Grasp (software)
Encyclopedia
GRASP was a systems software package that provided spooling
facilities for the IBM/370 running DOS/VS or DOS/VSE environment, and IBM/360 running DOS
or retrofitted with modified DOS.
operating system
enhancement available for DOS, DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, and some third party DOS-based operating systems. Subsequent versions became known as GRASP/VS and GRASP/VSE.
It 'spooled
' (queued) printer and card data, freeing programs from being dependent upon the speed of printers or punched card equipment.
GRASP was the first such spooler for IBM
mainframes, and later had competition from IBM's Power
and DataCorp's The Spooler
. GRASP, like Spooler, could reside in an independent 'F0' partition).
and clones, which included:
and The Spooler
.
SDI was one of the earliest and most aggressive software marketing companies.
Spooling
In computer science, spool refers to the process of placing data in a temporary working area for another program to process. The most common use is in writing files on a magnetic tape or disk and entering them in the work queue for another process. Spooling is useful because devices access data at...
facilities for the IBM/370 running DOS/VS or DOS/VSE environment, and IBM/360 running DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
or retrofitted with modified DOS.
The product
GRASP was a mainframeMainframe
Mainframe may refer to either of the following:* Mainframe computer, large and powerful data processing systems* Mainframe Entertainment, a Canadian computer animation and design company* Mainframe , a 1980s Electropop band...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
enhancement available for DOS, DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, and some third party DOS-based operating systems. Subsequent versions became known as GRASP/VS and GRASP/VSE.
It 'spooled
Spooling
In computer science, spool refers to the process of placing data in a temporary working area for another program to process. The most common use is in writing files on a magnetic tape or disk and entering them in the work queue for another process. Spooling is useful because devices access data at...
' (queued) printer and card data, freeing programs from being dependent upon the speed of printers or punched card equipment.
GRASP was the first such spooler for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
mainframes, and later had competition from IBM's Power
Power (software)
Power was an IBM systems software operating system enhancement package that provided spooling facilities for the IBM/370 running DOS/VS, DOS/VSE environment, and IBM/360 running DOS or retrofitted with modified DOS...
and DataCorp's The Spooler
Spooler (software)
The Spooler was a systems software operating system package that provided spooling facilities for the IBM/370 running DOS/VS, DOS/VSE environment, and IBM/360 running DOS or retrofitted with modified DOS, such as TCSC's EDOS...
. GRASP, like Spooler, could reside in an independent 'F0' partition).
Software
The product ran under several DOS-related platforms:- DOS/VS
- DOS/VSE
- DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
- DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
clones, 3rd party or modified
Hardware
Hardware platforms included:- IBM/360 which ran Power
- IBM/370 which ran Power/VS
and clones, which included:
- AmdahlAmdahl CorporationAmdahl Corporation is an information technology company which specializes in IBM mainframe-compatible computer products. Founded in 1970 by Dr. Gene Amdahl, a former IBM employee, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu since 1997...
- FujitsuFujitsuis a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
- HitachiHitachiHitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
- MagnusonMagnuson Computer SystemsMagnuson Computer Systems was a manufacturer of IBM-compatible mainframes. The Magnuson M80 range was available from the late 1970s and enjoyed limited success at a time when IBM struggled to ship machines. The company declared bankruptcy in early 1982 after IBM fixed its production problems,...
- RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
F0
GRASP required a dedicated partition. With DOS having only three partitions and DOS/VS seven, giving up a partition to GRASP placed a crimp in practicability. The concept of F0 offered computers the availability of running the product without giving up a DOS partition. For DOS/VS and DOS/VSE versions, SDI re-engineered a version of Fx developed for DOCSDOCS (software)
DOCS, Display Operator Console Support, was a systems software package that provided video display for the IBM/370 running DOS/VS and DOS/VSE environments, and IBM/360 retrofitted with modified DOS, such as TCSC's EDOS.- The product :...
and The Spooler
Spooler (software)
The Spooler was a systems software operating system package that provided spooling facilities for the IBM/370 running DOS/VS, DOS/VSE environment, and IBM/360 running DOS or retrofitted with modified DOS, such as TCSC's EDOS...
.
History
GRASP was originally developed in Australia by Boyd Munro. Assisted by Peter Hargrave, Munro formed Software Design, Inc (known as SDI) and began selling first in Australia, then Britain, and shortly thereafter the United States, through SDI, Inc, a California corporation. The marketing manager and chief salesman was Gerry Novotny.SDI was one of the earliest and most aggressive software marketing companies.