IBM 4690 OS
Encyclopedia
IBM 4690 Operating System, sometimes shortened to 4690 OS or 4690, is IBM
's specially designed Point of Sale
operating system
. 4690 is widely used by IBM's retail customers to drive retail systems running their own applications as well as IBM's Application Client Server Environment (ACE), Supermarket Application (SA), General Sales Application (GSA), and Chain Drug Sales Application (CDSA).
It is the follow-on product to IBM 4680 OS, which had been in use by IBM's customers since 1986. The original IBM 4680 OS was based on either Digital Research
's Concurrent DOS 286 or FlexOS 286, developed in 1986 as a derivation of Concurrent DOS 286 and introduced in early 1987.
In July 1993 IBM adopted FlexOS version 2.32 as the basis of their IBM 4690 OS
version 1. FlexOS 2.32 supported 286 and 386 modes and had no limit on applications running concurrently. IBM continues to maintain their 4690 OS up to the present, with the most recent version in April 2010 being IBM 4690 OS version 6.2.
Retailers are using the 4690 operating system for their operations because of its many retail specific and reliability features. In addition to running on IBM hardware, third party vendors have taken advantage of the 4690 features on competitive hardware.
IBM provides a "Controller Matrix" document with a list of compatible IBM servers for use with 4690 OS as store controllers and controller/terminals. These servers represent current and formerly available devices which continue to be supported by 4690.
, these 4690 store controllers provide redundant backup using mirrored data files. Using a system of "master controller", "alternate master", "file server", and "alternate file server" designations, the controllers preserve data integrity and allow file backup in the event that a store controller fails and needs to be replaced.
A copy of the 4690 OS is maintained in each store controller. The 4690 POS terminals (registers) load a copy of 4690 from the store controller into memory when they Initial Program Load (IPL). The 4690 controllers provide terminal support in the form of terminal loading, price lookup, and transaction logging. Non-volatile memory
is utilized to ensure that data is not lost in transit from the terminals to the store controller. Terminals are assigned to a primary store controller, and that controller is typically backed up by another controller. If the primary controller fails, the terminals automatically access the backup controller, providing uninterrupted sales at the POS terminal. If both the primary and backup controllers are unavailable, the terminal can go into a standalone state, or, some of the applications are capable of supporting a "Terminal Offline" (TOF) state wherein terminals run offline using a terminal-based item file and logging stored within their own memory.
In order to maintain software at the store level, 4690 provides a software maintenance facility to manage updates. This facility provides checking to ensure that all updates have been transferred to the store, and the ability to apply the maintenance from store level commands or under central control. The updated software can be applied in "test", which preserves the prior software in case the maintenance needs to be backed off for some reason.
4690 supports communications to the store controller in several forms. including TCP/IP, X.25
, SNA
, and asynchronous communications.
, IPSec
, and enhanced operator security (allowing alphanumeric operator IDs, password complexity requirements, password expiration, etc.). This has helped its users address new security requirements from the credit card companies.
Another recent addition to 4690 was the capability to forward-store hardware- and software-level events to a Remote Management system to facilitate central control and monitoring. File integrity monitoring and lockdown of 4690s are becoming increasingly important due to recent breaches caused by malware-based threats.
4690 supports applications written in IBM 4680 BASIC (a variant of CBASIC
), Metaware High-C
, and Java
2. The Java language-based capability at both the server and the client, along with the extension of TCP/IP capability to the client, enables Java applications at both the server and client to run concurrently with existing CBASIC or C applications. Users can make functional enhancements to existing applications by developing a new Java application that communicates with an existing application.
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...
's specially designed Point of Sale
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
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...
. 4690 is widely used by IBM's retail customers to drive retail systems running their own applications as well as IBM's Application Client Server Environment (ACE), Supermarket Application (SA), General Sales Application (GSA), and Chain Drug Sales Application (CDSA).
It is the follow-on product to IBM 4680 OS, which had been in use by IBM's customers since 1986. The original IBM 4680 OS was based on either Digital Research
Digital Research
Digital Research, Inc. was the company created by Dr. Gary Kildall to market and develop his CP/M operating system and related products. It was the first large software company in the microcomputer world...
's Concurrent DOS 286 or FlexOS 286, developed in 1986 as a derivation of Concurrent DOS 286 and introduced in early 1987.
In July 1993 IBM adopted FlexOS version 2.32 as the basis of their IBM 4690 OS
IBM 4690 OS
IBM 4690 Operating System, sometimes shortened to 4690 OS or 4690, is IBM's specially designed Point of Sale operating system. 4690 is widely used by IBM's retail customers to drive retail systems running their own applications as well as IBM's Application Client Server Environment , Supermarket...
version 1. FlexOS 2.32 supported 286 and 386 modes and had no limit on applications running concurrently. IBM continues to maintain their 4690 OS up to the present, with the most recent version in April 2010 being IBM 4690 OS version 6.2.
Retailers are using the 4690 operating system for their operations because of its many retail specific and reliability features. In addition to running on IBM hardware, third party vendors have taken advantage of the 4690 features on competitive hardware.
Supported hardware
4690 supports a number of Point of Sale (POS) terminal devices, store controller servers, and combination controller/terminals. The 4690 documentation contains a list of supported POS devices, including devices that have been in use over 20 years. The family of IBM USB POS devices that 4690 supports includes keyboards, displays, and cash drawers. 4690 also supports other I/O devices that are designed to and conform to IBM's USB POS device interface specifications. IBM makes interface specifications available to third party vendors in order to aid them in attaching their devices with the POS terminals using RS485, RS232, and standard Universal Serial Bus (USB) I/O connections.IBM provides a "Controller Matrix" document with a list of compatible IBM servers for use with 4690 OS as store controllers and controller/terminals. These servers represent current and formerly available devices which continue to be supported by 4690.
Notable features
Perhaps the most notable feature of the 4690 OS is its ability to provide a "redundancy infrastructure". IBM designed the 4690 OS to work either as a single server, or with one or more other 4690 servers. These servers are commonly called "store controllers". When connected in a LANLocal area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
, these 4690 store controllers provide redundant backup using mirrored data files. Using a system of "master controller", "alternate master", "file server", and "alternate file server" designations, the controllers preserve data integrity and allow file backup in the event that a store controller fails and needs to be replaced.
A copy of the 4690 OS is maintained in each store controller. The 4690 POS terminals (registers) load a copy of 4690 from the store controller into memory when they Initial Program Load (IPL). The 4690 controllers provide terminal support in the form of terminal loading, price lookup, and transaction logging. Non-volatile memory
Non-volatile memory
Non-volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, NVM or non-volatile storage, in the most basic sense, is computer memory that can retain the stored information even when not powered. Examples of non-volatile memory include read-only memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM, most types of magnetic computer...
is utilized to ensure that data is not lost in transit from the terminals to the store controller. Terminals are assigned to a primary store controller, and that controller is typically backed up by another controller. If the primary controller fails, the terminals automatically access the backup controller, providing uninterrupted sales at the POS terminal. If both the primary and backup controllers are unavailable, the terminal can go into a standalone state, or, some of the applications are capable of supporting a "Terminal Offline" (TOF) state wherein terminals run offline using a terminal-based item file and logging stored within their own memory.
In order to maintain software at the store level, 4690 provides a software maintenance facility to manage updates. This facility provides checking to ensure that all updates have been transferred to the store, and the ability to apply the maintenance from store level commands or under central control. The updated software can be applied in "test", which preserves the prior software in case the maintenance needs to be backed off for some reason.
4690 supports communications to the store controller in several forms. including TCP/IP, X.25
X.25
X.25 is an ITU-T standard protocol suite for packet switched wide area network communication. An X.25 WAN consists of packet-switching exchange nodes as the networking hardware, and leased lines, Plain old telephone service connections or ISDN connections as physical links...
, SNA
Systems Network Architecture
Systems Network Architecture is IBM's proprietary networking architecture created in 1974. It is a complete protocol stack for interconnecting computers and their resources. SNA describes the protocol and is, in itself, not actually a program...
, and asynchronous communications.
Technology and software
4690 OS has been updated annually to address the needs of its user community and in anticipation of upcoming requirements. Most recently, 4690 Version 5 incorporated new security enhancements, such as SSHSecure Shell
Secure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client...
, IPSec
IPsec
Internet Protocol Security is a protocol suite for securing Internet Protocol communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet of a communication session...
, and enhanced operator security (allowing alphanumeric operator IDs, password complexity requirements, password expiration, etc.). This has helped its users address new security requirements from the credit card companies.
Another recent addition to 4690 was the capability to forward-store hardware- and software-level events to a Remote Management system to facilitate central control and monitoring. File integrity monitoring and lockdown of 4690s are becoming increasingly important due to recent breaches caused by malware-based threats.
4690 supports applications written in IBM 4680 BASIC (a variant of CBASIC
CBASIC
CBASIC is a compiled version of the BASIC programming language written for the CP/M operating system by Gordon Eubanks in 1976–77. It is an enhanced version of BASIC-E, his master's thesis project.-History:...
), Metaware High-C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
, and Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
2. The Java language-based capability at both the server and the client, along with the extension of TCP/IP capability to the client, enables Java applications at both the server and client to run concurrently with existing CBASIC or C applications. Users can make functional enhancements to existing applications by developing a new Java application that communicates with an existing application.
See also
- Digital ResearchDigital ResearchDigital Research, Inc. was the company created by Dr. Gary Kildall to market and develop his CP/M operating system and related products. It was the first large software company in the microcomputer world...
- FlexOSFlexOSFlexOS was a modular real-time multi-user multi-tasking operating system designed for computer-integrated manufacturing, laboratory, retail and financial markets...
- IBM 4680 OS
- IBM 4683IBM 4683The IBM 4683 was IBM's first PC based point of sale system. It was introduced in 1985. The system consists of a PC-based controller and thin client based POS workstations, typically with a token ring network. The system requires an IBM AS/400 server to be in the network. The 4683 is still used...
- IBM 4693
- IBM 4694IBM 4694The IBM 4694 was IBM's PC based point of sale system, successor to the IBM 4683 and IBM 4693. Introduced in 1991, the 4694 became a flagship model for the company's SurePOS system. The system consists of a PC-based controller , and POS workstations—typically an IBM keyboard and monitor, or touch...
- IBM 4695