RFC 499 UNKNOWN SERVICES · JOB ENTRY

Harvard's network RJE

Harvard's PDP-10 program for submitting jobs to UCLA over the ARPA Network.

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PUBLISHED
April 1973
AUTHORS
B.R. Reussow
STREAM
Legacy
SOURCE SYSTEM
Harvard PDP-10
TARGET SYSTEM
UCLA-CCN IBM 360/91
CONNECTIONS NEEDED
Telnet (commands) and FTP (data)
VIRTUAL TERMINAL NAME AT UCLA
NETHARV
DOI
10.17487/RFC0499

RFC text

Original text · RFC Editor View on rfc-editor.org ↗
Network Working Group                                         B. Reussow
Request for Comments: 499    Center for Research in Computing Technology
NIC: 15716                                            Harvard University
                                                            April 1 1973

                         HARVARD'S NETWORK RJE

Section I

   RJE was designed to provide network users with the facility of
   submitting jobs to remote servers via the ARPA net and retrieving
   results using Harvard's PDP-10.

   In order to be an expert in the use of the RJE program from a remote
   host, the user must be familiar with the FTP commands and usage.  At
   present RJE is only implemented for UCLA.  Accordingly, all examples
   will deal with the UCLA installation.  Arrangements for a password
   and a job ID must be made at UCLA before usage is to begin.  If you
   are interested, we will see to it that an account is made up for you.
   People at other sites should deal directly with UCLA to get an
   account.

Section II

                         HOW TO USE RJE AT HARVARD

   Start the program by taping R RJE<CR> at monitor level.  RJE will
   respond with a "!".

   Then type "RJE UCL<CR> to make the TELNET connection.  The TELNET
   connection is used for transfer of commands to UCLA and error
   messages from UCLA to the user of RJE.  It is important to realize
   that, in using RJE, one is talking to two systems; the local system
   (HARV-10) and the remote host where the job will actually be run.
   Therefore, there are two command processors, one local and one
   foreign.

                  COMMANDS TO THE LOCAL (HARVARD) PROCESS

   All commands to the local process begin with a *.

   *READ LDEV:FILENAME.EXTENSION<CR>

   Reads the specified file, which contains all job cards, JCL, program
   and data, formats it for RJS at UCLA and ships it over a data
   connection.  When using the data connection, ASCII files are
   translated into EBCDIC, the UCLA end of the connection.  After
   transfer is completed the file is immediately spooled for processing.

   *PRINT LDEV:FILENAME.EXTENSION<CR>

   Gets the next print file from UCLA's 91 and reformats the print file
   for a PDP-10 line printer.  Write the file to the user's specified
   logical device with the specified FILENAME.EXTENSION.  FILENAME is up
   to 6 characters in length and EXTENSION is up to 3 characters in
   length.

   *QUIT<CR>

   Tear down all connections used by RJE and return to monitor level.

                      COMMANDS TO THE REMOTE PROCESS
                            (UCLA RJS COMMANDS)

   Commands to the remote process have no special character preceding a
   command.  For a explanation of the command arguments, ask Terry Sack
   for the document named, RJS OPERATOR COMMANDS FOR REMOTE TERMINALS.

   Terminal Control and Information Command
   -------- ------- --- ----------- -------

   SIGNON              First command of a session identifies VRBT
                       (virtual remote batch terminal) by giving its
                       terminal ID.  For UCLA, Harvard's terminal ID is
                       NETHARV.

   SIGNOFF             Last command of a session; RJS waits for any data
                       transfer in progress to complete and then closes
                       all connections.

   STATUS              Outputs on the local user's terminal a complete
                       list, or a summary, of all jobs in the system for
                       this VRBT, with an indication of their
                       progressing status in the Model 91.

   ALERT               Outputs on the user's terminal any special
                       "Alert" message from the CCN computer operator.
                       The Alert message is also automatically sent when
                       the user does a SIGNON, or whenever the message
                       changes.

   MSG                 Sends a message to CCN computer operator or to
                       any other RJS terminal (real or virtual).  A
                       message from the computer operator or another RJS
                       terminal will automatically appear on the user's
                       terminal.

   Job Control and Routing Commands
   --- ------- --- ------- --------

   Under CCN's job management system, the default destination for output
   is the input source.  Thus, a job submitted under a given VRET will
   be returned to that VRBT (i.e., the same terminal ID), unless the
   user's JCL overrides the default destination.

   RJS places print and punch output destined for a particular remote
   terminal into either an Active Queue or a Deferred Queue.  When the
   user opens his print or punch output channel (via the *PRINT command
   of RJE), RJS immediately starts sending job output from the Active
   Queue, and continues until this queue is empty.  Job output in the
   Deferred Queue, on the other hand, must be called for by job name
   (via a RESET command from the remote operator) before RJS will send
   it.  The Active/Deferred choice for output from a job is determined
   by the deferral status of the VRBT when the job is entered; the
   deferral status, which is set to the Active option when the user
   signs on, may be changed by the SET command.

   SET                 Allows the remote user to change certain
                       properties of his VRBT for the duration of the
                       current session

                       (a) May change the default output destination to
                       be another (real or virtual) RJS terminal or the
                       central facility.

                       (b) May change the deferral status of the VRBT.

   DEFER               Moves the print and punch output for a specified
                       job or set of jobs from the Active Queue to the
                       Deferred Queue.  If the job's output is in
                       process of being transmitted over a channel, RJS
                       aborts the channel and saves the current output
                       location before moving the job to the Deferred
                       Queue.  A subsequent RESET command will return it
                       to the Active Queue with an implied Backspace
                       (BSP).

   RESET               Moves specified job(s) from Deferred to Active
                       Queue so they may be sent to user.  A specific
                       list of job names or all jobs can be moved with
                       one RESET command.

   ROUTE               Re-routes output of specified jobs (or all jobs)
                       waiting in the Active and Deferred Queues for
                       this VRBT.  The new destination may be any other
                       RJS terminal or the central facility.

   ABORT               Cancels a job which was successfully submitted
                       and awaiting execution or is currently executing
                       in the Model 91.  If the cancelled job was in
                       execution, all output it produced will be
                       returned.

   Output Stream Control Commands
   ------ ------ ------- --------

   BSP (BACKSPACE)     Backspaces output stream within current SYSOUT
                       data set.  Actual amount backspaced depends upon
                       SYSOUT blocking but is typically equivalent to a
                       page on the line printer.

   CAN (CANCEL)        (a) On an output channel, CAN causes the rest of
                       the output in the SYSOUT data set currently being
                       transmitted to be omitted.  Alternatively, may
                       omit the rest of the SYSOUT data sets for the job
                       currently being transmitted; however, the
                       remaining system and accounting messages will be
                       sent.

                       (b) On an input channel, CAN causes RJS to ignore
                       the job currently being read.  However, the
                       channel is not aborted as a result, and RJS will
                       continue reading in jobs on the channel.

                       (c) CAN can delete all SYSOUT data sets for
                       specified job(s) waiting in Active or Deferred
                       Queue.

   RST (RESTART)       (a) Restarts a specified output stream at the
                       beginning of the current SYSOUT data set or,
                       optionally, at the beginning of the job.

                       (b) Marks as restarted specified job(s) whose
                       transmission was earlier interrupted by system
                       failure or user action (e.g., DEFER command or
                       aborting the channel).  When RJS transmits these
                       jobs again, it will start at the beginning of the
                       partially transmitted SYSOUT data set or,
                       optionally, at the beginning of the job.  This
                       function may be applied to jobs in either the
                       Active or the Deferred Queue; however, if the job
                       was in the Deferred Queue then RST also moves it
                       to the Active Queue.  If the job was never
                       transmitted, RST has no effect other than this
                       queue movement.

   REPEAT              Sends additional copies of the output of
                       specified jobs.

   EAM                 Echoes the card reader stream back in the printer
                       or punch stream, or both.

Section III

                       USE OF RJE FROM A REMOTE HOST

   To use RJE from a remote Host, make a TELNET connection to Harvard's
   10 via your TELNET program.  Login under one of Harvard's guest
   accounts: type LOGIN <CR>.  LOGIN will prompt you with a #.  When it
   does, type 62,# <CR>.  Answer all questions that are asked.

                        USING FTP TO TRANSFER FILES

   Prompts:

   "*"     Prompt from FTP when no network connections are established.

   "!"      Prompt when network connections are open.

   Type R FTP<CR>, then type 'Host host # or abbreviation' <CR> to set
   up a TELNET connection.  The local FTP process will then type the
   foreign host's greeting message.

   If transferring files to or from other than a PDP-10, type the
   commands 'TYPE A' and 'BYTE 8', each followed by a carriage return.

   !USER 'Your project, programmer number'<CR>
         Tell the server who you are.  The USR command should be the
         first command to FTP.

   !RETRIEVE FILENAME.EXTENSION <CR>
         Retrieve a file from the foreign host.  After the message
         "transfer completed" has been typed, use the QUIT command.

   !QUIT<CR>
         Break connections return to monitor level.  After you have
         transfered your files consult Section II for the usage of RJE.

   Warning!!!
   ----------

   The RJE program formats printer output for a PDP-10 line printer.  If
   you plan to use another type of printer, special arrangements will
   have to be made.

   Also, never leave a file on Harvard's disk area when detached.  A
   detached job is a job to which no terminal is assigned.  You may find
   that your file is gone when you come back.  We have limited disk
   resources and, if a crisis arises, files belonging to detached jobs
   are subject to deletion.


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AI ELI5

On this page
PROBLEMResearchers at Harvard wanted to use UCLA's faster computer for computationally intensive work but needed a way to submit jobs and retrieve results over the network.
MECHANISMHarvard developed an RJE (Remote Job Entry) program running on its PDP-10 that opens a Telnet connection to UCLA for commands and an FTP data connection for transferring job input and output. Users run RJE locally and issue commands to control submission, retrieval, and job status.
NETWORK COMPUTINGHarvard users could run jobs at UCLA almost as if they were physically present, with local commands translating to UCLA's RJS protocol. The system supported job routing, queue management, and various output control options.

§1Remote Job Entry over the Network

RFC 499 describes Harvard's RJE program, which allows users to submit jobs to UCLA-CCN's IBM 360/91 from Harvard's PDP-10 over the ARPA Network. The program establishes two connections: a Telnet connection for commands and control, and an FTP connection for transferring job input and output data. Users must arrange an account and password at UCLA beforehand. The program translates local commands into UCLA's RJS protocol, allowing Harvard users to work with UCLA's resources without learning UCLA's native interface.

A Harvard program talks to UCLA's computer through two connections: one for commands and one for sending and getting data.

§2Local and Remote Commands

Users start RJE at monitor level and open a Telnet connection to UCLA with the command RJE UCL. Local commands (prefixed with an asterisk) are processed by Harvard: *READ sends a file of job cards formatted for UCLA, *PRINT retrieves print output from UCLA's printer and reformats it for Harvard's line printer, and *QUIT tears down all connections. Remote commands (no prefix) are sent to UCLA's RJS and control job submission, status checking, queue management, and output routing. A user must understand both systems: the local (Harvard) command processor and the foreign (UCLA) RJS processor.

You type commands starting with * to control Harvard's side (read files, print output, quit), and regular commands to control UCLA's side (signon, run jobs, check status).

§3Job Management and Output Handling

UCLA's RJS distinguishes between Active and Deferred output queues. When a user opens the print or punch channel via *PRINT, output from the Active Queue is sent immediately. Deferred output must be explicitly requested by job name using the RESET command. The SET command allows users to change the VRBT (virtual remote batch terminal) properties, such as the default output destination and deferral status. Other commands include DEFER (move output to deferred queue), ROUTE (redirect output to another terminal), ABORT (cancel a job), and output stream controls like BSP (backspace), CAN (cancel), RST (restart), and REPEAT (extra copies).

Jobs can be queued as ready-to-pick-up (Active) or waiting-for-request (Deferred), and many commands let you manage where output goes and what to do with it.