IMP/TIP memory retrofit schedule
Schedule for upgrading the network's memory-bearing machines during early 1973.
McKenzie, A.M., "IMP/TIP memory retrofit schedule", RFC 434, DOI 10.17487/RFC0434, January 1973, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc434>.
@misc{rfc434,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 434,
howpublished = {RFC 434},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0434},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc434},
author = {A.M. McKenzie},
title = {{IMP/TIP memory retrofit schedule}},
pagetotal = 2,
year = 1973,
month = jan,
} RFC text
Network Working Group Alexander A. McKenzie
RFC 434 BBN-NET
NIC 13658 January 4, 1973
IMP/TIP MEMORY RETROFIT SCHEDULE
During the first several months of 1973 we will be retrofitting each
IMP and TIP with additional core memory. At the end of the retrofit
program, the memory sizes of the various machines will be as follows:
IMP (516 or 316) - 16K words
TIP - 28K words
TIP with magnetic Tape Option - 32K words
In addition, the expansion of the TIP core memory will necessitate
enlarging the TIP to two cabinets.
Listed below is the preliminary schedule for these retrofits. We
have arranged this schedule to coincide with the usual monthly
Preventive Maintenance at each site so as to minimize user
inconvenience, but the work required will frequently require the
machines to be down longer than normal. I will issue additional
RFC's updating this schedule as necessary.
Any site which anticipate difficulty with the expansion of TIP size,
and thus the floor space requirement, should contact Hawley Rising
(BBN) at
(617)491-1850 ext. 473
All dates given below are in the form (month/day)
Xerox (1/3)
SAAC (1/4)
MIT (1/8)
MITRE (1/9)
Harvard (1/15)
RAND (1/16)
ARPA (1/16)
NBS (1/17)
AMES TIP (1/24)
Lincoln (1/24)
Utah (2/1)
UCSB (2/6)
Belvoir (2/8)
NOAA (2/12)
USC (2/13)
Stanford (2/14)
ETAC (2/15)
Aberdeen (2/22)
ISI (2/22)
Case (2/26)
SRI (3/7)
Rome (3/14)
FNWC (3/15)
UCLA (3/19)
CCA (3/20)
AMES IMP (3/21)
GWC (3/22)
Carnegie (4/4)
SDC (4/17)
Illinois (4/18)
[ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
[ into the online RFC archives by Alex McKenzie with ]
[ support from GTE, formerly BBN Corp. 9/99 ]
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Introduction
During the first several months of 1973, BBN retrofitted every IMP (Interface Message Processor) and TIP (Terminal Interface Processor)—the network's packet-switching machines—with additional core memory. IMPs would receive 16K-word cores, and TIPs would be upgraded to 28K or 32K words depending on whether they had magnetic tape options.
All the network's message routers were getting more memory to work faster.
§2Impact on the Network
The expansion of TIP core memory required some machines to grow to two cabinets, which meant sites needed to prepare additional floor space. The upgrades were scheduled during each site's normal monthly preventive maintenance window, but the work sometimes required longer downtime than a routine maintenance visit.
Some computer boxes got bigger, so the computer rooms had to rearrange their space.
§3Retrofit Schedule
The schedule ran from January through April 1973, with sites distributed across all four months. Xerox and SAAC went in January, MIT and others in February and March, with the final machines such as Illinois scheduled for April. Sites that anticipated floor space problems were asked to contact BBN's Hawley Rising in advance.
Each network location got an appointment for the upgrade, staggered so BBN could do them one at a time.