Edson Hendricks
Encyclopedia
Edson Hendricks , an IBM computer scientist, developed RSCS
(later known as VNET
), fundamental software that powered the world’s largest network (or network of networks) prior to the Internet
and which directly influenced both Internet development and user acceptance of networking between independently managed organizations. Within IBM, the resulting network later became known as VNET and grew to 4000 nodes. In the academic community, VNET formed the base for BITNET
which extended to 500 organizations and 3,000 nodes. VNET was also the networking design underpinning EARN in Europe, NETNORTH in Canada, and USENET/UUNET at numerous universities.
. He graduated from MIT in June, 1967 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. He began graduate studies with networking pioneer J. C. R. Licklider
, but, impressed by the groundbreaking computer work being done nearby at the IBM Cambridge Scientific Center (CSC), he joined their staff in March 1968.
Hendricks left the CSC in July 1977, joining the IBM San Jose Research Laboratory. In 1983, unable to convince IBM management to support his networking ideas for joining VNET and TCP/IP, he left IBM and worked as an independent consultant for several years. He then joined the Linkabit Corporation, and later became one of the very earliest employees at ViaSat, Inc. in Carlsbad, CA.
He now lives in San Diego, CA.
Hendricks was rapidly promoted to systems programmer. When IBM added a 2250 video display to the 360/65, Hendricks looked for a project to learn how to program it. Upstairs in the same building, Steve Russell
had created “Spacewar!,” the first computer game, using a DEC PDP-1
computer. Hendricks wrote his own game, also named “Spacewar!,” which was the first computer video game to run on an IBM Computer. For several years, MIT used Hendricks version of “Spacewar!” at their Annual Open House, making it possibly the first video game ever to be seen (and played) by the general public.
At IBM, Hendricks worked with the team that had developed the world’s first virtual machine operating systems, CP/CMS
. A key problem with this new software architecture was finding a way to expand the functions of the system without significantly increasing the size of the hypervisor
(control program). Hendricks developed the concept of a service virtual machine, implemented in a simple communications system named CPREMOTE.
In 1971, Norman Rasmussen, founder and manager of IBM’s Cambridge Scientific Center
(CSC) , asked Hendricks to find a way for the CSC machine to communicate with machines at IBM’s other Scientific Centers. Hendricks and Tim Hartmann, of the IBM Technology Data Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, produced RSCS, which went into operation within IBM in 1973. RSCS was later renamed and released to IBM customers as the VM/370 Networking PRPQ in 1975. The importance of this subsystem as a component of VM is described by Creasy.
Meanwhile, in the fall of 1974, IBM announced System Network Architecture (SNA) as its official communications strategy. SNA was incompatible with VNET and with many of the networking ideas being developed for what would be called the Internet
, particularly with TCP/IP. Hendricks and others lobbied vigorously within IBM for a change in direction, but were rebuffed.
In 1976, MIT Professor Jerry Saltzer accompanied Hendricks to DARPA, where Henricks described his innovations to the principal scientist, Dr. Vinton P. Cerf. From that point on, Vint and other DARPA scientists adopted Hendricks’ connectionless approach. The result developed into the Internet as we know it today.
In 1977, Hendricks received an IBM "Outstanding Achievement Award," for the "VM/370 Networking PRPQ," and the IBM internal network.
In the late 1970s, VNET was much larger than the ARPAnet/Internet as measured in the number of computers connected. In 1981, when the ARPAnet began converting to TCP/IP, there were about 250 ARPAnet nodes and 1000 VNET nodes. Hendricks and others had proposed the interconnection of the two networks. Turing Award winner Jim Gray, then at IBM, thought the VNET/ARPAnet linkup would be "absolutely wonderful -- with no downside except security risks, which were containable." IBM management declined.
RSCS was sold as a product by IBM until May, 2008, when it was repackaged as an optional feature with the z/VM operating system.
RSCS
RSCS,the fundamental software that powered the world’s largest network prior to the Internet and which directly influenced both internet development and user acceptance of networking between independently managed organizations, was an acronym for the Remote Spooling Communications Subsystem...
(later known as VNET
VNET
VNET is an international computer networking system deployed in the mid 1970s and still in current, but highly diminished use. It was developed inside IBM, and provided the main email and file-transfer backbone for the company throughout the 1980s and 1990s...
), fundamental software that powered the world’s largest network (or network of networks) prior to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and which directly influenced both Internet development and user acceptance of networking between independently managed organizations. Within IBM, the resulting network later became known as VNET and grew to 4000 nodes. In the academic community, VNET formed the base for BITNET
BITNET
BITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
which extended to 500 organizations and 3,000 nodes. VNET was also the networking design underpinning EARN in Europe, NETNORTH in Canada, and USENET/UUNET at numerous universities.
Biography
Hendricks was born on May 22, 1945, in Lemoyne, PennsylvaniaLemoyne, Pennsylvania
Lemoyne is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lemoyne was incorporated as a borough on May 23, 1905. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 3,995. It was formerly named Bridgeport. Lemoyne lies across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital...
. He graduated from MIT in June, 1967 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. He began graduate studies with networking pioneer J. C. R. Licklider
J. C. R. Licklider
Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider , known simply as J.C.R. or "Lick" was an American computer scientist, considered one of the most important figures in computer science and general computing history...
, but, impressed by the groundbreaking computer work being done nearby at the IBM Cambridge Scientific Center (CSC), he joined their staff in March 1968.
Hendricks left the CSC in July 1977, joining the IBM San Jose Research Laboratory. In 1983, unable to convince IBM management to support his networking ideas for joining VNET and TCP/IP, he left IBM and worked as an independent consultant for several years. He then joined the Linkabit Corporation, and later became one of the very earliest employees at ViaSat, Inc. in Carlsbad, CA.
He now lives in San Diego, CA.
Technological Innovations
As an undergraduate, Hendricks visited the MIT student employment center where he was offered the position of computer operator, running an IBM System/360 model 65 computer.Hendricks was rapidly promoted to systems programmer. When IBM added a 2250 video display to the 360/65, Hendricks looked for a project to learn how to program it. Upstairs in the same building, Steve Russell
Steve Russell
Steve "Slug" Russell is a programmer and computer scientist most famous for creating Spacewar!, one of the earliest videogames, in 1961 with the fellow members of the Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT working on a DEC Digital PDP-1...
had created “Spacewar!,” the first computer game, using a DEC PDP-1
PDP-1
The PDP-1 was the first computer in Digital Equipment Corporation's PDP series and was first produced in 1960. It is famous for being the computer most important in the creation of hacker culture at MIT, BBN and elsewhere...
computer. Hendricks wrote his own game, also named “Spacewar!,” which was the first computer video game to run on an IBM Computer. For several years, MIT used Hendricks version of “Spacewar!” at their Annual Open House, making it possibly the first video game ever to be seen (and played) by the general public.
At IBM, Hendricks worked with the team that had developed the world’s first virtual machine operating systems, CP/CMS
CP/CMS
CP/CMS was a time-sharing operating system of the late 60s and early 70s, known for its excellent performance and advanced features...
. A key problem with this new software architecture was finding a way to expand the functions of the system without significantly increasing the size of the hypervisor
Hypervisor
In computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
(control program). Hendricks developed the concept of a service virtual machine, implemented in a simple communications system named CPREMOTE.
In 1971, Norman Rasmussen, founder and manager of IBM’s Cambridge Scientific Center
Cambridge Scientific Center
The IBM Cambridge Scientific Center, established in February 1964 by Norm Rasmussen, was situated at 545 Technology Square , Cambridge, Massachusetts in the same building as MIT's Project MAC...
(CSC) , asked Hendricks to find a way for the CSC machine to communicate with machines at IBM’s other Scientific Centers. Hendricks and Tim Hartmann, of the IBM Technology Data Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, produced RSCS, which went into operation within IBM in 1973. RSCS was later renamed and released to IBM customers as the VM/370 Networking PRPQ in 1975. The importance of this subsystem as a component of VM is described by Creasy.
Meanwhile, in the fall of 1974, IBM announced System Network Architecture (SNA) as its official communications strategy. SNA was incompatible with VNET and with many of the networking ideas being developed for what would be called the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, particularly with TCP/IP. Hendricks and others lobbied vigorously within IBM for a change in direction, but were rebuffed.
In 1976, MIT Professor Jerry Saltzer accompanied Hendricks to DARPA, where Henricks described his innovations to the principal scientist, Dr. Vinton P. Cerf. From that point on, Vint and other DARPA scientists adopted Hendricks’ connectionless approach. The result developed into the Internet as we know it today.
In 1977, Hendricks received an IBM "Outstanding Achievement Award," for the "VM/370 Networking PRPQ," and the IBM internal network.
In the late 1970s, VNET was much larger than the ARPAnet/Internet as measured in the number of computers connected. In 1981, when the ARPAnet began converting to TCP/IP, there were about 250 ARPAnet nodes and 1000 VNET nodes. Hendricks and others had proposed the interconnection of the two networks. Turing Award winner Jim Gray, then at IBM, thought the VNET/ARPAnet linkup would be "absolutely wonderful -- with no downside except security risks, which were containable." IBM management declined.
RSCS was sold as a product by IBM until May, 2008, when it was repackaged as an optional feature with the z/VM operating system.
Further reading
- IBM's missed opportunity with the Internet BY DAN GILLMOR, Mercury News Technology Columnist, Thursday, September 23, 1999, online at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-55912264.html, verified on 2011-09-19
- Leanne Jones, “It’s Cool To Be Clever, The story of Edson C. Hendricks, the genius who invented the design for the Internet,” Agio Publishing House, Victoria, BC, 2011 An illustrated chapter book of interest to all ages, unpaged. ISBN 978-1-897435-63-2. An enhanced "amplified" ebook iPad app based on this story, containing interviews and extensive background material on Hendricks and his innovations, is under development, scheduled for release in December of 2011 (you may find more information in the Blog http://whoinventedinternet.com).