JOINT OER/ORD INFORMATION PROCESSING PROJECT (U)

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0
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RIPPUB
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K
Document Page Count: 
17
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 26, 2001
Sequence Number: 
8
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Publication Date: 
August 13, 1980
Content Type: 
MF
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, ~1 3 1 1118 EIII IAL ? E WILT 12 Approved For Ike ease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573RU00300220008-0 STATINTL 13 AU G 1980 MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Development and Analysis Center Office of Economic Research THROUGH: NF on rol Officer FROM: Philip K. Eckman Director of Research and Development SUBJECT: Joint'OER/ORD Information Processing Project (U) REFERENCES: A. B. C. OER memorandum dated 26 December 1979, Subject: Request for Research Support ORD-160-80, dated 25 February 1980, Subject: OER Information Processing Requirements OER memorandum dated 17 April 1980, Subject: Joint OER/ORD Information Processing Project 1. This memorandum is provided as an interim response to the request contained in reference A. Two specific areas of support are identified in the reference. The first concerns computer sup- STATINTL port to OED's large economic data base. Since memo- randum identifies a partial response to this problem by 0 , a coordination with that office is under way. Additionally, ORD has an active program to develop a digital optical disk storage system. This is briefly discussed below. The second concerns a possible interest in ORD's work in relational data base management systems. The next paragraphs discuss a project which addresses the two offices' mutual interests in this area. (AIUO) 2. It is this office's desire to have an evaluation performed of the utility of the relational data base management system, ORACLE, and the APL-like environment, APIS. In order to perform this evaluation ORD will loan a PDP-11/34 system to OER for the duration of the joint activity. The configuration of the system is: Approv Jfr31E~ ADMIPTHATIVE - INTERNAL USE r" i Approved For elease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0 SUBJECT: Joint OER/ORD Information Processing Project (U) (1) PDP-11/34 with 256K bytes memory (2) RL-01 Disk Drives (@ 5.2M bytes each) with RL-11 Controller (1) LA-120 DEC Writer III Keyboard/Printer (1) Sanders Technology Media 12/7 Printer ORD will acquire a TS-11 1600 BPI tape drive using OER funds to be transferred to ORD for this purpose. ORD will fund the main- tenance contract for the duration of the joint effort. ORD will, provide the following software: (1) APIS software system including: ORACLE/UNIX data base management system UNIX operating system'with utilities RSX-11M operating system ORACLE/RSX-11M data base management system "C" compiler for RSX-11M Pascal Compiler for UNIX ORD will acquire an APL-11 Interpreter for the RSX-11M operating system using OER funds to be transferred to ORD for this purpose. (U) 3. The specific tasks for this evaluation are: TASK 1 - Install and Evaluate the APIS Environment This task is as described in reference B. It is requested OER provide a written report to ORD summarizing OER's evaluation of the environment with respect to its capabilities and system performance. TASK 2 - Evaluate ORACLE This task is similar in scope to that described in paragraph three of reference C. Economic data base applications will be implemented using ORACLE. It is requested a written report be provided that assesses this software's capabilities, utility, and performance from the application developer's viewpoint and system performance viewpoint. TASK 3 - Environment Extensions Based upon the results of the first two tasks, ORD will prepare a proposal which considers possible extensions to the software environments. These may include the integration of APL- 11 with ORACLE, extensions to APIS for economic analysis, and software migration to facilitate economic analyst access. (U) 2 ApprovedEn MI /01/2 ~fftgX 8ff gr7dRI 300220008-0 j i u ni u. UQL UIlLI Approved For I e'ease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573RO00300220008-0 pp ve tat rovide the consu to p d er n or I 4. STATINTLfor tasks one and two and to prepare the proposal that is task three, ORD will contract with the developer of the APIS environment. The contractor is also knowledgeable in the use of ORACLE. Funds will be provided by OER for this pur- pose. The allocation of the contractor support across the three tasks will be determined by OER's specific requirements. All funds.will be used in direct support of this joint activity and OER's concurrence will be required for the allocation of the funds. (AIUO) 5. The time required for these tasks is approximately nine months. It is planned that the effort not exceed twelve months as no budgetary commitments have been provided beyond that period. OER's financial obligation,for this period is: ? VT-100 Video Display Unit with APL $ 3,000 character set ? APL character set for LA-120 $ 500 ? TS-11 tape drive $11,000 ? "C" Compiler F Pascal Compiler $ 1,480 ? APL-11 interpreter $ 3,450 contractor support $45,570 for approx. ? STATINTL seven man-months (AIUO) SUBJECT: Joint OER/ORD Information Processing Project (U) ort required su i l 6. Of high interest to OER is support of very large data bases. It is recommended this be pursued on a basis separate from the above project. OD&E, ODP, and NPIC have expressed an interest in optical/video disk technology for digital storage and retrieval. ORD is actively developing this technology for introduction to Agency environments. An engineering development model is expected to be available for OD&E evaluation during FY81. This technology should not be incorporated into the PDP- 11/34 computer system without careful analysis. While technically feasible to add such equipment to the minicomputer it does not follow that the computer system has the computational power to work the economic models using large amounts of data. Therefore it may not be advisable to use the PDP-11/34 system beyond the planned tasks described above. (AIUO) 7. Additionally, there is a need to establish a strategy for making any outgrowths from this effort available to the economic analyst. As you know, analysts presently have available Ruffing Center (IBM technology) services. The SAFE system may present a second technology base with which the analysts will work. A third technology base (DEC) may not be advisable. Hence ApproveAB ~ a IT ft1/24J -RNA6U 1Y00220008-0 Approved For 'ease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T005739600300220008-0 ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY 2 ,J 7 C'', 131 9 MEMORANDUM FOR. Dr. Philip K. Eckman Director of Research and Development FROM: Acting Director of Economic Research SUBJECT: Request for Research Support 1. I would appreciate your help in identifying methods for implementing a very large computer storage system. The objective of the project will be to identify within six months a configuration of hardware and software that will satisfy OER's immediate and long-term requirements for a very large computer data base system, and that can be imple- mented by January 1981. 2. The problem this project will address is how to make effective use of the 20 billion bytes of machine-readable economic data that form the basis of much of OER's research and intelligence production. We now use computer tapes as our primary storage medium and. the CROSSTABS software package as our primary data access method. With single jobs calling for as many as 40 tape mounts, the system is not very respon- sive. Worse still, deterioration of and damage to our 2300 reels of tape in the Ruffing Center force us to spend more time recreating data than we do analyzing them. 3. The Office of Data Processing (ODP) recognizes our problems with the tapes. They recently offered us disk storage for all our data, but-on the condition that we find an acceptable means of storing and retrieving the data.. We have two packages--APLDI and RAMIS--that are effective for data bases of more modest dimensions, but they cannot satisfy our requirements for the entire OER data base. We think that so:1e of the developing relational data base management systems ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY Approved For Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0 AD I FIST TI E - INTERNAL USE UNIT Approved For' (ease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0 SUBJECT: Joint OER/ORD Information Processing Project (U) it is recommended that consideration be given to the migration of any desired tool (APIS, ORACLE, or other presently unavailable service) to the Ruffing Center or SAFE environments. In the near-term (two years) it may be preferable to limit the consid- eration of tool migration to the Ruffing Center. (AIUO) 8. Discussions with ODP are in progress to address mass storage requirements in the Ruffing and Special centers. In- cluded in these conversations are the topics of systems software support for data access and the integration of special systems, such as optical disk systems, into these computer centers. It is this office's intent to keep OER apprised of progress in this area directed to addressing OER's needs. Because of the status of activities between ORD 4nd ODP and'the development of the optical disk system it is premature to identify a specific direc- tion or schedule for resolution of OER's needs. As these activi- ties develop a solution to OER's requirements will be specified. 9. As an aside, you may be aware that ORD is in the process of acquiring a VAX-.11/780 computer system. This system is in- tended primarily as an image processing facility. A secondary function is to support work similar to the outlined joint effort. It should be possible to make this environment available to the Development and Analysis Center, via terminal, on a project basis. The VAX system will have the ability to support large data bases and will have special computational ability (e.g., array processors) such as that required for imagery work or large STATINT COnomic models. This to is should be pursued between the DAC/ ER and DPR/ORD. , Chief IPB/DPR, will assist you in this area. (AIUO) STATINTL Philip K. Eckman Attachments: References A, B, and C Appro 9IMIS 6 ~ ~ /01/IMMUET~A~5 Q 99300220008-0 Approved For elease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0 C ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY STATINTL STATINTL STATINTL and new storage hardware may be able to satisfy our require- ments. Knowing ORD is working in both these areas, we turn .to you for help. 4. Any help you choose to give us probably can be subsumed in existing requirements. In 1978 OER submitted a request for the DDS&T to develop a machine storage system, including software. We most recently confirmed this requirement in July 1979 to NFAC's Coordinator for R&D Support and accorded the project our highest priority in the data-handling category. Messrs. and (extension will be OER's technical STATINTL experts on the proj,ect. STATINTL Distribution: Orig & 1 - Addressee 2 - D/OER 2 - DAC OER:DAC skf : 20llec79 ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY Approved For Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573R00Q300220008-0 STATINTL Approved For W ease 2002/01/24 : M0300220008-0 AV% Ar 44 C 25 February 1980 STATINTL MEMORMDUH FOR: Chief, Systems Development Group Office of Economic Research THROUGH: .AC/IPB/DPR/ORD Data Processing Research Office of Research and Development SUBJECT: OER Information Processing Requirements REFERENCES: ORD-093-80, dated 28 Jan 1980, subject Research Support; and D/OER's memorandum, dated 26 Dec 1979, subject Request for Research Support 1. Bac'_:round Director, Office of Economic Research, has requested ORD to assist in the analysis of OER's information proces-_ sing requirements. C/IPB has assigned this project to me. Consequently, I met with you and your staff members to discuss concepts and alternatives for investigating feasible solutions to support OER's information processing require--. ments. This memorandum suggests an initial approach to - - analyzing and developing tools for exploring OER's informa- tion. processing requirements. The Office of Economic Research is tasked with ana- lyzing very large amounts of raw economic data in order ished intelligence on trade, GNP, productivity fi n prepare and economic activity (among other topics) of all nations of interest to the United States. lgenerally, this task requires the analysis of many large (>10 bits) economic data bases. This analysis involves the development, application and interpretation of many complex economic models to the avail- able data in order to derive finished intelligence. In many lin f d g ea areas, OER possesses the only expertise capable o with the problem. Approved For Release 2002/01/2 1,, 5738000300220008=0 _ STATI'NTL FROM: ORD-160-80 C SUBJECT: O'ER Information Processing Requirements 2. Objectives: This memorandum proposes Phase I of the development of an advanced research tool for OER analysts. This tool is intended to meet several criteria: a. provide OER analysts with an integrated analytical tool (e.g., APL) which is capable of directly accessing the various econimic data bases; b. provide OER analysts with simple, unparal- leled access to data. without resorting to the neces- sity of interfacing with a programming specialist; c. provide online access to OER analysts for economic data bases totaling over 20 billion bytes of data. '... The development, implementation and evaluation of this research tool will be accomplished in two phases: o phase I - A Personal Computing Facility.. o phase II - An Archival Data Base Facility STATINTL 3. Personnel and Organizational Components ORD/DPR OER/SDG OER Staff Members ORD Contractors ODP Staff Member 4. Funding: Funding for Phase I wil' be provided by the Office of Economic Research according to the tasks outlined in section 7-.--The initial cost for phase I hardware/software--A Personal Computing Facility--is estimated to be $48,000. These funds will be used to provide a personal computing system with associated software and to provide initial contractor support to assist OER in software development. Additional funding, to be supplied by OER, will be required for software integra- tion and development tasks once the personal computing facility testbed has been installed and evaluated by OER. Approved For MeIease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573M00300220008-0 Approved For Release 2002/01/24. OIA D 83XT0073R00,03.00220068_0- SUBJECT: OER Information Processing Requirements Total funding for Phase This estimate is obtained as r:_ '(does not include :tape ,drive and video display units) Software .. -$12,000 $60,000;. During phase II--An Archival'Data Base Facility OER/ORD personnel. and contractors will investigate the?, .availability of optical.disk technology for.archival~?storage'- :-of digital information. Several manufacturers are actively engaged in prototype development of'archival, storage.'facili ties bas6d on optical disk technology. Among these. are Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Co. , , an..IBM- IICA Consortium, and XEROX" E lectro -Optical Systems Division. :A subsequent menoranduri will propose..:the .,tasks.: to be per.;- formed in Phase II. Approved For Flease 2002/ T0057310.03002200084 S. Phase I - Hardware-. A minicomputer ' system of the PDP-11/34 .class is suggeste for this project. This minicomputer.systemcan support-'- , V :.; multiple,. sequential users and.will execute APL-11 with PDP-11/34 Packaged System-includes: (2) RL-01 Removable Disks C@5 2MB each) LA-36 Console Printer (09600- Baud) 256K bytes memory ? Line Frequency Clock which is packaged in one..72" high Cabinet Sander's Media 12/7 Typographic Printer n7-11 Asynchronous Multinlexor' (8 Lines) _;: `, OQ5T3Ri~4Q3QA2~2U.~~$=Ek _ t 'J r_- WA Approved For Rele a 2002~w,, 3T00573A600300220008-0- -SUBJECT: OER Information. Processing Requirements The cost of this system, estimated to be..$35,000, is based on.the list price of the PDP-11/34 given-by Digital. Equipment Corp.' .The- FY-80 GSA Schedule will provide the government with several discounts for. the equipment men-. -t-ioned above. " ' At least. a 10 percent, and possibly more discount will be applicable to this equipment.. An addi- -;'.` tional - discount . is . available through _the contractor for. the :Personal Computing Project due to the large- .volume .cifbusi! :Hess it conducts with Digital.. Equipment Corp. The PDP-11/34' system is configured for an-office `envi ronment. It is anticipated that this-machine will be in- ;-';stalled in OER's Development Analysis Center.--.I.:suggest that a magnetic tape-drive for system checkpoints should 'also be procured by OER. -Video.'display units-will be fur.- -nished. by. OER. These may -be attached ~ to the system through --the DZ-11 multiplexor. ---' OER must.also - obtain a maintenance contract, estimated at $3,200..per year,--for the equipment. In Phase. I, .two software systems ti,7ill be. provided for,,. ::experimentation in the personal computing environment. ....These are the _RSX-11M .and..the Agency Personal- Information ,~ Sys t e:a . Additional software. must be acquired to accomplis] several tasks related toy economic analysis. The UNIX operating system is the-.basis for-the Agency -Personal Information System (APIS) . APIS will 'include the ORACLE/UNIX relational data base :manageinent', system,' -a.'docu ment preparation system interfaced to the-Sander's typo- graphic printer arid 'a wide variety of: UNIX utilities.-::.The cost of a UNIX license (version '6) is, $ 6,7 0 0. The : cost _:of ORACLE/U lIX? is $2000. RSX-1111,1 is the, standard operating system for the` PDP- ` 11/34. . Its cost is "bundled" into the price of the hard- ware. OER will -need to acquire the -following software. items for compatibility:. .., ' . oan ORACLE/RSX license at $2,000 o a ":C"..Language Compiler for RSX-11M_ at Approved= For:eleasd2Uq f 0,83roo57,3RQa'Qavo220009 o ,000. _:- Approved For le 2002/01/il Mal , SUBJECT. OER Information Processing Requirements In addition, many OER analysts make extensive use of -APL to develop models and solve economic problems..-APL-11 is available under RSX-11H for a ' one-time .license fee of approximately $3,000.' -7. Phase 'l = Project Tasks This project is involved in developing-new approaches to .designing and processing very- large economic data bases esystetm will serve as a testbed for pursuing new methods in-;-. or___ 'irg stnring_ retriovirig and processing economic data bases. 1+L4 v offers a simple tabular view of data while making it acces- sible to nonprograrmers through-a.nonprocedural,English- substantial benefits in the way ;it organizes "and manipulate" data. The tasks to be -accomplished` in 'Phase `I are described . in the following paragraphs.' ' These tasks are ixitended. to e . ; + the max mum utility and herief it to the' Agency with regard to the processing of very large economic data oases. In Phase' I, the .~obj ective:,of this..proj ect-is ..to to. z environment. A Personal Computer will be installed in, OER/DAC spaces. This system will runthe ' APIS software and RSX-.11M..', sonai computer system to prepare documents, develop com-,-- . putational models-and manage data. :OER analysts will be instructed in the-use of.APIS softwaro.and asked .to evaluate its utility to their working. environment.. Approved?Fer Release- 2002MV-2# L AN +3 +oa tLL,Lsl M+.e/ Approved For R!F( Economic Data Bases Y-: able to ultimately design and create their own. databases Neverth.ess, there remain several questions of access.": efficiencv.related to data base design which-should be stably. Different analysts wili-requiredifferentviews and organizations of ,the data base to -support their analysis. Economic data bases Mould. be. implemented,stored, and -retrieved.. using the ORACLE relational data 'base management system. ORACLE offers simplistic, ` flexible and easy access to a 'data-base; so much so that tre expect .OBR.. analysts to be . The complexity of these economic data bases varies consid- . - (examining random records) .methods . Data :base structure 1s .crucial..to the efficiency with. which 'very large` data bases be processed since' any system will be largely 1/O.. bound.. ":can adhoc using both` sequential -;(examining all records).--and Olit. conducts analysis. on several very' large economic 'explored in this project. This task requires tfie servzces of a database expert a, in;data basedesign evaluation. Estimated Effort 2-3 montlis/OP.D Contractor, .base. ls. APL-11 is written -in PDP ll Assembly. language -these modules wi3l: be written in.-t1ACRO-.ll -;to -interface-with ORACLE. The expert.; services of a.PDP-11 programmer, will be required.. interface -between'APL-11*.and:.the..ORACLE data base management system by developing and integrating with APL-11 a set of -_ module ;:,which allows an, APL. user -:to directly access.-the data analysts-is APL. ^` OER has recognized 'the,. efficacy of ..util i.zing APL with a data base management-. system. No current facility exists :within` RSX-11M, This -task will develop: an ,SUBJECT: OER Information Processing Requirements TASK 4 - Develop Testbed Economic Data Base Using. a subset of the UN Data 'Base, a 'testbed. economic Relational Data Base Management System. ..The ORD Contractor data base will be implemented and tested under the.ORACLE .work with these data base designs'to determine . their impact _plemented and evaluated for efficiency. OER.analysts will = results of Task 2, several data base designs will be.im- the ORACLE system to manipulate and manage data. Using the .will work closely with OLR.personnel to train them in using upon the user's perception of the data. Estimated Effort: ..4-6 months/OER Personnel, TASK 5 -.Extensions to-,APIS for Economic-Analysis.. During the APIS evaluation period, it.is quite likely that OER Personnel will determine additional-features to be required to develop these extensions.:-Additional funding;;: OER's needs. It is not possible : to :estimate : the?. effort possible for other potential users:..in:addition to .satisfyin - extensions will' be developed'. to have-a'5' ave. as- great a utility:s. to decide which ones shall be designed and.implemented,..;.Any-= be discussed with the ORD Contractor`and.:.the COTR.in'order? added to the APIS system software. Specific., features Will will be required to support the contractor,duringdevelop- mentof_these extensions. TASK 6 - Phase .11 Planning plan will provide an approach for evolutionary progress-from - date are interfaced to a PDP-ll family computer. ..:Thus,~this the planning team.. Most optical disk systems-'surveyed' to r % involved in this task, no contractors illbincruided.in Because of the proprietary -nature. of ;.he :technica].data storage facility for storing large economic-data bases.'- involve evaluation and acquisition of an optical disk mass. detailed project plan for Phase II efforts.. .Phase II 'will OER Personnel .and the Project .Officer' gill develop. a .r' Phase I. Y .~?, `~ .. 7 ... . . Approved For. Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573W00300220008-0 Approved For R ease 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573M00300220008-0 a SUBJECT: OER Information Processing Requirements Orig - Addee 1 - DD/ORD .1 - DPR Chrono .1 AC/IPB Chrono .1 - D/ODP - FYI 1. - ORD Re istr STATIJVTL. ORD/DPR/DD/SwT/ Approved For Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T0057300300220008-0 17 April 1980 MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Office of Research and Development FROM: Chief, Development and Analysis Center, OER SUBJECT: Joint OER/ORD Information Processing Project REFERENCE: ORD-160-80, dated 25 February 1980, Subject: OER Information Processing Requirements 1. Thank you for your response to our request for help with our information processing requirements. We would like to go ahead with the project you proposed. OER approved the project and will provide the money. Our administrative staff is drawing up the. papers. for the funds transfer (see Attachments). 2. The total amount to be transferred is $65,000. We under- stand we will receive the following in return: -- Hardware -one PDP-11/34 as described in paragraph 5 of the reference. -One Sanders Media 12/7 Printer. -One DZ-11 Multiplexer (8 lines). -One 800/1600 bpi tape drive. -One APL/ASCII video terminal. -- Software -A UNIX license. -An ORACLE/UNIX license. -An ORACLE/RSX license. -A "C" language compiler (RSX-11M version). -An APL-11 license (RSX-11M version). -A one-year maintenance contract for the entire system. Approved For Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0 Approved Fox e# se 2002/01/24 IA-RDP83T00573R000300220008-0 c~ con inued ~r+ -Additional hardware, software and contractor services in support of the.OER project in the amount of $49,000. (We assume ORD will spend at least 70 percent of the $65,000 transferred in support of the OER project. 3. We are planning to do much of the development work pro- posed for this project on "live" economic intelligence problems, to help produce finished intelligence. For example, we plan to develop the following: -- An interactive data base of information on inter- national arms transfers. We will evaluate primarily the analytical and presentational software by attempt- ing to produce "camera-ready" tables directly from the data base, and to integrate the tables with the text for our Trade and Aid Branch's annual intelli- gence handbook called Communist Aid to Less Developed Countries of the Free World. -- An interactive system' of petroleum engineering data.. With this application we will evaluate the ORACLE software by attempting to build a complex network of reservoir engineering data for our Petroleum Supply Analysis Center. We will further evaluate the presentational software by attempting to compile complex data input streams Crom.the data network to drive resource planning models. 4. We have already profited greatly from working with ORD to get this project started and are anxious to get on with the work. Please let. me know if there are any problems in starting work immediately. You should be notified of the funds transfer shortly. STATINTL Chief Development and Analysis Center Office of Economic Research Attachment: as stated Approved- For Release 2002/01/2A QA DP$3~,QO?AJLRQ003002200084 ---....,.........-. ,,;,;