time
required for analysis and correction of unpredicted fai lures.
Sites that use this feature provide Xerox with an error-log
database to be examined during scheduled or unscheduled
maintenance. Whether the system special ist is using
Remote
Assistance or is actually at the site, he takes
advantage of the error log summary, sorted listing, and
chronological listing to maintain the system and increase
its avai labiI ity. The user's operations personnel can also
benefit by the error-log summary by using it to monitor
their system's performance over a period of time.
SYSERR ANALYSIS
RBM provides the capability to obtain a formatted represen-
tation of the internal state of system tables and contents of
memory. The displayed data is segregated and labeled as
to significance. This provides the local or remote Xerox
system specialist (or the user) with a simplified means of
seeing and understanding abnormal system states without
having to decipher a raw hexadecimal dump. It is espe-
cially useful in reducing the time required to isolate prob-
lems that can be detected by their effect upon system-table
data.
The format of output is optimized for display on line
printers, but may be displayed on other devices. In fact,
the Remote Assistance system specialist expects to analyze
such displays at his console, as one of his most valuable re-
mote problem-solving tools.
2 Avai labi Iity Features
DEVICE ISOlATION
Noncritical devices th~t are known to be faulty or considered
to be marginal can be isolated from the system by operator
control. Whi Ie the device is being exercised, repaired, or
replaced, RBM continues to operate any programs that do
not mandatorily and specifically require that particular de-
vice. Thus, in many cases the system is now stiII avai lable
when formerly it wou Id have been "down". The on-I ine de-
vice exerciser tests (described below) may be run only on
devices that have been so isolated (i.e., made unavai lable
to normal access).
RBM allows device-address substitution between devices of
the same model number (except for disk devices). This
permits, for example, switching (by means of an operator
key-in) from one magnetic tape drive to another of the same
type.
ON-LINE DEVICE EXERCISERS
Prior to exercise, a device is isolated from normal system
use, via the local or remote-assistance console. Then the
device exercisers (to the exclusion of any other programs)
operate the device, verifying its functional capabi Iity and
recording any errors in the error log. Upon completion of
such a device test, a device status message is printed at the
operator's console to indicate whether or not the device is
capable of operating within normal service requirements. If
so,
the device becomes eligible for return to the system. A
device that fails to pass these tests should be scheduled for
maintenance.
The exercisers are not designed to diagnose the device at
the component level. Rather, they exercise the device's
functional capabilities in the user environment (without
interfering with the operation of RBM with respect to its
other functions). Recoverable errors are seen by examina-
tion of the error log, while irrecoverable errors cause the
exerciser to report that the device did not pass the testing.
One appropriate use of the on-line device exercisers is to
check the assumed operational reliability of a device that
has just undergone maintenance or repair, prior to returning
it to normal service.

2. HARDWARE CONFIGURATION GUIDELINES
INTRODUCTION
This chapter is intended as an aid to the system manager in
selecting the proper hardware for his RBM system. A
reasonable selection of hardware can be made only on the
basis of a thorough understanding of the particular applica-
tion's requirements. Requirements that must be evaluated
include the number of discrete interrupt leve Is required,
the amount of secondary storage required for programs and
data, memory requirements to satisfy resident foreground
needs and concurrent batch (if desired), and peripheral
equipment requirements for the data media desired. Figure
illustrates the lowest-cost minimum RBM configuration.
Figure 2 illustrates a more typical RBM configuration.
HARDWARE INTERRUPT REQUIREMENTS
The maximum number of foreground tasks that are expected
to operate concurrently determines the number of hardware-
interrupt levels required, in addition to those needed by
RBM itself. The association of an interrupt level with a
task
establishes the priority of the task. The task's worst-
case response time (to an external stimulus) is dependent
upon the maximum RBM inhibit time and the possible activity
of higher priority tasks. Tasks that are prioritized above
Core Memory (8K)
Memory
Protect
Power Fai I Safe
Xerox
Extended Arithmetic
530
CPU
Multiply;'bivide
4101
Integral Interrupts (6)
Real- Time Clocks (2)
lOP with 16 channels
Keyboard Printer Control
~
~
r:
Remote
(KSR-33) Assistance
Interface
the I/O interrupt task must contend only with the RBM
maximum inhibit of 100~ec and possible interference among
themseI
ves.
The standard Xerox 530 is equipped with two interrupt levels,
Integral 5 and Integral 6, thatare higher in priority than the
I/o interrupt task. (Sigma 2/3 can have a larger number of
these. ) Tasks associated with an interrupt priority higher than
I/O cannot utilize any RBM services that involve I/o; thus
these higher interrupt levels are typically associated with
high priority tasks that utiI ize the Direct I/o interface with
SIUs and defer RBMservices to related, lower-priority tasks.
Tasks
that operate at a priority lower than the I/O interrupt
level can utilize all RBM services including I/O. Any num-
ber of these tasks may operate concurrently up to the number
of available lower-priority hardware inter:rupts minus one.
(The RBM Control Task requires the lowest-priority hardware
interrupt level actually utiI ized in the system.) For tasks
below the I/O level, the I/o interrupt can cause an inter-
ference of up to approximately 500 microseconds, however
since I/O interrupts can stack up, the interference can be
extended in order to service all pending interrupts.
The same hardware interrupt can be used "serially" by
different tasks, but on Iy one can be connected to a given
interrupt at anyone time. Table 1 gives a comparison of
the Sigma 3 and 530 interrupt structures.
4151
Core Memory
(8K)
f""'"
~
'-
..,..
7250
7251
Disk
Controller
(2.3 mb)
-"
Binary
Input
Device
Figure 1. RBM Lowest-Cost, Minimum Configuration
Hardware Configuration Guidelines 3

Xerox
530
CPU
4101
Computer
530
Sigma 3
Notes:
l.
2.
Core Memory (8K)
Memory
Protect
Power Fai I Safe
Extended Arithmetic
Multiply,/Divide
Integral Interrupts (6)
Plus 4125 External Interrupts (12)
Real-Time Clocks (2)
lOP with 16 Channe Is
Plus 4105 two-Byte Interface
Keyboard Printer Control
l..----
~3
l .~~33)
~
Remote
Assistance
Interface
4151
4151
8K Memory 8K Memory
I
3451
line
Printer
~
7250
Disk Controller
7121
-
Card Reader
,-------to
8
Figure 2. RBM Typical Configuration
Table 1. Model 530/Sigma 3 Interrupt-Structure Comparison
Maximum
No. of
1
External Interrupts Clocks Priority
Levels> I/O
30, standard and
2 standard 2 standard
optional combined.
100, all optional 4 optional
100 opti ona I
-
4151
8K Memory
1
,,-- ~
r"o..... ./
7251
(2.3 mb)
'- ~
7251
(2.3 mb)
'- ~
Priority Levels < 1/0
2
4 standard,
24 optional
100 optional
Clock 1, set at a frequency of 500 Hz, is typically dedicated to provide RBM services relating to I/o
timeouts, job accounting, and background-execution-time limit.
There is a SYSGE N override
(ClK1FREQ,0); therefore, an installation may choose to forego these facilities in favor of real-time
usage of Clock 1. This should not be necessary however, since a Clock 1 receiver is provided.
RBM requires
that
the
lowest-priority hardware interrupt leveI be dedi cated to the RBM Control
Task.
4 Hardware
Interrupt Requirements