PRODUCTION OF COMPUTER DISC DRIVES IN THE USSR AND EASTERN EUROPE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000600180008-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 20
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 1, 2005
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 14, 1975
• Content Type: MF

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WASHINGTON. D.C. 20505
-----
DD/SBcT#,5,~~- 7~~
4 FEB 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. Robert B. Wright, Director
Office of East-West Trade
Department of State
SUBJECT Production of Computer Disc Drives in
the USSR and Eastern Europe
REFERENCE Department of State Memorandum,
dated 30 January 1975, Request for
Assessment of Eurasian Communist-
Countries Computer Technical Capability
1. Attached is our response to your request for
information on the capabilities of Communist countries to
manufacture disc drives and packs. Although we have not
been able to resolve the. question fully, we hope that the
limited information we can offer will be helpful.
~., Additional questions may be directed to
Office of Economic Research,
Office of Scientific Intelligence,
prepared the attachment.
25X1
~~X1
25X1
EDWARD W. PROCTOR
Deputy Director for Intelligence
25X1
CARL E. DUCKETT
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Attachment:
As stated
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Attachment
Production of Disc Drives and .Packs
in the USSR and Eastern Europe
1. According to our information, disc drives of the
IBM-2311 type are under development in the USSR, Bulgaria,
Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Poland.. Each of these
.countries has developed and exhibited a prototype disc drive
system. Each claims to be "producing" disc drives. With the
eXCeption of Bulgaria, we believe that disc drives are still
in a developmental stage -- that is, not in production -- in
all of these countries. Bulgaria is the only CEMA country
that claims to have disc packs in serial production.
2. The case of Bulgaria is complex.
convincing that Bulgaria is producing disc drives (and com-
n
patible packs) of the IBM-2311-type. Bulgaria has built two
modern plants, equipped mostly with Western machinery, at
Stara Zagora and Pazardzhik -- specifically for the production
of disc drives and disc packs, respectively. According to
Bulgarian officials, production has been underway-since
October 1972 at Stara Zagora and-since .early 1973 at Pazardzhik.
US visitors to these facilities in 1973 observed drives and
Backs in production. Only Bulgarian disc drives-have been ob-
served in use with operational RYAD comp
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3. The current rate of production of disc drives is
not known. US visitors to Stara Zagora in 1973 estimated
:output capacity at about 80-100 drives per month. Actual
output (in mid-1973) was estimated to be far below this
level. Probably, no more than 500 systems were produced
during 1973.
4. .All of the disc drives that were produced in Bul-
garia in 1973 almost certainly employed Western-made heads.
Between June 1972 and December 1973, Bulgaria illegally
acquired from a US supplier at least 15,000 completed head
units, and additional quantities of other uncompleted disc
drive subassemblies. Unspecified quantities of head units
and other subassemblies allegedly have been illegally
obtained in Western Europe as well. At the Stara Zagora
plant, Bulgarian officials have attempted to disguise the
foreign origin of the recording heads. US visitors to the
plant in 1973 have reported that foreign markings had been
-filed off,
. 5. Bulgaria appears to have acquired at least enough
heads to produce a minimum of 1500 disc drive systems.- If
-the estimate of output of disc drives in 1973 is reasonably
accurate (500 systems), Bulgaria would have had a quantity
of heads sufficient to support capacity output of disc drives
at-Stara Zagora (80-100 per month) during most or ali of 1974.
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6. We cannot determine, on the basis'of information
available to us, whether Bulgaria currently is serially
producing disc drive systems using imported heads, heads
assembled using imported parts, or purely Bulgarian-made
heads, All requests by US visitors to observe disc head
production have been denied. There is evidence that Bul-
garia has made at least some heads on its own. A US firm
acquired three heads in Bulgaria in late 1973 and was told
that they were Bulgarian-made and were representative
- samples.- Electrical tests .concluded that the heads were
suitable for 2311 type disc drives. Visual examination by
US experts revealed that the heads could be purely
Bulgarian-made but based on Western design features. The
acquired heads could have been prototypes,
7. The Performance Subgroup of the CSTAC has estimated
that Bulgaria has produced 20,000 of its own heads.
Q
Apparently the estimate is based- on the observation of serial
numbers on acquired Bulgarian heads.- .The Performance Sub-
group has not explained how output was estimated from the
serial numbers, In any event, we think it likely that the
estimate, if it is accurate, includes a very large number of
Western-made heads (see paragraph 4 above).
8. Several Bulgarian-disc packs that have been tested.
have been found to contain defects and to be below acceptable
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Western standards. Further, Bulgarian officials-have ad-
mitted that pack yields are not satisfactory. Poor quality
disc packs would result in unreliable disc systems even if
the disc drive itself was of good. quality.
9. There is no evidence that disc units equivalent to
the more advanced IBM-2314 currently are being produced in
the USSR or Eastern Europe. All 2314. type drives that Western
observers have seen operating with Communist computers have
been of Western origin, Bulgaria and the USSR are known to
have 2314 type drives under development, and the Soviets have
exhibited a non-working model of a disc drive with claimed
2314 characteristics.
10. Bulgaria and the USSR still have a. long way to go
before they can hope to produce, serially, double density
2314 or 3330 type disc drives, Bulgarian 2311 type heads will
have, to be further refined and developed; voice coil actuators
will have to be designed and developed (Bulgaria has illegally
acquired a small number of Western-made .voice -coil actuators,
probably to aid native development).;- neither Bulgarian drives
nor the prototype Soviet drives that have been observed emplo
the ]sired of stabilized base plate design needed for reliable y
high performance, It is not now evident that either the But-
garians or the Soviets fully appreciate the base plate
requirements, Also, grease seals and other electromechanical
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CONFIDENTIAL
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parts in Soviet drives are of poor quality'. Finally, sub-
stantial improvement in disc packs, over those that have
been examined, would be needed for the development of 2314
and 3330 type disc drives systems.
11. Summarizing, the information available to us
supports the view that 2311 type disc drives are in produc-
tion in Bulgaria. However, we cannot establish that the
technology is exclusively Bulgarian, or that Bulgaria does
not depend on Western suppliers for components. The con-
-timed interest in the purchase of large numbers of Western
heads (and other subassemblies), raises strong suspicions
that Bulgaria either does not produce its awn heads, or does
not yet have the capability to manufacture sufficient
quantities of critical recording heads of the 2311 type with-
out help.
12, We believe that the USSR, Bulgaria, and other
Eastern countries will not have the capability to produce sub-
stantial numbers of more advanced type systems -- 2314 and
3330 .types -- without Western help, for a few years. These
countries can be expected to press for the acquisition of
a) Finished disc units; b) production technology; and
c) complete computer systems incorporating 2314 and-3330 type
disc units. Some design technology and maintenance experience
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cauld be derived from acquisition of finished disc units;
probably, it would not be sufficient to e~iable these
countries to produce disc systems. On the other hand, if
.finished disc units were acquired in quantity so that
.priority uses could be satisfied, there would be little
need, in the short run at least, for a native production
capability. In past approaches to Western firms for the
purchase of large quantities of disc units, Communist
countries have insisted upon follow-on transfer of disc
production technology. The acquisition of a limited number
of complete computer systems, with 2314 or 3330 type disc
systems tailored for these systems, would minimize the tech-
nological gain to East European countries and the possibili-
ties of division of disc systems to unauthorized uses.
CIA/OER/OSI
12 Feb 75
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Distribution: (5-6776)
Orig. & 1 - Mr. Robert B. Wright
OER/U/~
Director, EB/ITP/EWT
Department of State,
1 - DDI, w/att
l - DD/S&T, w/att
1 - D/OER, w/att
1 - St/P, w/att
1 - Chief, D/U, w/att
2 - U/MC, w/att
w/att
X12 February 1975)
CONFIDE~dTIAL
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T0: Mr.
~___.---
FROM: Jack`
SUBJECT: CIA Response to State Department
Request
0
0
I called who was able to
answer your questions pertaining to the attached
memo.
-- The response to Wright's
request can be passed to
the TACs without any
changes.
-- The covering memo can also
go to the TACs who are
cleared for information
classified up to and in-
cluding CONFIDENTIAL.
P.S. Both mentioned in the
covering memo, were unavailable for com-
ments. They were at meetings for most
of today.
0
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Date: 4 February 75
FROP1: Ben f~
SUBJECT: Request for Review of Study
State is asking Carl Duckett and you to
assess ASAP the attached Commerce report on
Recommended Export Licensing of Direct Access
Storage Devices in Computer Systems Under U.S./
COCOh1 Regulations.
Suggest giving to Ernst for making a
direct response.
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REPORT ON
RECOMMENDED EXPORT LICENSING OF DIRECT ACCESS STORAGE DEVICES
IN COMPUTER SYSTEMS UNDER U. S./COCOM REGULATIONS
23 January 1975
.Performance Characteristics and Performance Measurements Subgroup
Computer Systems Technical Advisory Committee
U. S. Department of Comrnerce
Washington, D. C. .
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At a Computer Systems Technical Advisory Committee meeting of ~10 December 1974
held at the U. S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C. , Henry S. Forrest,
outgoing Chairman, Performance Characteristics and Performance Measurements
Subgroup, indicated the completion of efforts to assess and recommend methods to
measure better central processor performance of computer systems and for export
licensing use.
Richard E. Toepfer, incoming Subgroup Chairman, indicated that the next priority
work program lay in the measurement and performance areas of peripherals exported
as an integral part of computer systems. Of highest priority was immediate con-
sideration of direct access storage devices (DASD) . ?.
A DASD work program outline prepared by the Subgroup Chairman dated 27 Decem-
ber 1974 was distributed to Subgroup members by the Department of Commerce.
This was followed by Subgroup comment interchange, and an informal meeting of
Subgroup members John L. Collins, Dr. S. Fernbach, H. S. Forrest, G. E, Linda-
mood, R. E. Toepfer, and G. R. Younts was held in San Jose, CA. , on 21 janu-
ary 19 75. ~ ,
The repast herein tendered represents the findings, conclusions, and recommenda-
tions of that 21 januaiy discussion. For reader convenience, a single manufacturer
(IBM) DASD model terminology~is utilized; the Subgroup has available and can
supply model terminologies of other U. S, computer system manufacturers having
.DASD units whose export treatment falls under the considerations and recommenda-
tions of this report.
R. E. Toepfer
Subgroup Chairman
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 a~a.vvlvalvlLlVLLL LAt'V1t1 LLC.:t;NSING OF DIRECT ACCESS STORAGE DEVICES
IN' COMPUTER Sv~TEMS UNDER U. S, COCOM RFG ULATIONS
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Atypical computer system configuration represents a careful balance of performance
between the following functional modules:
1. The central processing unit (CPU) with its memory bus and input/output
(I/O) channel rate s
Main storage (size and speed)
4. Various input/output devices (speed)
S. Data communication channels _
Peripheral or "virtual storage" elements; disc; tape or. solid state
(capacity and speed)
Software operating systems coupled with the various utility and application program
also influence the system performance for a given application.
The Performance Subgroup of the Computer System Technical Advisory Committee
(CSTAC) has studied the CPU and has arrived at a set of measures comparable to the
existing PDR* and BR** which quantify the maximum -theoretical performance of a
system using a given CPU.
Having arrived at these CPU measures (VAR, VMR) and considering the need for sys-
tem balance in order to achieve adequate performance, it follows, once a range of
`- central processing units has been approved for export, there is a set of peripherals
of .matching performance which should be cleared with the given CPU. For the larger
high performance processors, the system elements most often in question are disc
memories, tape memories and high-speed data communications and graphics termi-
nal s,. In small or .minicomputer based systems, the performance of A/D converters,
.communication interfaces, graphics terminals and writeable control store. elements
are of concern.
There is one class of peripherals used with systems for which no export licenses
have been issued. These represented by 3333-1 f 3330-1, .and 3340 / 3348-type***
direct access storage devices require immediate attention. Yet, these devices are.
applicable to CPU's which have already been licensed and which span a wide range
of performance.
~~
***
PDR -Processing Data Rate; Proposed comparable measure -Vector Add Rate (VAR)
BR -Bus Rate; Proposed comparable measure -Vector Move Rate (VMR)
This occludes 3330-Mod 11, 3333 Mod 11, and 3348 F.
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 ? ~Y'he GSTAC Performance Subgroup has assessed these type devices with respect to:
~tj 1. performance, a d' -
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2. foreign vai a i ity.
;:
In the area of performance it can be demonstrated that there are drives presently li-
censable and which will allow comparable performance to a system utilizing these
types of drives (See Figure I) .
The- peripheral devices, .licensed since 1971, are no longer manufactured by major
U. S. mainframe companies. Therefore, they are not available as part of their sys-
tem offerings to CEMA markets. In fact, many of the more recent CPU's; i, e. ,
370/115 and /125, are not designed to allow connection of the older 2314--type
peripherals. -
The main reason far the evolution to the current state-of-the-art product. offerings
is the user requirement for greater data storage capacity at lower cost/megabyte
(See Figure II)-.
With respect to foreign availability, CEMA countries are known to have an indigenous
capability to manufacture a disc drive comparable to a 2314. Using this -drive a
RYAD 1050 system can achieve throughput comparable to a 370/145 system using
3330's (See Figure III). - - -
Hence, we conclude that the export of 3330-type disc files on a system should be
of no more concern than the export of previously licensed drives of the same net
capacity. It should be recognized that this conclusion should not be considered
and is not in conflict with findings of the Peripheral TAC. - -
To further amplify this point, observed COMECON disc file technology, now 19
months old, has resulted in a 2311-equivalency manufacturing capability. It is a
6-high pack and has a hydraulic actuator; The heads are manufactured iri Bulgaria,-
Lithuania, and USSR, and they use a 3330-type arm assembly- (ramp loader) . The
read head is narrow gap compared to the (U. S.) 2311-type. It has a stainless steel
and ceramic shoe, and the unit is capable of using a density of 4, 000 pulses per
inch.
- Reliability and performance of current~proauction units is of Iow quality, principally
because of the v~ry mixed quality of the employed media. Through better quality
control of the media and other manufacturing quality control/quality assurance pro-
. cedures, an improvement can be expected in unit reliability pc ~'rormance in calen-
dar 1975.
Based on this 19 months' effort, the production of 20, 000 heads -- production figure
based on head serial number observation -- the technical capability is now present
for producing .2314-equivalent units using ceramic heads and with the unit operating
using a density of 4, 400 pulses per inch.
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G iven?
1. Same data base organization ,
2. Same application
3. Same activity rate
4. Absence of disc pack interchange
System A above is approximately 10% slower in throughput than System B.
Considering the need to keep track of recoverable errors via a software technique
in System A, it is approximately 20% slower than System B whose drives have hard-
ware error check capability.
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Using same conditions as in Figure I plus the fact that the RYAD has parallel hardware
consisting of adder plus decision elements, System A is equivalent to System B.
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