The Cambridge Distributed Computing System is an early discontinued

distributed operating system A distributed operating system is system software over a collection of independent software, networked, communicating, and physically separate computational nodes. They handle jobs which are serviced by multiple CPUs. Each individual node holds a ...

, developed in the 1980s at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. It grew out of the

Cambridge Ring The term Cambridge Ring could refer to: * The Cambridge Ring (computer network) technology developed at the university of Cambridge, England * The Cambridge Five The Cambridge Spy Ring was a ring of spies in the United Kingdom that passed inform ...

local area network A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...

, which it used to interconnect computers. The Cambridge system connected terminals to "processor banks". At login, a user would request from the bank a machine with a given architecture and amount of memory. The system then assigned to the user a machine that served, for the duration of the login session, as their "

personal Personal may refer to: Aspects of persons' respective individualities * Privacy * Personality * Personal, personal advertisement, variety of classified advertisement used to find romance or friendship Companies * Personal, Inc., a Washington, ...

" computer. The machines in the processor bank ran the

TRIPOS At the University of Cambridge, a Tripos (, plural 'Triposes') is any of the examinations that qualify an undergraduate for a bachelor's degree or the courses taken by a student to prepare for these. For example, an undergraduate studying mathe ...

operating system. Additional special-purpose servers provided file and other services. At its height, the Cambridge system consisted of some 90 machines.

References

{{Distributed operating systems Distributed operating systems Discontinued operating systems History of computing in the United Kingdom University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory 68k architecture