Atlas fault logging

Scope and Content

  • (a). Line printer output of log tape, 7th April 1971.
  • (b). Store dump at 12:16:16 on 18/3/1970.
  • (c). More engineers’ print-outs.

These listings are contained in a buff foolscap folder marked in pencil as “Atlas sample fault logging/pm 1971 (disc)". During normal operation, Atlas periodically sent system monitoring information to a teleprinter and to a 7-track paper tape punch. The information was in compressed form. A day's run of this Log Tape could be printed out later on the line printer (as here) for inspection by the maintenance engineers. This particular Log Tape records incidents occurring in the period 09:16 on 7th April to 05:22 on 6th April. At the end is an analysis of computing time lost due to restarts (both automatic and manual). The Log Tape was also processed by an analysis program run by the Computing Service, from which end-users could be ‘charged’ for resources used by their jobs.