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IBM Remote Access Computing
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<h2 id="hardware">Hardware</h2> <p>RAX was available from IBM as program number 360A-CX-17X, and runs on System/360 Model 30 and above.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a>As announced, it runs on systems with as little as 64 KB of main storage, and supports a mix of up to 63 <a href="/facts/IBM_1050/SpjBK172">IBM 1050</a> typewriter terminals and <a href="/facts/IBM_2260/03VeeAA7">IBM 2260</a> display terminals. The languages supported are <a href="/facts/BASIC/VYMl5TmA">BASIC</a>, <a href="/facts/FORTRAN_IV/m1KqjcMU">FORTRAN IV</a>, and <a href="/facts/IBM_Basic_assembly_language/XvGcn77x">IBM Basic assembly language</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> In a minimal system with 64 KB memory, user programs can be up to 32 KB, with larger programs allowed on larger systems.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="users">Users</h2> <p>In 1968 RAX was used by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture/3PK2rx7C">United States Department of Agriculture</a> for their Washington Data Processing Center.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> It was used in a number of colleges, universities, and corporations, including McGill, <a href="/facts/Boston_University/Vcyr2qAh">Boston University</a>, <a href="/facts/University_of_St_Andrews/IwXjmljw">St. Andrew's</a> in Scotland,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> The <a href="/facts/University_of_Rhode_Island/HFtN6hUg">University of Rhode Island</a>, and <a href="/facts/Bell_Aerosystems/yH9LdFjI">Bell Aerosystems</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>IBM Corporation (23 January 2003). "DPD chronology". IBM Archives. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/dpd50/dpd50_chronology3.html" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/dpd50/dpd50_chronology3.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Miller, Roy Watt. "MULTIPLE REGIONS FOR THE MCGILL-RAX TlME-SHARING SYSTEM". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=TC-QMM-50353&op=pdf&app=Library&oclc_number=895199506" target="_blank">https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=TC-QMM-50353&op=pdf&app=Library&oclc_number=895199506</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Boston University's RAX Library". Cryptosmith.com. 12 January 2012. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://cryptosmith.com/2012/01/12/bu-rax/" target="_blank">https://cryptosmith.com/2012/01/12/bu-rax/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Miller, Roy Watt. "MULTIPLE REGIONS FOR THE MCGILL-RAX TlME-SHARING SYSTEM". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=TC-QMM-50353&op=pdf&app=Library&oclc_number=895199506" target="_blank">https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=TC-QMM-50353&op=pdf&app=Library&oclc_number=895199506</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"(advertisement)". The Pittsburgh Press. June 15, 1969. Retrieved May 2, 2021. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/148087863/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/148087863/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Boston University's RAX Library". Cryptosmith.com. 12 January 2012. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://cryptosmith.com/2012/01/12/bu-rax/" target="_blank">https://cryptosmith.com/2012/01/12/bu-rax/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>IBM Corporation (23 January 2003). "DPD chronology". IBM Archives. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/dpd50/dpd50_chronology3.html" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/dpd50/dpd50_chronology3.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>RTS also supported COBOL. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>IBM Corporation (August 1967). Catalog of Programs for IBM System/360 August 1967 (PDF). p. 5. Retrieved Apr 25, 2023. <a href="http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/360/programCatalog/C20-1619-3_360pgmCat_Aug67.pdf" target="_blank">http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/360/programCatalog/C20-1619-3_360pgmCat_Aug67.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Department of Agriculture Appropriations for 1971. 1970. p. 17. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=U144AAAAIAAJ&dq=ibm+rax+timesharing&pg=PA17" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=U144AAAAIAAJ&dq=ibm+rax+timesharing&pg=PA17</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Thirty years ago . . ". University of St. Andrews. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/itsnew/newsletter/2008/06/thirtyyears.html" target="_blank">https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/itsnew/newsletter/2008/06/thirtyyears.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Miller, Roy Watt. "MULTIPLE REGIONS FOR THE MCGILL-RAX TlME-SHARING SYSTEM". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved Apr 29, 2021. <a href="https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=TC-QMM-50353&op=pdf&app=Library&oclc_number=895199506" target="_blank">https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=TC-QMM-50353&op=pdf&app=Library&oclc_number=895199506</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>