Communications Computers Data communications over telegraph circuits 1944

The Datanet continued to evolve at least well into the 1980s as long as hardwired serial terminals and modem ports were the common means of end user interface to GE-Honeywell-Bull mainframes. There was a Datanet 66 and a Datanet-8.

The Datanet 355 featured a new DMA attach to the IOC called DIA (Direct Interface Adapter) to boost performance.

After DSA (Distributed System Architecture), later Datanet FNPs were based on Level-6 and DPS-6 hardware. By 1990 multiprocessor DPS-6 minis were used that could support tens of thousands of terminals attached to a DPS-8, DPS-88 or DPS-90 mainframe.

I was modifying GRTS-II from source at one site in the mid 1980s to accomodate cheap async terminals and PC emulators (there was a good commercial VIP emulation package available, but it cost a fortune).

The Datanet was eventually replaced by Bull's MainWay network processor which featured TCP-IP and ISO-OSI support and attached to the DPS-8 using FDDI and a dedicated FCP-8 adapter.

This evinces a migration from fixed hardwired systems to layered network protocols which is mirrored throughout the telecomm industry today.

Unfortunately, there is far less historical information available regarding the large GE-Honeywell-Bull systems than there is for most others, particularly the G(E)COS systems. Part of this is probably related to IP licensing issues and part just because these systems were used more in large commercial and clbuttified military operations where information was destroyed for security reasons.