Ames Research Center Central Computer Facility Collection, 1940-2022

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Summary

Title:
Ames Research Center Central Computer Facility Collection
Dates:
1940-2022
Creators:
Humbert, John E.
Abstract:
This collection provides insight into the evolution of computation and information technology infrastructure at Ames Research Center, largely through the development and advancement of systems and capabilities that originated in the Central Computer Facility. The collection includes a historical manuscript, some supporting overview files, plans, reviews, and technical documentation, as well as ephemera and objects.
Extent:
Volume: 2 cubic feet and 32 digital items (68 Megabytes) Number of containers: 4
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection provides a historical overview of computation and information technology infrastructure at Ames Research Center, largely through the lens of the development and evolution of systems, networks, and capabilities that originated in the Central Computer Facility (CCF). This view is presented by John E. Humbert who supported that facility and the center's computing-related efforts for nearly six decades. Of principal note is Humbert's manuscript, NASA Ames Research Center Central Computer Facility: 40 Years of Computing Service, 1960-2000, A Historical Perspective, which chronicles the implementation, employment, and evolution of technology and systems at Ames, and includes a 30-page appendix of photographs showing staff and computing technologies, from the IBM 360/67 Computer System to the CDC Cyber 205 Supercomputer System. In addition, the collection contains supporting overview files, plans, reviews, and some technical documentation, as well as ephemera and objects, such as an early supercomputer memory plane that was constructed by hand on a loom with the aid of a microscope.

Biographical / historical:

Timeline of computing at Ames, derived from John Humbert's manuscript "NASA Ames Research Center Central Computer Facility: 40 Years of Computing Service, 1960-2000, A Historical Perspective," which chronicles the evolution of computation at Ames from the 1940s to the early 2000s.

1940s and 1950s: Human computers process wind tunnel test data using slide rules and mechanical calculators

1948: First electronic computer, a Reeves Analog Electronic Computer (REAC) goes into service

1951 : First digital computer, an IBM Card Programmed Electronic Calculator (CPC)

1952: First computing organization called the Electronic Machine Computing Branch forms in the Theoretical and Applied Research Division

1954-circa 1956: Two Electrodata-Datatron computers installed to provide on-line data reduction for the Unitary and 6 by 6-foot wind tunnels

1955: An IBM 650 is installed for theoretical calculations

1958: An IBM 704 replaces the IBM 650 for theoretical calculations

1959: Approval to construct a "data reduction facility" (the Central Computer Facility, CCF, Building N233)

1960-1962: Construction of the CCF completed and the facility becomes operational

circa early 1960s: The CCF facility houses the Electronic Machine Computing Branch and mainframe computer systems, including: an IBM 7094/7090 system for scientific computing, a Honeywell 800/200 system for wind tunnel data reduction, and an IBM 1401 system for administrative computing (financial and payroll processing). The Honeywell H800 computer system replaces the Electrodata computers for wind tunnel data reduction.

1966: Computation Division created, incorporating the Electronic Machine Computing Branch and data processing staff from the administrative organizations

1967: An IBM 360/50 replaces the IBM 1401 for administrative processing

1969: An IBM 360/67 Duplex computer system installed mainly for wind tunnel data reduction

1970: Major effort launched to locally develop new application software and custom communications equipment in all 12 wind tunnels to link the tunnels to the IBM 360/67 system

1971: Advanced Computation Facility (ACF) addition (Building N233A) is constructed to house the ILLIAC-IV and its staff

1972: The ILLIAC-IV installed and development for use begins. The Advanced Computation Division is created to manage the supercomputer. The Institute for Advanced Computation (IAC) formed between NASA and the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to oversee the development and application of the ILLIAC-IV for NASA and Department of Defense (DoD) research.

1973: The wind tunnel application software becomes operational to provide real-time data reduction for Center's 12 tunnels

1975: The ILLIAC-IV becomes operational, though reliability is a major issue. Remote user access is confined to the emerging Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET). Also, a Control Data Corporation CDC 7600 system is acquired and becomes the principal processing resource of the CCF for theoretical research in computational fluid dynamics and computational chemistry. Installation of the CDC 7600 system necessitates modifications to the N233 facility in order to house the liquid cooling and 400-Hz electrical power equipment required by the processor. The IBM 7094 processor decommissioned and removed when the CDC 7600 is installed.

1977: A VAX "front end" is developed for the CDC 7600

1979: The Numerical Aerodynamic Simulator (NAS) project launches to formulate specifications for a system 40 times faster than currently-available supercomputers

late 1970s to1980s: Emergence of distributed computing with "minicomputers" such as Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAX computer systems to support engineering groups, research projects, and test facilities

late 1970s: New, standardized systems for modular high-speed data acquisition with local processing developed by Teledyne are in use across the center's wind tunnels

circa 1980: A "VAX Farm" is installed in the CCF

early 1980s: Two IBM 4300 series systems are installed to replace the IBM 360/67 system. ARCLAN, a campus data network, is implemented and extends to most facilities on the center. A Telecommunications Division is created to provide the center with voice, data, and video communications services.

1981: ILLIAC-IV supercomputer decommissioned and removed from the CCF to accommodate a Cray-1s supercomputer system installed the same year

1984: A CDC Cyber 205 supercomputer system is installed (to compare against the forthcoming Cray-2 supercomputer). The system is shared with NASA Langley Research Center. A Cray XMP/22 system replaces the Cray 1s. The IBM 360/67 system od decommissioned. A digital PBX telecommunications system is installed and based in Building N263 (this system is replaced with a voice-over-IP in 2020).

circa 1984: A Telecommunications Gateway Facility is established in Building N254

circa 1985: A Cray-2 with two Amdahl computers for mass storage and front-end processors is installed in N233A. (After extensive evaluation of the CDC Cyber 205 against the Cray-2 afterward, Ames determines the latter has the superior advanced supercomputing architecture for theoretical research.)

Mid 1980s: Approximately 40 DEC VAX systems in research facilities and 13 systems in the CCF "VAX Farm" are in operation. DEC reports that one of the largest VAX/DECNet installations in the country is at Ames. CCF support for processing wind tunnel test data is no longer required.

circa 1986: A Cray XMP/48 is installed. Construction of the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation facility (NAS, Building N258. Later it was renamed the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Facility and retained the same NAS acronym) is completed to house the center's supercomputing systems.

1988: The Cray-XMP/48 is replaced by a Cray-YMP.

Late 1980s: NASA Science Internet (NSI), an IP-based network, links NASA staff and university collaborators with NASA centers. Ames builds the "Federal Internet Exchange -West" (FIX-WEST) where federal agencies can connect their networks to the emerging Internet. About five years after FIX-WEST, a Metropolitan Area Exchange-West (MAE-WEST) is created for commercial carriers to interconnect their networks with large Internet Service Providers. Macintosh personal computer systems are widely used at the Center.

Circa early 1990s: Most major communications carriers have high-capacity fiber optic communications trunks installed in Building N254 and interconnect with FIX-WEST and MAE-West. A communications hub for NASA's NISN wide-area network is established in Building N254. The CCF shifts its purpose toward supporting local area network services and providing centralized server services for the center (e.g., email, calendaring, website hosting, databases, mass storage, etc.). The center's first two-person computer security team addresses threats posed by systems being connected to public networks.

1992: The Cray-YMP is replaced by the Cray C90. Supercomputing resources are moved to the new Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation facility in Building N258. By the end of this year, supercomputers are no longer in the CCF.

Mid 1990s: NSI network grows to be one of the first large scale IP-based networking systems, linking NASA staff and external organizations (per Humbert, NSI was a factor in the eventual expansion of the Internet). The NASA Research and Education Network (NREN) development project is established to develop higher performance networks than NSI.

2001: Installation of a new ARCLAN-2000 network begins, to replace ARCLAN.

2003: The ARCLAN-2000 network is completed.

Acquisition information:
Transferred by John Humbert on September 16, 2015 (Accession 2015-010), July 15, 2022 (Accession 2022-016) and August 8, 2022 (Accession 2022-018).
Arrangement:

In the absence of a discernable original order, the bulk of this collection is arranged chronologically by subject area and format, with the manuscript and primary supporting files placed first.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Bibliography:

Bugos, Glenn E. Atmosphere of Freedom: Seventy-Five Years at the NASA Ames Research Center. Washington, D.C.: NASA SP-4314, 2014.

Hartman, Edwin. Adventures in Research: A History of Ames Research Center, 1940-1965. Washington, D.C.: NASA SP-4302, 1970.

Humbert, John E. NASA Ames Research Center Central Computer Facility: 40 Years of Computing Service, 1960-2000, A Historical Perspective. Ames Research Center. Moffett Field, CA, May 2022.

Page & Turnbull. State of California Department of Parks and Recreation property survey forms for Ames Research Center. 2005.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Guide prepared by April Gage
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by April Gage). Date of source: August 2024.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Restricted Possibly. Based on the content, this collection may contain information that has proprietary restrictions.
Distribution Limits: Partly Public; NASA employees contact the archivist regarding restricted materials.

Terms of access:

This collection may contain copyrighted material. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Securing permission to publish or use materials is the sole responsibility of the researcher.

Location of this collection:
NASA Ames Research Center Archives
Mail Stop 207-1 (Bldg. N207, Rm. 112C)
Moffett Field, CA 94035-0001, US
Contact:
(650) 604-1032
ARC-DL-archives@mail.nasa.gov
Website