NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

10 608

BROOKS BILL ISSUE STUDY

OF THE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

CENTER FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

NBS PROJECT NBS REPORT

1100954

and others

September, 1971 10 608

BROOKS BILL ISSUE STUDY

OF THE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

CENTER FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL BUREAU OF ST

for use within the Government, and review. For this reason, th< whole or in part, is not author Bureau of Standards, Washingtc

the Report has been specifically

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Approved for public release by the

Director of the National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST)

on October 9, 2015.

;s accounting documents intended

subjected to additional evaluation

listing of this Report, either in

i Office of the Director, National

y the Government agency for which

spies for its own use. <NBS>

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

CENTER FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

BROOKS BILL ISSUE STUDY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. SUMMARY

II. THE FEDERAL COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT - 1971

III. AUTHORITIES AND POLICIES TO IMPLEMENT THE OBJECTIVES OF

PL 89-306 (BROOKS BILL)

A. Legislation

B. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Fiscal and

Policy Control

C. Department of Commerce Policy Guidance

D. Office of Science and Technology (OST) Policies and

Author it i e s

E. Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) Policies

and Authorities

F. General Services Administration (GSA) Policies and

Authorities

G. General Accounting Office ( GAO ) Policies and Authorities

H. The National Science Foundation, the Office of Science

and Technology, and the National Bureau of Standards

I. The Computer Sciences and Engineering Board, National

Academy of Sciences - National Academy of Engineering,

and the National Bureau of Standards

IV. CCST GOALS

V. CCST PROGRAM

A. Computer Utilization

B. Specific Computer Applications

C. Teleprocessing

D. Supporting Exploratory Development
1

1

E. Supporting Scientific and Technical Advisory Services

F. Computer Services

VI. COST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

A. Introduction

B. Summary of Allocations of Effort

C. Accomplishments Matched Against Assigned Responsibilities

1. The CCST Standards Program

2. Scientific and Technical Information Services

Provided by the CCST

3. Computer Services

k. Hardware Design and Implementation

5. Scientific and Technical Advisory Services to

Other Agencies

6 . Software

ATTACHMENTS

1. Issue Study Charter

2. Bureau of the Budget Letter of April 7> 1970

3. Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Teleprocessing

Activities of the National Bureau of Standards and

the Office of Telecommunications (Draft)

U . Resources Needed for NBS to Assume Additional

Responsibilities for the Data Elements and Codes

Standards Program

5. NBS Letter of April 30, 1971 to the Comptroller

General of the United States

6. NBS-NSF Relationships
July, 1971

SUMMARY OF THE BROOKS BILL ISSUE STUDY

OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

1 . Statement of the Issue

The role of the National Bureau of Standards in Federal

automatic data processing operations was identified as a program issue by the Bureau of the Budget (now the Office of

Management and Budget) in a letter to the Department of

Commerce dated April J, 1970. Specifically, a study of the

following issue was requested:

What can be done to make the contribution of the

National Bureau of Standards more effective in

achieving greater efficiency and economy in Government ADP operations, as envisioned in the Brooks

Bill (P.L. 89-306)?

2 . Background

The Brooks Bill was enacted on October 30, 1965 , "to

provide for the economic and efficient purchase, lease,

maintenance, operation, and utilization of automatic data

processing equipment by Federal departments and agencies."

Under the law , the Office of Management and Budget was assigned

responsibility for exercising fiscal control and providing

policy guidance in the ADP area; the General Services Administration was made responsible for ADP equipment procurement and
2

maintenance functions ; and the Department of Commerce was

authori zed

(1) to provide scientific and technological advisoryservices to other agencies with regard to ADP equipment and

related systems;

( 2 ) to make appropriate recommendations to the President

concerning the establishment of uniform Federal automatic data

processing standards; and

( 3 ) to undertake research in computer science and technology as needed to fulfill the above responsibilities.

The Secretary of Commerce has delegated to the National

Bureau of Standards the responsibility for implementing these

provisions, except for recommendations to the President on

Federal ADP standards. Within NBS , this program is assigned to

the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology (CCST). The

Center reports directly to the Director of NBS.

In December 1966, the Bureau of the Budget supplied initial

guidelines to NBS for specific activities to be undertaken in

carrying out the Brooks Bill. The letter containing these

guidelines divided NBS work into five programmatic areas:

advisory and consulting services, development of voluntary

commercial standards, recommendations for uniform Federal

standards, research on computer sciences and techniques, and

computer service activities. Within these areas the BOB
3

recommended that priority emphasis he given to (l) developing

standards to provide for the compatible interchange of information and interoperation of systems and equipment;

( 2 ) standardizing computer programming languages; and ( 3 ) developing yardsticks for evaluating software and its effect

upon the performance of the computer system. Since late 1966

this set of guidelines has played a major role in determining

the main thrust of the NBS computer science and technology

program

.

3 . The heed for and Objectives of this Study

Circumstances which have led to a re-examination at this

time of the policy framework and program direction of activities

aimed at implementing the Brooks Bill include:

0 The rate of growth and of technological change which have

characterized the computer field in recent years. For example,

the total number of computers owned by the Federal Government

rose from 3,007 to 5,277 between 1966 and 1970. Much of this

growth is accounted for by ’’minicomputers," i.e., computers

costing less than $50,000. An almost non-existent commodity

in 1966, the Federal Government owned l,06l minicomputers in

1970. By 197^5 this number is expected to be in excess of

6,000. The most noteworthy developments, however, have come

in the field of teleprocessing —the joining of computer technology with communications technology to allow access to a
k

computer from a remote terminal or to allow computers to

converse with one another. In 1966, there were fewer than

20 operating teleprocessing systems in the Government. In

FY 1970, 1,100 computers and over 10,000 data processing

terminals were involved in teleprocessing-related operations.

Current estimates call for 5,500 computers and ^0,000 terminals (about 60 percent of the predicted Federal inventory) to

be involved in teleprocessing by FY 1975.

° The broad domain of computer services is presently

dominated by software and its management. Software, in this

sense, is the schemata which permits the successful use of

computing hardware and devices. Software management encompasses

all the procedures and principles upon which computer services

are dependent. Included among these are the serious and

worthy problems of computer system acquisition, computer program production, control and transferability, the legal and

proprietary rights of both buyers and sellers of software,

the economics of computer services, controls over information

in computer systems, criteria for computer utilization, and

the like.

° The issuance, on September 4, 1970, of the Executive

Order 11556 creating the Office of Telecommunications Policy.

Because of the very close relationship of data processing

technology to telecommunications technology already noted, it
5

is essential that NBS coordinate its responsibilities with

those of OTP

.

The need for a review of the policy guidelines provided

by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the light of

such new developments as those mentioned above. As no revisions or amendments to the original guidelines have been

proposed or issued in the last five years, changes should be

considered at this time.

° Major changes that have taken place in the NBS Center

for Computer Sciences and Technology in recent months. These

changes include the appointment of a new director for COST,

Dr. Ruth M. Davis, and a comprehensive reorientation of the

Center’s technical program and method of operation. These

latter changes occurred subsequent to the initial request for

this study.

With these circumstances as background, two objectives

were established for this study:

(l) To identify problems in Government automatic data

processing that affect objectives of tire Brooks Bill; and

related to these problems identify present practices, alternatives to present practices, resources required in and out of

NBS to implement the alternatives, benefits to be derived from

the alternatives, and risks or constraints involved in

alleviating the problems.
6

(2) Determine whether NBS or other agencies need additional authority or policy guidance, and what fact finding

studies, if any, are necessary to contribute to the reduction

of problems identified in (l) above.

k . NBS Findings and Recommendations: Authority and Policy

Guidance Problems

With respect to the question of whether NBS or other

agencies need additional authority or policy guidance to achieve

the purposes of the Brooks Bill, the following findings and

recommendations are made:

(1) No additional legislation is needed. The existing

provisions of the Brooks Bill are broad enough to permit a flexible response to new developments in the computer field as

they occur

.

(2) NBS effectiveness in implementing the Brooks Bill

could be improved by certain actions on the part of the Office

of Management and Budget, including:

(a) Transferring the responsibility for developing

standards for data elements and codes from OMB to NBS. This

change is already being contemplated by OMB as part of the

process of revising Circular A-8 6 (Standardization of Data

Elements and Codes). It would establish NBS as the single

responsible computer standards organization in the Federal

Government

.
7

(b) Further revising Circular A-86 or issuing a new

circular to cover agency responsibilities for computer equipment, techniques and software standards activities. Specifically, each agency should be assigned responsibility for

ensuring compliance with Federal standards in these areas.

The NBS role in this process should be explicitly stated, and

a reporting system should be established. The existing Advisory

Commi tt e e /Task Group system (FIPSCAP) for carrying out standards

functions has not been adequate to permit NBS to meet its

standards responsibilities under the Brooks Bill and it should

be augmented. NBS plans to do this with OMB concurrence.

(c) Preparing an updated revision of the December 15,

1966 policy guidance letter. Substantive modification is

needed to clarify and redirect the NBS role. The OMB is

already preparing a revision, and NBS should work in concert

with OMB to derive a mutually acceptable interpretive guidance

paper

.

(d) Establishing a reporting system under which

agencies would regularly report the extent of standards implementation for each of their individual systems and installations.

Such a procedure would provide the first real measure of agency

conformance to Federal computer standards.

( 3 ) NBS, in conjunction with the Office of Science and

Technology, should arrange for annual reviews of Federal research
8

in computer sciences and techniques as part of the annual

budget cycle. Provision was made for such reviews in the 1966

policy guidance letter, hut none has been held. NBS recommends that they be scheduled within the framework of the OST

spring reviews, with NBS organizing and sponsoring the process

under OST and OMB policy guidance. The reviews would help to

air problems of special concern to the Federal Government or

to several different agencies, would supplement agency research

efforts, and would identify continuing research and development

requirements in this area.

(4) Policy guidance should be issued which delineates the

relationships of the Office of Telecommunications Policy and

NBS in teleprocessing. Effective coordination of teleprocessing

efforts is needed. NBS has drafted a proposed Memorandum of

Understanding which delineates such responsibilities within

the Department and recommends issuance of this guidance. NBS

also recommends the issuance of the already drafted letter

from OTP to the Secretary of Commerce concerning the role of

NBS in teleprocessing.

( 5 ) No additional written authority or policy statements

are needed to permit close working relationships between NBS

and the General Services Administration.

C 6) A special de facto relationship exists between NBS

and the General Accounting Office with respect to GAO’s
9

ADP-ori ent ed reports. While no specific written guidance is

needed, NBS plans to assume a more active and more formal

supporting role in assisting the GAO in the preparation of

its report s

.

(7) Policy guidance should he issued ty the Office of

Science and Technology directing NBS and the National Science

Foundation to develop coordinated planning and guidelines in

the ADP area. The combined potential influence of NBS, with

its Fe derally -or i ent e d computer responsibilities, and NSF,

with its academically-oriented responsibilities, is very great.

This potential should be recognized and exploited. The

directives to NBS and NSF should be promulgated to all agencies

and should become an integral part of a Federal policy for

computer science and technology.

(8) The Computer Science and Engineering Board of the

National Academy of Sciences - National Academy of Engineering

should play a large role in assisting the Federal Government

to solve multi-agency computer problems. Inadequate resources

and inadequate Federal liaison prohibits such action at present.

NBS recommends that the Board be supported by the Computer

Center at some continuing level of effort to be agreed upon

by NAS-NAE , OMB and the Department of Commerce.
10

5 • NBS Findings and Recommendations: Program Plans , Alternatives and Benefits

Th e program of the NBS Center for Computer Sciences and

Technology, which has primary responsibility for the Federal

computer customer, is oriented towards developing and putting

into practice the procedures for quality control, operational

effectiveness, measurement of performance and businessacceptable methods of costing out alternative means of computer

application and utilization. It has been organized around six

principal program areas:

° Computer utilization

° Selected computer applications

° Teleprocessing

° Supporting exploratory development

Supporting scientific and technical advisory services

° Computer services

The most pressing Government ADP problems in each of these

areas has been identified, a recommended NBS program aimed at

meeting such problems has been formulated, and benefits which

might be expected to result from NBS efforts have been estimated where it was possible to do so. These findings and

recommendations are summarized below:

(l) Computer utilization : The most urgent problems in

this area include Cal the development of means for measuring
11

the performance of computer hardware configurations and

components; ( b ) software management, including determination

of the accuracy of software-produced data and validation of

software performance; (c) the development and implementation

of urgently needed standards or guidelines for programming

languages and input/output devices; (d) the development of

better methods for analyzing the costs of computer services;

and (e) improvement of the process used to select computer

services in the marketplace.

The need for computer hardware performance monitors is a good example of the type of problem NBS hopes to solve. After

20 years, there are only five devices, all of recent origin,

which can provide data on how various components of a computer

system are performing. And yet, the first tentative findings

indicate that a 25 percent improvement in computer utilization

can result from the use of performance monitors. Given the

current Federal computer inventory, this is the equivalent of

nearly $200 million in cost avoidance. The COST standards

effort j another part of this program area, seeks to resolve

problems of incompatibility that can be deterrents to effective

utilization of computers. Standardization of programming

languages, for instance, could help reduce programming costs.

A 5 percent reduction would save the Government $32 million
12

annually. Likewise , a savings of $66 million annually could

result from computer component standards that would permit a change in existing procurement practices.

In order to undertake new projects in the computer utilization area, NBS is recommending additional funding of $320,000

in FY 1973.

(2) Selected computer applications : The objective of

this NBS program is to ensure that adequate technical support

and developmental activities are available for those areas of

computer applications most important to the Federal Government.

Recommended projects in this area are characterized by a need

for cooperative efforts between NBS and the appropriate missionoriented agency. In particular, ADP problems are affecting the

quality of Government service in the following areas: health

care delivery services; welfare and medical payment services;

educational services, both in formal education and in continuing

education; law enforcement; mass transportation; and data

management systems.

Recommended NBS projects in this area, for which an

additional $170,000 has been budgeted in FY 1973, will attempt

to improve productivity in specific computer service applications

and to increase customer satisfaction with the service provided.

Through such efforts, it may be possible to realize such benefits as saving 30 percent of the $6 billion spent on information
13

handling within hospitals each year (a savings of $1.8 billion);

detecting crimes faster through computer-aided fingerprint

recognition; and lowering the costs of computer-assisted

instruction through the proper application of computer techniques.

(3) Teleprocessing : Teleprocessing technology involves

the techniques by which a variety of computer systems and

facilities might be joined through communications system and

facilities to enable the attainment of new and different applications and the accomplishment of ADP services on a more costeffective basis. It represents the most dramatic change in

computer utilization in the last decade. The NBS program is

comprised of research, measurement, testing, analysis, and

evaluation projects directed toward (l) understanding and

advancing teleprocessing science; and (2) applying new teleprocessing technology to make ADP facilities and systems more

cost effective and to achieve higher levels of information

management

.

Major problems include the extensive demand for larger

numbers of communications channels and wider ranges of service

offerings; concern over the threat to individual privacy posed

by the development of large data banks; and unresolved questions

of redundancy for data storage locations, physical survivability,

alternate communications routings, and interoperability

requirement s

.
ill

Program expansion of $250,000 is recommended for FY 1973.

Unless NBS can establish itself quickly as the Federal Technical

Coordinator for this area, a costly environment of uncertainty

and permissiveness will result. Therefore, proper NBS involvement represents potential direct dollar s aving s to the Government

that are immense. For example, a 10 percent reduction in

current hardware or clock time costs through better communications

would result in a saving of $60 million annually. Even greater

opportunities exist in the non-hardware oriented problem areas.

(4) Supporting exploratory development : Projects in this

program area are oriented toward anticipating and resolving

problems which will be confronting Federal computer customers

in three to five years. It provides the technical basis for

future computer utilization, applications, and standards work.

Projects have been planned in the following problem areas:

controlled accessibility to computer data banks; management of

unbundled software (e.g., the practice of pricing separately a manufacturer's products and services); emulation software

(e.g., the practice of using control programs on third generation computers to make them emulate second generation machines

in order to utilize existing programs originally written for

second generation computers); determination of software

effectiveness; information control; and testing and evaluation

of new computer languages.
15

Benefits in this area are difficult to pinpoint "because

most projects have long-term, rather than short-term, imoact.

The real objective of this work is to prevent the occurrence

of costly and technically difficult problems. Additional funds

amounting to $130,000 are recommended for FY 1973.

( 5 ) Supporting scientific and technological advisory services

NBS has recently redirected much of its work in this area so as

to put less emphasis on solving specific problems on an agencyby-agency basis. Instead, priority will be given to resolving

Federal policy-making problems in ADP and to solving problems

common to several agencies. Work in this program area falls

into five general categories: support to the formulation of

ADP policies; technology assessment and forecasting; support to

U, S. international activities in ADP; support to other Federal

agencies; and information services.

For the most part, NBS expects to be reimbursed for the

services which it provides in this program area. Although many

important opportunities exist, such as helping to formulate

U. S. policies on exporting and importing computer products and

services, it is generally not feasible to plan a scheduled

program for undertaking the work. No funding increases are

recommended in this area for FY 1973*

(6) Computer services : The purpose of this program is to

provide computer and related services to NBS, DOC and other
1

6

Government agencies. Except for the initial costs of developing

new services, this program is operated on a cost-reimbursable

basis. Primary emphasis is placed on the support of scientific,

experimental and developmental applications and on assistance

during the development and early implementation of new systems.

In FY 1973, an additional $120,000 has been recommended for

service improvements to NBS customers. These improvements

include computer support for laboratory experimentation; internal

data management applications; and better services to NBS users

who are adopting "advanced" Federal Information Processing

Standards

.

6 . Conclus ion

In response to the Office of Management and Budget’s request

of April 1970, NBS has reviewed its computer science and technology program in the light of existing needs, authority, and

guidance. Specific policy changes are recommended and NBS’

1972-73 program plans for meeting the highest priority needs

are identified. Benefits have been estimated where it was

possible to do so. Program expansion of $990,000 in FY 1973

has also been recommended.

In addition to the parts of the study summarized above,

the full report contains an assessment of the Federal computer

environment in 1971 (Chapter II) and highlights the major
IT

accomplishments of the NBS Center for Computer Sciences and

Technology during its five years of existence (Chapter VI )

.
*
II. THE FEDERAL COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT—1971

The computer field, more so than any other new technology in history, is characterized by explosive growth and rapid change. These

characteristics intensify the problems that are the daily concern of

the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology—problems of timely,

meaningful research, policies, practices, guidelines, and standards.

The phenomena of growth and change are of course apparent in the

Federal computer environment. In the five years since CCST was formed

the number of computers owned by the Federal government rose from 3007

to 5277 , as shown in table 1, and the distribution of computers by

size changed markedly, as shown in table 2.

Table 1

Government Agency FT 1966 FT 1970

# i # i

Atomic Energy Commission 256 8.5 754 14.0

Agriculture 28 .9 42 1.0

Commerce 47 1.6 73 1.0

Transportation 31 1.0 118 2.0

GSA 24 .8 27 1.0

HEW 45 1.5 96 2.0

Interior 27 .9 46 1.0

NASA 489 16.3 692 13.0

Treasury 58 1.9 77 1.0

VA 17 .6 41 1.0

Other Civilian 62 2.

1

112 2.0

Air Force 869 28.9 1210 23.0

Army 507 16.8 927 18.0

Navy 439 14.6 894 17.0

DSA 83 2.8 125 2.0

Other DOD 2£ .8 43 1.0

TOTAL 3007 5277
II.

2

TABLE 2

FY 1966 FY 1970

Category 1st GSA Inventory Latest GS A Inventory

# % # %

1

.

Less than $50,000 - 1061 20

2 . $50,000-$200,000 ll+05

(Less than $250,000)*

47 1737 33

3. $200,000-$500,000 715 2h 1203 23

($250,000-41+50,000)*

1+. ( $1+50, 000-$750, 000)* 288 9 - -

5. $500, 000- $1,500, 000) 283

($750 ,000-$l,500,000)*

9 818 15

6. Greater than $1,500,000 326 11 1+58 9

TOTALS 3007 5277

*Category applicable to FY 1966 only

.

The Federal inventory of 5277 forms Q.h% of the estimated

nat ional computer population of 62, 658 on J une 30, 1971. On a val ue basis, the national inventory was est imated to be worth

$20 .8 billion, making the Federal inventory $2 . 8 billion 13.5#

of thi s total

.

Minicomputers

The introduction and steady increase in the number of minicomputers

has been a significant factor in the past few years, as indicated by

line 1, table 2. It is estimated that by 1974 there will be over 6000

minicomputers in the Federal inventory. During this period minicomputer

prices are expected to drop at the rate of about 22jo each year, while

their performance should increase by about 40$ per year. The advent and

popularity of the minicomputer complicates the previous straightforward
II. 3

procurement practices, since for more and more applications a minicomputer will suffice by itself or in conjunction with other computers.

Despite its many advantages, the minicomputer is not a cure_all

.

At present, software for minicomputers has dragged even further behind

the hardware than has been the case for the larger computers. The software that is being produced, however, gives minicomputers the capacity

to support a dozen or more time-sharing users concurrently, a task

formerly requiring a much larger computer and higher cost. Because

of the limitations of the smaller minicomputers, especially in terms

of available peripheral equipment, extensive work is now underway to

provide software support (including assemblers, compilers, and simulators)

that are run on larger computers to produce minicomputer programs.

Manpower

The 1970 estimates of Federal and total computer personnel are:

Federal Total $ Federal

Computer operators 37,000 200,000 18.5

Programmers 19,000 200,000 9.5

Analysts 13,000 100,000 13.0

69,000 500, 000 i5T3

The Federal manpower fraction of 13 .8$ correlates closely with the

Federal value inventory of 13.5$.

The trained manpower base capable of contributing to the advance

of computer science is a small but increasing fraction of the total

shown above. Today there are 51 college/university computer science
II. 4

programs leading to a bachelor’s degree, 40 at the master’s level,

and 13 that award the Ph.D. The number of degrees granted over

the past few years is shown below

Degree Year Total;

1964-65 1965- 66 1966-67 1967-68 1968-69

BA 87 89 222 1*59 933 1790

MA Ik 6 238 449 548 1012 2390

Ph .D. 6 19 38 36 64 163

TOTALS 239 3^6 709 1043 2009

Even though the number of graduates is increasing

,

the current rati 0

of applications manpower without formal education in computer

sciences to those who have it is at least 100:1. This imbalance

is producing a drag effect on computer application and utilization

that will continue until a much larger percentage of the manpower

receives formal training.

Computer Support

The computer is unique in that it requires intellectual, engineering, and administrative support of unprecedented magnitude.

This support includes:

1. Procedures and regulations for accessing or using the

computer

2. Software, hardware, communications, and data standards

3. Input procedures, protocols, and formats

4. The supporting programming staff

5. The supporting administrative staff

6. The information control system and/or procedure established

in the organization

7. The computer services cost-accounting system

8. The common carrier transmission system interconnecting

computer systems

9. Quality control procedures
II. 5

Such support is expensive. A 1968 survey indicated that only 35%

of the cost of data processing was spent on equipment, while the

remaining 65% went for operations and programming. Efforts to

increase the effective use of computers within the Federal

community must necessarily consider as many of these support areas

as possible.

Software

The 32,000 programmers and analysts in Federal service cost the

Government an estimated $110 million in 1970. In addition, another

$182 million was spent for contract produced software, excluding

"program package" procurements. As the American ADP industry had

estimated gross sales of $700 million for contract and package

software. Government procurements form a significant fraction of

the total. The dollar volume of the software industry is now

greater than that of the hardware industry, and is growing at a faster rate. During the 1960’s there were interesting —and opposite

trends in software/hardware costs. The cost of producing a line of

code increased by as much as 50% during the decade, while the cost

of performing a data processing calculation decreased by at least

as much.

A large number of file and data management aids have been developed since 1966. These programming aids are designed to make a data base available to non-programmers, and to permit quicker, less

expensive implementation of management processing systems than is

possible with conventional languages.

An October 1970 survey identified 157 data/file management aids

and systems, 85% -of which were operational. Over 75% of the aids

were proprietary, but only 25% of the systems had been implemented
on more th.an one manufacturer's line of equipment. II . 6

An effect that software--or rather the lack of adequate

software --can have is that of nullifying advances in hardware

technology. An example is the situation of many third-generation

computers. Such computers, offering integrated circuits and more

output at less cost, were introduced in 196k, creating a major

market demand. But companion software to take advantage of the

technology was not ready for any hut the more routine applications.

As a result, many of the third generation computers in the

Federal inventory are emulating second generation machines, with

obvious losses of efficiency, capability, and money.

In an attempt to simplify software procurement practices,

GSA has already placed several programs or systems on their

schedules; an example is Quick Query. Other agencies have purchased packages for their own use; HEW has purchased MARK . IV

and any branch of HEW may use the package upon payment of an

installation fee. The Naval Medical Data Center recently contracted for the development of a COBOL compiler. Under terms

of the contract, the Navy will be able to make the compiler

available to any Government Agency having a suitable computer.

OMB is currently surveying 1600 Federal computer installations

with regard to operating characteristics and software. Survey

results are not yet available.

Teleprocessing

The development of time-shared or remote on-line systems is

probably the most dramatic change in computer utilization in the

last decade

.
II. 7

In 1966, there were fewer than 20 operating teleprocessing systems

in the Government. In FY 70 there were estimated to be 110 0 computers

and ever 10,000 data terminals in teleprocessing-related operations

employing data communications facilities. By FT 75 it is predicted

that at least 60$ of the Federal computer inventory will be involved

in teleprocessing operations—5500 computers and 40,000 data terminals.

The massive shift in the mode of operation of the majority of

Federal computer installations will result in a significant increase

in the complexity of both the hardware and software required and in

the procedures necessary for effective ADP management. New means for

measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of such systems must be

developed to assist managers in maintaining control of their more complex installations. This very fast-moving technology coupled with the

sharp increase each year in the number of systems necessary to support

teleprocessing will require effective evaluation of new equipment very

quickly and on a continuing basis.

Standardization

As would be expected of any enterprise that grew so rapidly, the

computer field faces a number of major problems. Some of the problems

(but by no means all) can be mitigated through standardization. The

assigned responsibilities of the COST include development of Federal

Information Processing Standards (FIPS), and dissimination throughout

government of information on all relevant standards. In fact, NBS,

ANSI, and the Electronics Industries Association are the principal
II . 8

groups in this country formulating computer standards. There are now

27 national voluntary computer standards, and FIPS. Of these, all

the FIPS and 23 of the voluntary standards were developed since 1966.

Fifty-seven PIPS and 54 voluntary standards are now under development,

the adoption of which should lead to Increased compat Ihility in

Government ADP

,

The selection of areas in which to pursue standardization requires

sensitive judgements. If trivialities are standardized the effort is

largely in vain, and care must be taken not to inhibit the growth of

computer technology through overly stringent standards.

Computer standardization has impacted the changes occurring In the

Federal computer environment, and the changes themselves have caused

redirection of the standardization efforts. The American National

Standard Code for Information Interchange was adopted as a Federal

Standard in 1968 (FIPS Pub l). This standard has had a direct impact

on teleprocessing, and will be used increasingly as the standard code

for data communications. The increasing use of teleprocessing, on the

other hand, requires new and additional standards for information

interchange with increased emphasis on standards for data management

and conventions, as well as data elements and codes.

The American National Standard for Recorded Magnetic Tape for Information Interchange was developed with NBS participation and was adopted

as a Federal Standard in 1968 (FIPS Pub 3). Using this standard^and in

conjunction with ANSI, NBS developed the Amplitude Reference Tape Standard that has provided the basis for the more objective centralized
II.

9

qualification of magnetic tape from multiple vendors with resulting

increase in tape quality and performance for the Federal Government.

Ihe advent of unbundling, and the proliferation of software vendors has

increased the emphasis on software programming and centralized validation and qualification of software packages, and has added new emphasis

towards the development of application program standards. By the same

token, the proliferation of independent peripheral equipment manufacturers, and the obvious cost advantages of competitive peripheral

equipment procurements, have not only changed procurement practices,

but have added new emphasis to peripheral equipment interface compatibility.
I
III. AUTHORITIES AND POLICIES TO IMPLEMENT THE OBJECTIVES OF

PL « 9 - 3 0'6 (THE BROOKS BILL) IN THE 1970's

This section reviews the authorities and policies governing

the NBS in its relationships to other Federal Agencies and organizations and to the Congress under its Brooks Bill responsibilities.

Background information is provided, accompanied by findings and

recommendations. In some instances, the findings or recommendations

are supported by discussions in other sections of the report. In

these cases, reference is made to the appropriate section.

A . Legislation

FINDING No additional legislative authority is needed to authorize

NBS to provide scientific and technical services directed towards

the "economic and efficient purchase, lease, maintenance, operation and utilization of automatic data processing equipment by

Federal Departments and Agencies . " ^ ^ Section lll.(f) of PL 89-

306 gives sufficient authority to the Secretary of Commerce to

support the scientific and technical objectives of the Bill.

In addition, it authorizes him to make recommendations ... ’delating to the establishment of uniform Federal automatic data

processing standards."

Support for this finding follows from the discussion in

Section II, The Federal Computer Environment - 1971 . In this

section, a number of the significant changes which have occurred

in the computer field since 19&5 are identified. These include

(l) Public Law 89-306 (Brooks Bill) dated October 30, 1965 .
Ill . 2

teleprocessing or computer networking, the spreading use of minicomputers and the proliferation of data management and management

information systems. Although none of these could have been anticipated in the Brooks Bill, its wording permits interpretation

which has allowed the NBS to address all of these changes in

computer technology and computer utilization.

B . OMB Fiscal and Policy Control

1 . General

Under the terms of PL 89-306, the authority vested in the

Administrator of General Services and the Secretary of Commerce

is made subject to "direction by the President and to fiscal and

policy control by the Bureau of the Budget" (Section lll.(g)).

The OMB has exercised its policy control through the issuance,

as of January 1, 1971, of five policy letters, memoranda and

circulars. These are:

1) Policy Guidance to the Department of Commerce (National

Bureau of Standards) in the Implementation of PL 89-306, BOB

letter dated December 15, 1966.

2) Policy Guidance to the General Services Administration

in the Implementation of PL 89-306, BOB letter dated May , 1966.

3) BOB Circular A-5^-, Policies on the Selection and

Acquisition of ADP equipment (October lb , 1961 ) and susequent

transmittal memoranda dated June 27, 1967 and January 7, 1969*
Ill . 3

b) BOB Circular A-71 s Responsibilities for the Administration

and Management of Automatic Data Processing Activities, March 6,

1965 .

5) BOB Circular A-86, Standardization of Data Elements and

Codes in Data Systems, September 30, 1967 • BOB Circular A-86 is currently in the proce

One contemplated change is of immediate import t

Under the terms of Circular A-86, the 0MB (BOB)

"provide leadership of a program for standardizi

and codes" for the Federal Government. The NBS

role (Section 7*C) of maintaining the several re reference files of data elements and codes. Thi

to the NBS responsibility (BOB letter of Decembe

recommending Federal Standards relating to ADP e ques and computer languages. The contemplated c to the BBS the additional responsibility for rec

for data elements and codes, as a transfer of as 0MB . RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the contemplated change to BOB

Circular A-86 be made, i.e., that the additional responsibility for

developing standards for data elements and codes be transferred

from the 0MB to the NBS.

The initial retention by 0MB in 1966 of this responsibility

was based on the predicted need for senior level policy coordination within Federal Agencies of these data element and code

standards. Sufficiently workable relationships have now been

ss of revision

.

o this Issue Study,

was directed to

ng data elements

has a supporting

gisters and

s was in addition

r 15s 1966) for

equipment , technihange would give

ommending standards

signment from the
Ill . 4

established by the OMB -within Federal Agencies to permit this

standards activity to be carried out by the NBS. Six standards

of this type have been issued as FIPS PUBS" (4, 5-1, 6-1, 8, 9,

10) since 1966. A plan for assuming this responsibility at NBS

including required resources is attached (Attachment 4).

The principal advantage to the transfer of this responsibility to NBS is the establishment of a single responsible

computer standards organization in the Federal Government. The

assumption of this new responsibility by NBS will be reflected

first in the FY 74 b udget . Its assumption prior to FY 74 will

necessitate either reprogramming actions or supplemental budget

requests although NBS has, since 1966, provided considerable

support for this function to the OMB.

2 . Policy Control in Federal Standards Activities

One of several means of achieving economic and efficient

utilization of computers is through compliance with standards.

In this way, compat ability and interchangeability of data,

programs, media and systems may be increased. The establishment

of standards was singled out for special attention in PL 89-306.

For this reason, it will also be addressed separately in this

report

.

The Brooks Bill authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to

"make appropriate recommendations to the President relating to

the establishment of uniform Federal automatic data processing

standards" ( Sect ion 111(f)). The Policy Guidance to the Depart-
HI.

5

ment of Commerce (National Bureau of Standards ) i- n the Implementation of PL 89-306, the guidance from OMB (December 15 , 1966),

recognized that standardization is a process which does not

terminate with issuance of the standard. It specifically states,

"Recommendations for Federal Standards will he transmitted through

the Secretary of Commerce to the Bureau of the Budget. Such

communications will include (l) a statement of purposes to he

served hy the standard, (2) an assessment of its prohahle economic

and technological impacts, (3) a summary of agency and industry

comments that were considered in the formulation of the recommendation, (4) a reference to applicable methods for measuring compliance with the standard, ( 5 ) areas for recommended application,

and (6) planning guidance for development of implementation

schedules in each agency." This same guidance directed the NBS

"to the extent feasible and desirable, develop and recommend

means for measuring compliance with Federal standards." Six

standards have now been submitted to OMB under letters of transmittal. Experience shows that planning guidance for agency

implementation schedules, areas of recommended application and

assessment of probable economic and technological impacts are

all client-oriented or agency-dependent subjects. Active agency

participation and contributions are essential.

The mechanism established by NBS for performing its Standards functions under PL 89-306 was a FIPS Coordinating
ill . 6

and Advisory Committee and ad hoc FIPS Task Groups. The FIPS

Coordinating and Advisory Committee serves as a vehicle for

coordinating the work assignments to FIPS Task Groups on

Information Processing Standards. The Task Groups review

proposed NBS actions and deal with specific standards problems

.

This Committee structure was set up by the Center for Computer

Sciences and Technology on May 12, 1969* As of January 1, 1971

there were seven such Task Groups.

FINDING This Committee/Task Group structure has not been adequate

to permit the NBS to meet its Standards responsibilities cited

in preceding paragraphs. As an advisory, coordinating and review

mechanism, its environment is too permissive. Agencies are not

bound by individual views of its representatives. Member agencies

have no assigned responsibilities directed upon their use or

compliance with Federal Standards. Neither do they have assigned

responsibilities for providing the information needed by the NBS in

carrying out its functions.

FINDING On the other hand, BOB Circular A-86 of September 30, 1967

did identify responsibilities for management of activities in

the Executive Branch relative to the development and application

of standard data elements and related codes in data systems.

Responsibilities were assigned so that 0MB could satisfactorily

discharge its standards functions. The 0MB function relative

to standard data elements and codes is essentially equivalent
Ill . 7

to that of NBS for computer equipment, techniques and programming

language standards.

RECOMMENDATION

Since BOB Circular A-86 is in the process of revision, it is

recommended that either (a) it he expanded to cover agency responsibilities for computer equipment, technique and software standards activities with the same degree of responsibility as assigned

for data, elements and codes, or that (b) a complementary OMB Circular be issued covering agency responsibilities for computer

equipment, techniques and software standards activities. In

either case, such an OMB issued Circular directive upon Federal

Agencies and Departments is considered necessary for NBS to

discharge its assigned Standards functions.

The principal omissions in present OMB policy statements which

need to be addressed in the recommended new OMB Circular are a)

assignment to Federal Agencies and Departments of specific responsibilities for ensuring compliance with Federal Information Processing Standards in computer equipment, techniques and programming languages; b) explicit statements of the NBS role (if any)

in the measuring compliance with standards as well as the success

of Federal Agencies in meeting their implementation schedules

for standards; and c) the necessary reporting system to be

established for measuring individual agency compliance with

Federal standards.
Ill . 8

FINDING

3 . OMB Policy Guidance for DOC (National Bureau of Standards ) The policy guidance issued "by BOB to the Secretary of Commerce

on December 15, 1966 is that under which the NBS is still operating.

The guidance document treats a) basic policy, b) advisory and

consulting services, c) development of voluntary commercial standards, d) recommendations for uniform Federal standards, e) research

on computer sciences and techniques, and f) computer services.

An important statement clarifying the position of the Secretary

of Commerce regarding the OMB interpretive policy guidance to him

is in a letter from the Secretary to the Director, BOB, dated

January 19, 1967- It reads: "I would like to emphasize my complete agreement with your thoughts that this policy guidance

document should be subjected to continuing review and change when

it becomes necessary. The Department of Commerce will make every

effort to accomplish its responsibility in this matter and will

not hesitate to suggest desirable changes."

This policy guidance of December 15, 1966 needs some substantive modification in terms of the role that NBS is assuming

or wishes to assume in meeting its responsibilities under PL 89-

306. Also, terminology of recent origin if introduced into updated

guidance would clarify the NBS role. The organizational position

of the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology (CCST) has changed

since 1966. It is no longer in the Institute for Applied Technology. In addition, the Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP)

has been established in the Executive Office: there are relation-
Ill . 9

ships planned between the CCST and OTP

letter. These new policy relationship

memoranda modifying the OMB Guidance o of a new letter of guidance.

FINDING The OMB is currently preparing it

guidance letter of December 15, 1966.

not covered in this

s can be covered by

f 1966 or through is

s own revision of th

gui dance

s epar at e suanc e

e policy

RECOMMENDATION

The DOC (NBS) should prepare an updated revision in line

with its' experiences and should work in concert with OMB in

obtaining a mutually agreed-upon updated interpretive guidance

paper. The target completion date should be September 1971 so

as to fit into the FY 73-7^- budget cycle planning.

b . Federal ADP Standards Reporting and Waiver Policy

FINDING A major problem in the Federal ADP Standards Process is the

lack of an adequate reporting system in the implementation by

Federal agencies of Federal standards. Currently, requests for

waivers to Federal standards are coordinated with NBS prior to the

granting of such by agency heads. This waiver procedure does not

provide a real measure of conformance of Federal computer installations to standards

.

RECOMMENDATION

What is needed is a reporting system in which agencies

report the extent of standards implementation for each individual

system and installation. Each Federal Agency would assume
Ill .10

responsibility for standards implementation by its constituent

organizations. Reports would be submitted on a regular basis

to the 0MB. NBS would serve as an appeal mechanism for Federal

agencies where technical problems are cited as a basis for

requesting waivers.

The standards reporting system would provide sufficient

information so that MBS can determine if standards are responsive to needs and what modifications or additional standards

are needed.

The NBS (COST) should develop with 0MB the necessary

Standards Reporting System within the next year.

C . Department of Commerce Policies

FINDING The NBS (COST) under its Brooks Bill statutory authority

has responsibilities in ADP that transcend those of individual

Federal Agencies. It shares this special role with 0MB and GSA.

On the other hand, the Assistant Secretary (Administration) of the

DOC has assigned responsibilities for ADP management within the

DOC. These are distinct from those of NBS (CCST). This combined

set of responsibilities places DOC in a unique position among

Federal Departments. It is imperative that NBS (CCST) and the

appropriate staffs of the Assistant Secretary (Administration)

maintain close and cooperative contact in their complementary

roles. The ability of the two organizations to do so has been

demonstrated

.
Ill .11

D . Office of Science and Technology (OST) Policies and Authorities

In the OMB policy guidance to the Deparment of Commerce (NBS)

of December 15» 1966 one of the assigned responsibilities is stated

as follows (Section D):

"An annual review of the accomplishments of and

programs for research in computer sciences and

techniques should be conducted with the Bureau

of .the Budget, Office of Science and Technology,

and other Government Agencies engaged in or sponsoring research in computer sciences to assess

accomplishments and to provide guidance to programs."

FINDING No such review has been held in the four years which have

passed. The OST has on several ocassions, on the initiative of

individual staff members, held informal reviews. The success of

such reviews is dependent upon a stated intent by OST and OMB

to use them as part of their decision-making machinery in the

annual budget cycle.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that NBS (COST) work with OST as lead

agency and OMB as support agency in formulating an "all-agency"

memorandum setting up these reviews as part of the annual budget

cycle. NBS should act as organizer and sponsor of these reviews

under OST policy guidance. They should be set up within the

framework of the OST Spring Reviews: the first one should be

held in the spring of 1972 and impact on the FY 7^+ budget.
Ill .12

An annual review is a necessary activity for NBS to

accomplish certain other of its assigned responsibilities under

its Brooks Bill authorization. Three of these found in the

December 1966 BOB guidance are:

M l. To supplement agency research efforts ... or to

provide solutions to problems of concern to several different

agencies

.

"2. To initiate efforts to solve large-scale and difficult

problems sufficiently unique to special needs of Government

that outside interests are not likely to undert ake ... action

.

”3. To identify continuing research and development requirements... in planning and coordinating R and D programs in the

area of the computer and information sciences and technology."

Thus far, neither the COST nor the OMB nor the OST has had the

necessary information on Government computer activities to

recommend, approve or undertake these responsibilities.

E . Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) Policies and

Author it i e s Executive Order 11556 dated September 1+

, 1970 established

the Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP), in the Executive

Office of the President, and delegated authority to OTP to:

"...Conduct studies and analyses to evaluate the

impact of the convergence of computer and communications technologies, and recommend needed actions

to the President and to the Departments and Agencies H
Ill .13

FINDING

PL 89-306 authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to "undertake

the necessary research in the sciences and technologies of automatic data processing computer and related systems;" this is

interpreted to include teleprocessing. BOB's December 1966

policy guidance to the Secretary of Commerce states that the

research activities of the Center for Computer Sciences and

Technology "will be directed primarily toward areas that give

promise to satisfying widespread needs within the Federal Government and that offer prospects for significant improvement s over

existing capabilities". Again, this is interpreted as including

teleprocessing. BOB's May 1966 policy guidance to the General

Services Administration in implementing PL 89-306 directs GSA

to explore various possibilities for enabling agencies to obtain

needed data processing equipment and/or services at reduced cost,

including "the establishment of central mult ipl e-ac c e s s computer

facilities (or utilities), building upon the research and evaluation findings of ‘the National Bureau of Standards..." Circular

A-5^» Policies on Selection and Acquisition of Automatic Data

Processing (ADP) Equipment, dated October 1^, 1961 , includes

under the scope of ADP equipment "data transmission or communications equipment that is selected and acquired solely or primarily for use with a configuration of ADP equipment which

includes an electronic computer."

No formal policy guidance has been issued which relates OTP's

teleprocessing authority and responsibility to those of the Department of Commerce, NBS (CCST) and GSA. Moreover, there is no

formal policy guidance which treats teleprocessing directly
Ill .lh

as a major new aspect of ADP management and utilization in the

Federal Government. Such guidance will clarify effective coordination of efforts between the Office of Telecommunications Policy

and the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology, and will

provide an updated frame of reference in teleprocessing for all

Federal Agencies. There is a general consensus already that

the NBS ( CCST ) should assume responsibility for necessary teleprocessing activities as appropriate under its existing charters.

RECOMMENDATION

The NBS has formulated a Memorandum of Understanding

delineating responsibilities for teleprocessing technology

within DOC which could serve as a basis for such new policy

(see Attachment 3). This Memorandum of Understanding should

be officially promulgated by the Director, NBS? with the concurrence of the Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology,

DOC . In addition, the letter now in draft form from OTP to the

Secretary of Commerce, delineating relationships between OTP

and NBS, should be issued so as to further clarify responsibilities .

F . The General Services Administration (GSA) Policies and

Authorities

The GSA and the NBS have special relationships under the

provisions of PL 89-306. Further policy guidance to the GSA

has been provided in a BOB letter dated May k , 1966. In that
III. 15

letter, GSA is asked to explore... "4. The establishment [under

the ADP Revolving Fund] of central multiple-access computer

facilities (or utilities) building upon the research and evaluation findings of the National Bureau of Standards, Department of

Defense, and other agencies on the effectiveness of such systems."

In addition, in the December 1966 BOB policy guidance to the

Secretary of Commerce, two specific guidelines identify special

interrelationships between GSA and NBS (COST). These are:

"...direct working relationships will be maintained

among the Center... and the Office of Automated Data

Management Services of the General Services Administration. Among the means to be employed for extensive

coordination with the using agencies are the Federal

ADP Advisory Council and the Interagency Committee on

ADP . "

The Center will: "5. Provide guidelines, criteria

and techniques for evaluating and selecting equipment

and related software, giving priority emphasis to

criteria for measuring the effectiveness and efficiency

of software. Data on this subject will also be furnished

to GSA for consideration in the procurement of computers."

The Director, CCST, is a member of the Federal ADP Advisory

Council. The Deputy Director, CCST, has been made (April 1971)

an associate member of the "Interagency Committee on ADP."

Committee membership for DOC is held by the ADP Planning Officer.
Ill .16

FINDING No additional written authority or policy statements are

needed to permit needed close working relationships between

GSA and NBS

.

The NBS (COST) is planning to assume new hut authorized

responsibilities for selected software validation services.

Funding for these services when they become operational will

be requested from other agencies and software/equipment suppliers

Initial funding for development of these validation services is

a candidate for assistance from the ADP Revolving Fund of GSA.

The Fund has not yet been used for such purposes. The NBS,

GSA, and OMB should initiate such activities as soon as possible.

If changes must be made in the rules governing its use to permit

this funding, it is recommended that OMB and GSA authorize them.

Initial contact was made on this subject by COST in March 1971*

C . The General Accounting Office ( GAO ) Policies and Authorities

The General Accounting Office occupies a unique position in

its responsibilities for informing Congress of the status of

ADP activities in the Executive Branch. It further impacts

heavily on ADP activities of the Executive Branch through its

audits, surveys, findings and recommendations. Since passage

of the Brooks Bill, major reports issued by GAO in ADP topics

include

a. Report to the Congress, Maintenance of Automatic

Data Processing Equipment in the Federal Government , by

the Comptroller General of the United States, April 3,

1968 .
Ill .17

b. Report to the Congress, Study of the Acquisition

of Peripheral Equipment for Use with Automatic Data Processing Systems , by the Comptroller General of the United

States, June 20, 1969 • RECOMMENDATION

The NBS (CCST) also has an Executive Branch-wide responsibility

under the Brooks Bill. As a result, GAO and NBS have a de facto

special relationship. GAO generally singles out NBS in most of

its ADP-oriented reports: in turn, it relies on NBS for technical support and advice in preparing many of its reports.

FINDING No specific statements of authority or policy governing the

special relationships of GAO and NBS should be documented.

However, more formal correspondence should govern the

supporting role NBS is attempting to assume with the GAO. This

more active, formal role is exemplified by two recent activities

accompanied by formal correspondence, i.e., the technical advisory

role assumed by NBS at the request of GAO in reviewing the Undergraduate Navigation Training System procurement action of the

Air Force, and the assigned responsibility of the NBS in

determining the need for interface standards as a possible means

for less costly procurement of peripheral ADP equipment. The

referenced correspondence is available at NBS. The NBS intends

to continue this more active formal interrelationship unless

otherwise directed.
Ill .18

H . The National Science Foundation, the Office of Science and

Technology and the National Bureau of Standards

The Director, NBS , has recently adopted a new, realistic and

more comprehensive policy for working with the National Science

Foundation (see Attachment 6). This policy is particularly

important to the COST because of the eminent role played by NSF

in sponsoring computer sciences in the academic community.

The NSF, principally through its Office of Computing Activities, sponsors most of the computer science and technology projects in academia. The NSF program could be a major catalyst in

the United States for accomplishing important objectives in

computer sciences.

FINDING The NBS (CCST) with its federally-oriented computer responsibilities and the NSF with its academic-oriented responsibilities

form a team with no peers in its potential influence on computer

science and technology and computer utilization in this country.

Thus far, relationships between NBS and NSF have been friendly

and informal but with no joint planning or coordination efforts

underway

.

RECOMMENDATION

The NBS (COST), with NSF concurrence, should request OST to

formally recognize the combined potential of NBS and NSF in the

computer field. This formal recognition should be in the form

of policy guidance directive upon NBS and NST to develop coordinated planning and guidelines. It should be promulgated to all
III. 19

Federal Agencies and should become one tenet of a Federal policy

for computer science and technology.

I . The Computer Science and Engineering Board ( CSEB). of the

NAS-NAE and the National Bureau of Standards

The Computer Science and Engineering Board was established

in 1969 to provide assistance to Federal Agencies in its domain

of competence. Its funding has been primarily from the DOD

(ARPA). Until 1971 no working relationships existed between

the CSEB and the NBS . Now the NBS has provided funding to the

Board and has asked for its assistance in several important

areas. (See Attachment 5 for one of these areas.)

FINDING The CSEB with its members and consultants should play an important role in assisting the Federal Government in computeroriented problems besetting more than one agency. It should be

performing this role in close conjunction with the CCST and its

assigned responsibilities. The CSEB is presently unable to work

in this manner because of inadequate resources and inadequate

liaison with Federal Agencies.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the CCST support the CSEB at some

continuing level of support agreed upon by NAS-NAE, OMB and

DOC. The CCST and CSEB should through OMB and OST select high

priority problem areas for CSEB attention. The CSEB should then

utilize avaiable funds (with additional requests to individual

agencies as required) to address these high priority problem

areas. The CCST should use its authorities to effect the suggested improvements in the Federal Government in conjunction

with OMB, OST and GSA

.
- 1

'

\ fa
IV. GOALS -OF .TEE CEUTER FOP COMPUTES SCIENCES AND TFCHNnT.nnv

In broad terms, the goals of the COST are to fulfill the

requirements of the Brooks Bill and the NBS organic act of 1901.

The specific purpose of the Brooks Bill ( PL 89-306) is "to

provide for the economic and efficient purchase, lease, maintenance, operation, and utilization of automatic data processing

equipment by Federal Departments." In addition to the major role

devolving on COST as a result of this quotation, a subsection of

the Bill deals directly with COST responsibilities:

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized (l) to provide

agencies, and the Administrator of General Services in

the exercise of the authority delegated in this section,

with scientific and technological advisory services

relating to automatic data processing and related systems,

and (2) to make appropriate recommendations to the

President relating to the establishment of uniform

Federal automatic data processing standards. The Secretary

of Commerce is authorized to undertake the necessary research in the sciences and technologies of automatic data

processing computer and related systems, as may be required

under provisions of this subsection.

In order to clarify the functions and responsibilities of

CCST under this law, the Bureau of the Budget provided a Policy

Guidance paper for the Secretary of Commerce in December 1966.

This paper provided initial guidelines for actions to be taken

in the areas of:

Advisory and Consulting Services

Development of Voluntary Commercial Standards

Recommendations for Uniform Federal Standards

Research on Computer Sciences and Techniques

Computer Services
IV. 2

In recognition of the rapid change that is so characteristic of

computer technology, the letter transmitting the Policy Guidance

recognized the need for "continuing review" of the document.

Review is also an important process within the COST, and

has resulted in the recent formulation of a reoriented Center

program having six major technical elements:

Computer Utilization

Teleprocessing

Computer Services

Specific Computer Applications

Supporting Exploratory Development

Scientific and Technological Advisory Services

Each element is the outgrowth of CCST responsibilities under the

Brooks Bill and the 1901 organic act, amplified by both the

Policy Guidance paper and the needs of the evolving Federal

computer environment.

The acquisition of a computer, no matter its size, speed,

and capabilities, is in itself no guarantee that it will serve

a useful end. For a computer can operate perfectly as an

electronic device and still not perform the function for which

it was obtained. The program element arising from this fact,

Computer Utilization, is a direct response to the purpose of the

Brooks Bill. In its efforts to achieve "economic and efficient,

utilization" of ADP equipment, the CCST will concentrate on the

areas of standardization (another direct requirement of the Bill

and the BOB directive), performance measurement, software management and cost analyses of computer services.
IV. 3

The rapid growth of teleprocessing is a major feature of

the Federal computer environment. In order to achieve the

economies inherent in teleprocessing, and required by the Bill,

the COST is concentrating on four major areas in teleprocessing:

Federal teleprocessing technical management (formulation of policy

and regulation recommendations); Teleprocessing system design;

Teleprocessing system evaluation; and Teleprocessing system

applicat ions

.

The provision of Computer Services to the rest of the NBS

staff, and to other Government Agencies, is both a logical

function of the Center and a requirement under the Policy Guidance

paper. It is also required under the Brooks Bill for such services promote the efficient use of CCST computer facilities and

capabilities. Activities to be pursued under this element include

high quality computer and applications programming for other

agencies; improved support for NBS laboratories; system modernization; support for standards development; and computer support

for experiments in performance measurement, program validation,

etc . The Center will also concentrate on Specific Computer Applications. Again, work in this area is required by a specific

citation in the Policy Guidance, and by the stated purpose of

the Brooks Bill. Several areas have been identified for which

the Government has a major share of the responsibility, within
IV. k

which major problems do exist, and to which proper computer application can make a significant improvement. Examples are health

care delivery, law enforcement, mass transportation, and many

others

.

The Policy Guidance paper also calls for the Center to "undertake research and development activities ... orient ed primarily

toward Government application." This requirement led to development of the next program element , Supporting Exploratory Development . Within this framework, the Center will concentrate efforts

on the removal of specific deterrents to the effective application

of computer technology. Areas identified for attention are

development of methods for insuring privacy and development of

techniques for software management among others.

The last program element, Scientific and Technological Advisory Services, is also called for under the law and the Policy

Guidance. A large number of agencies have been and will be served

on a wide variety of problems. For example, the U.S. Office of

Education was assisted in the evaluation of computer-related

education research programs; the Post Office was helped with a time-sharing system used to direct mail to servicemen overseas;

an automatic accounting system was developed for the Agricultural

Research Service; and many agencies have been assisted in the

development of procurement specifications for computer systems.
IV. 5 This type of assistance can only he expected to increase as more

and more agencies turn to computer usage, and as the reputation

of the Center for service of this type becomes more widely known.
* . 4
V. THE C C ST PROGRAM

One of the hallmarks of computer technology today is that

it is a technology of services rather than of goods. The

customers for computers are interested in the services their

computer systems will provide. Their interest in computer

hardware is secondary. So also is their interest in the

individual programs written for computers.

In this context, the computer is atypical as a product of

technology because in order to have widespread utility it must

be integrally imbedded in a surrounding environment of supporting

services. The computer is not free-standing. It can function

perfectly as an electronic device and still not serve the function

for which it was acquired. Satellites, missiles, and television

have associated engineering and technician industries. But there

is no satellite software industry and no miss-ile programming field.

If a viewer does not like the TV program he is watching, he does

not turn in his TV set for another. But a customer who does not

like the output of his computer system is likely to replace both

his computer and his programs. As a result of these characteristics, computer science and technology have had to address the

problems of the computer customer in a more intensive manner

than have most other sciences and technologies which have concerned themselves primarily with their instruments or machines.
Computer science and technology ha^e thus polarized around

two centers -- the computer and the customer. This polarization

has highlighted the very difficult area of interface between

customer and computer: and much of computer technology has had

to he directed at this interface area. The formal focus of

computer science and technology resultantly is three faceted:

computer-oriented, customer-oriented, and man-computer problemoriented. The direction of the technology is often set by the

problems of linking customer to computer rather than by the

objective of improving its product per se, namely, the computer.

The problem of linking customer to computer again highlights

the services provided by computers. Computer services are dependent

upon what has become known as the technological supporting system

for computer technology. This system is made up of all the legal,

economic, administrative, ethical, and intellectual arrangements

through which a technology becomes available to its customers and

is subjected to social controls.

The program of the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology (COST) is directed towards the large objective of ensuring

that computer services meet the needs of their customers and

that the computer technology supporting system keeps pace with

computer technology itself. The group for which the

Center has primary responsibility is the Federal computer

customer. The impact of the Center’s program will also be
strongly felt by state and local governments and by customers

utilizing computers for society-oriented projects; e.g.,

continuing education, patient care and diagnosis, improved

safety in dangerous operations such as mining, electrical

power network control, etc.

The program of the Center is thus not one which is directed

towards laboratory benchwork, isolated innovation or enlightened

tinkering. Eather, it is oriented towards developing and putting

into practice the procedures for quality control, operational

effectiveness, measurement of performance, and business-acceptable

methods of costing out alternative means of computer application

and utilization.

The broad domain of computer services is presently dominated

by software and its management. Software, in this sense, is the

schemata which permits the successful use of computing devices.

Software management encompasses all the procedures and principles

upon which computer services are dependent. Included among these

are the serious and worthy problems of computer system acquisition,

computer program production, control and transferability, the

legal and proprietary rights of both buyers and sellers of software, the economics of computer services, quality control of

computer services, controls over information in computer systems,

criteria for computer utilization, and the like.
There is no question hut that today in the United States,

the world’s greatest software producer, there is more quality

control in the shoelace industry than in the computer service

industry. Foresight and thought have been remarkably lacking

in the adoption of computer procurement practices by the

Federal Government. The use of standards as a means of

rational bargaining for computer services by customer and

seller has been diverted to "head counts" of the number of

standards that can be developed in a given period of time.

If automation is to continue to be one of the country’s and

the Federal Government’s greatest sources of improvement in

productivity and services, then computers, which epitomize the

highest degree of automation, deserve serious and concentrated

att ent ion.

The program of the CCST has been organized around six

principal program areas which are intended to reflect the more

important facets of computer services as they can be impacted

upon by computer sciences and technology. These are:

Computer Utilization

Selected Computer Applications

Teleprocessing

Supporting Exploratory Development

Supporting Scientific & Technical Advisory Services

Computer Services

The following six sections will treat each of these program

areas individually. Emphasis is on a discussion of the most
v -5

relevant features of each area. Examples are provided and in

many instances cost or utility "benefits to the customers are cited.

The description of the program area is tied to the FY 72 and FY 73

budget submissions through budget tables at the end of each section.

In addition, selected products, levels of effort or services

achievable in FY 72 and FY 73 are isolated for clarity.

The COST prepared a comprehensive Program Review Document

in February, 1971. It contains detailed descriptions and funding

data for each project in the COST Program. The contents of this

document are not duplicated here. It is, of course, available

from NBS . However, the following six sections, although less

detailed than their counterparts in the Program Review Document,

are self-contained as descriptions of the principal program

areas of the COST.
A. COMPUTER UTILIZATION

This area is comprised of the scientific and technological

projects which are directed towards the effective provision of

computer services per se and are generally independent of applica

tion and of customer.

For example, measurement of computer performance, software

performance, and system performance is a function of the computer

configuration, the software in use, and system operating practice

It is not significantly affected by whether the customer is the

Social Security Administration or the Federal Highway Administration.

In this vein, the more important contributing factors to

effective computer utilization can be identified as:

1. Means for measuring the performance of computer hardware

configurations and components

2. Software management including the accuracy of software

produced data and software validation

3. The development and implementation of standards

h. The analysis of costs of computer services

5* The process employed for selecting computer services

in the marketplace
V.7

1 . Hardware Performance Monitors

Presently, the computer industry has few meters or gauges

for measuring hardware performance. After twenty years, there

are only some five computer hardware monitors which can

provide data on how various components of a computer system are

performing. These have been built, generally, within the last

five years. And yet, first tentative findings show that a 25%

improvement in computer utilization can be expected from simple

changes apparent from primitive analyses of the data produced

by these hardware monitors. Grossly, this means a 25 % decrease

in the cost of computer services provided by a given installation.

For an installation using a computer which sells for $1.5M, e.g.,

a UNIVAC 1108 or an IBM 360 / 6 5 , "with an annual operating cost of

$1.68M, this could mean up to a $U20K annual savings. There

are about ^-58 of these computers in the Federal Government or

9.0% of all computers tallied in the GSA computer inventory.

The total gross savings to the Federal Government through this

type of performance measurement could thus amount to $192. 3M.

There are no procedures, standards, evaluations nor comparisons of these means of computer performance measurement yet

developed for Federal customers. Both by the NBS organic act

of 1901 and its Brooks Bill Charter, the CCST has the responsibility

for such functions. No other agency has related responsibilities
V. 8

other than for its own mission-oriented applications: and this

type of measurement should he application independent. If not

assumed by the NBS , performance measurement practices yielding

2 5% savings in computer services will not be employed by Federal

customers

.

2 . Software Management

Software management is a term of recent origin which has not

been precisely defined. It may be broadly interpreted as the

process of managing and controlling those discrete stages of

sotware systems development, application and utilization known

as selection, documentation, maintenance, validation, cost and

amortization, and performance measurement. Software management

involves production and technical control procedures of the same

magnitude as has hardware management. No one has yet paid adequate

attention to software management. However, it is through software

management that a whole new dimension of efficiency is opened to

customers of computer services. Software management is unfortunately

becoming increasingly complex since, customers, along with having

no exnerience, are now confronted with many alternatives in software product s

.

Until quite recently customers had few such alternatives

available when it came to software. Most users with business

applications had only COBOL and assembly-type programming languages

from which to choose. Users with scientific and engineering

applications had FORTRAN along with a number of high level

language translators for selection.
Software is now being developed by computer manufacturers,

computer users, independent software producers, research institutions, and universities among others. The customer's selection

problems, utilization problems, costing problems, are complicated

and are further compounded by lack of measuring sticks or product "guarantees” by the seller.

When one realizes that initial software costs invariably

equal hardware costs for any application and that for a majority

of applications initial software costs are estimated to run

three to eight times hardware costs, the urgency of addressing

problems of software management is underscored.

The aspects of software management considered in subsequent

paragraphs include:

a. Accuracy of Software Produced Data

b. Software Validation

COBOL Validation

Other Validation Services

a . Accuracy of Software Produced Data

All customers of computer services want and generally

assume that the numerical results produced by their computers
•10

are accurate. Indeed, the determination of the accuracy of

programs, .such as, gay, the widely used FORTRAN programs for

computing the correlation coefficients for a given set of

data, is independent of whether the application is analysis

of aircraft traffic patterns or the distribution of crimes

among cities in the United States. Because of questions

concerning the accuracy of such numerical techniques the

COST and the Applied Mathematics Division in a combined

effort have developed projects to test the accuracy of

the many numerical analy s i s -type programs used by Federal

customers as well as all consumers of computer services.

Results thus far have been dismaying in the sense of displaying inaccuracies in software produced and sold by industry

and bought in good faith by computer customers. For example,

validation tests on 27 computer programs for finding least square

representations of data showed that all those based on elimination

algorithms give poor results, some totally unacceptable. Four

different computer systems were used and the programs tested were

from the UCLA Biomedical Computer Programs collection, the C-E-I-R

Computer Services Library, the IBM Share Library, the System 360
V 1 11

Scientific Subroutine Package, the UNIVAC Math-Pack and STATPack collections, and MIT's Project MAC 709^ disc files.

As one Congressman who wrote to the Director of the Office

of Management and Budget expressing his concern said, "In light of

the fact that many important policy decisions within the Executive

Branch are made on the Basis of computer analyses utilizing subroutines of this nature and that the Congress is asked to enact

legislation or appropriate money in reliance upon such analyses,

I believe it would serve a highly useful purpose ... to determine

whether there is danger in the development of policy or in the

making of important decisions based upon the results of such

programs .

There is, of course, danger in using inaccurate data. The

danger is not quantifiable in monetary units. Rather, the loss

of confidence in computer-produced results could topple the entire

existing structure of computer-based systems within the Federal

Government. It is urgent that formal software validation procedures be developed and put into practice for assessing the

accuracy of software-produced numerical data.

Only the NBS , as the nation's resource in measurements and

with its responsibility for ensuring equity in the marketplace,

has both the competence and the necessary liaison with the computer

industry to perform this measurement task. Every one of the
V.12

approximately 5^00 Federal computer installations is affected "by

this deficiency in software management -- and is affected on a daily basis

.

t . Software Validation

Software validation services, in their totality, are an

essential ingredient for effective computer utilization. None

exist today. Software validation is the process of determining

to what extent the given software conforms to certain stated

conditions or requirements. Software certification is the

result of a software validation process. It is the act of

designating which stated conditions or requirements the software

has met

.

( 1 ) COBOL Validation

Thus far, software validation has centered on validation of

compilers for higher level programming languages. In particular,

COBOL validation programs have been produced hy the Department

of Defense. Discussions are now underway as to the "best means

for instituting COBOL validation services for Federal customers.

Presumably the NBS , with its Brooks Bill charter, is the one

agency which has this responsibility.

In the case of COBOL, it is estimated that about 33 unique

COBOL compilers are maintained by computer vendors. A selected

analysis of the FY 1970 GSA ADP inventory shows that 180 systems

(multiple procurements counted as one) entered the inventory for

which a COBOL compiler is maintained by the vendor. Using the

number four (4) as the average number of vendors that will bid
V.13

each procurement, one sees that 720 COBOL validations are required under current procurement practices. If a centralized

COBOL Validation Service were provided by the CCST, only 33 validations would have to be made, reducing by some five-fold the

present expenditure of resources. Using $3,000 as the cost of a single validation, based on in-house experience, the annual cost

for a centralized validation service would be $99,000 versus

$2,160,000 for the present decentralized practice. Thus, savings

in excess of $2 million annually can be realized from validation

services for COBOL compilers alone.

( 2 ) Other Validation Services

Presently, there are some 157 Generalized Data Management

Systems ( GDMS ) from which Federal customers must select. Only

25% have been implemented on more than one manufacturer’s line of

equipment. Here, a data management system is a set of software which

will handle the agency's data without being tied to a particular set

of data codes, data files, or computer application programs. The

disparate set of documentation provided with different systems

makes ready comparison impossible. The cost of operating the

programs, the length of time for them to perform, and their ability

to actually complete tasks is generally not known by the customer.

Almost as frequently, these characteristics are not known to the

seller

.

As another example, there are over 80 payroll application

packages available from software manufacturers. With no

guidance and no validation procedures in effect, the selection
v . iU

process is overwhelmingly' wasteful in terms of duplicative

expenditures of time and manpower resources.

Potential savings to the Government in the above two cited

areas can easily run to more than eight times the annual realizable savings estimated for COBOL validation. This amounts to

at least $l6 million annually.

3 . The Standardization Process

The objective of the standardization process is to make

computer utilization more effective through resolving problems

of incompatibility that exist among equipment, software, computergenerated data, and computer services.

Some illustrations of problems resulting from lack of

standardization serve to highlight the motivations behind the

pressures for increased efforts in this area by the COST,

a . Data Interchange in if on-S t andar d Form

The use of the character code for information interchange,

ASCII, allows any file using this code to be processed in all

computer installations using the ASCII standard code without

conversion from one character code to another. Conversely,

continuation of use of non-standard character codes by different

agencies necessitates the conversion of all data from one code

to another before it can be processed as files or in other

input form. This can cost four to six weeks of programming

time per code conversion.
Without a standard code such as ASCII, interchangeability

of component devices, such as printers, display and keyboard

terminals, and tape and disk handlers is not possible without

reprogramming the related computer system. Re-utilization of

equipment is considerably restricted.

b . Standardization of Programming Languages

The orderly development and standardization of programming

languages, e.g., COBOL and FORTRAN, responsive to the Government’s

needs are paramount to the reduction of programming costs within

the Federal Government. There were an estimated 17,000 plus

man-years spent in FY 1969 i- n programming in the Federal Government.

A reduction of only 5 ! in this expenditure would result in an

annual savings of some $32 million. This reduction could be achieved

through agreement on standards for high level program languages.

c . Component and Device Standards

These standards are a means for solving the I/O interface

problem. There is documented evidence that procurement of CPU

peripheral units (tape and disc drives, printers, and card reader/

punches) from peripheral equipment manufacturers would save the

Federal Government $66 million annually. The present practice is to

procure peripheral devices from mainframe manufacturers. But to

achieve this potential savings, a solution to the interface problem

is needed. If only half of the total potential savings is achieved
V,l 6

by the adoption of I/O interface standards, there will be a $32

million annual benefit, ($10 million for tape drives, $l6 million

for disc drives, $U million for printers, and $2 million for card

reader /punches ) .

d . The COST Standardization Program

The COST Standards Program reflects the tenet that ADP

standards can usefully serve to resolve problems of incompatibility

that can be deterrents to effective utilization of computers.

Standards are consensus agreements on how the design performance, and other characteristics of computer products, processes,

services and systems are to be described and, when possible,

measured. The desired compatibility among computer equipment

is achieved when one set of equipment can accept and process

data prepared by another set without having to convert the data

or modify its own program. The desired compatibility among software packages is achieved when the operating system of one computer

can run programs written for another (compatible) computer and

achieve the same results. Non-compatibility precludes the

sharing of software and data among computer facilities.

Finding the remedy for computer hardware and software

incompatibilities is not an easy task. The price for achieving

increased compatibility must not be the stifling of opportunities

for innovation nor the imposition of undue constraints on industry. The COST Standards Program attempts these objectives through

support and cooperation with the nation’s voluntary ADP standardization activities, especially those of the American National
V . 1T

Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization

for Standardization (ISO). It is important that Federal computers

and information systems he compatible not only with each other

hut also with those of state and local governments, the private

sector, and those of other nations. Accordingly, standards

developed to meet Federal requirements should, to the extent

practicable, he consistent with corresponding ANSI and ISO

standards

.

In this regard, the COST Standards Program continues the

present level of 21 participants on ANSI Committees. There are

approximately 170 Government representatives on these ANSI

Committees (X3j X^+ , and Z39)* The Program provides for consideration of twenty some ANSI standards as Federal Information

Processing Standards and for their anticipated adoption as

such. Three ANSI standards have already been adopted as Federal

standards and five others have been recommended by the DOC to

0MB for adoption. Some 70 other ADP standards are under development

with ANSI Committees. The CCST Program envisions continued active

technical participation in these standards activities.

In addition, the Standards Program has as an immediate

objective the preparation of a "Federal Information Processing

Plan" (FIPS Plan). This will be a detailed statement of the
V-18

Federal ADP standardization program^ identifying and categorizing

major technical areas and, within each such area, identifying all

specific technical standardization efforts (projects) that are

underway or contemplated. Each project will be assigned a nriority as to its importance and impact upon th_e Federal Government, the major

agency responsibilities, the resources by fiscal year necessary

for completion, the correspondence to like national and international voluntary ADP standardization projects underway or

contemplated, and the expected completion dates for approval and

issuance of a voluntary ADP standard or implementation as a Federal standard.

This Plan will be reviewed with OMB and GSA and promulgated

by BBS (COST) to other Federal Agencies and Departments having a major role in the FIPS Program for comments, changes, or modifications. It will become the basis for the FIPS Program, be maintained and promulgated by BBS (COST), and be updated annually.

. Cost Analyses of Computer Services

The desirability of a computer service or product is highly

dependent upon its cost. Choices between alternative computer

services or products, all of them desirable or needed, are usually

made on the basis of what can be afforded. Asking someone to

choose between computer services or products without knowing

initial or continuing costs is unrealistic and alien to assurances

of equity in the marketplace. Presently computer customers are

asked to do just that.
There are many ways of presenting costs. Similarly, there

are many premises underlying statements concerning cost-ef f ect ivei

or cost-benefits of services or products. Some of the more

important of these are:

. Cost should be stated in terms of funds, time, or

manpower

.

. Cost-benefits may be realized by shifting manpower

requirements from a scarce skill to a more available skill.

For example, health manpower is an extremely scarce skill.

If services now demanding the time of health professionals

can be satisfactorily provided, say, by using the skills

and technologies of computer sciences then c o s t -b enef it

s

accrue

.

. Cost-benefits may be realized through

1. Providing equivalent computer services or products

at lower cost (dollars, manpower, or time).

2. Providing better computer services or products at

a less' than proportional increase in cost.

3. Providing computer services or products presently

not available and which meet a known objective expressed as

savings in dollars, time, or manpower.

. The continuing costs of maintaining services are significant and should be explicitly calculated. Computer services

and computer products differ in concept in this respect. A

"product" does not carry with it the implication of

continuing maintenance.
V-20

. Recognized or expected improvements in quality of

services are not readily translated into cost "benefits.

The results of changes in quality of services demand

measurements which are generally statistical in nature

and thus long-term. Few predictive techniques in this

regard are presently applicable.

Computer service procurement and lease policies of the

Federal Government as well as computer selection and replacement policies are dependent upon the introduction of standard

pricing practices in the marketplace. An industry in which a 60 Jo reduction in computer hardware costs has just "been negotiated with one manufacturer cannot be termed a stable industry.

The Federal customer needs assistance of a technico/economic

nature. This is an assigned responsibility of the COST working

in conjunction with OMB and GSA

.

5 . Computer Selection Process

The problem of adequate selection of equipment, software,

and services is an across-the-board problem for Federal computer

customers. Present selection practices are unrealistic in that

for more than 6 o! of Federal computer customers, selection is

reported to take from eighteen months to six years. In this

period of time, an entire computer equipment generation may have

come and gone. Such selection processes are highly deterrent

to the effective utilization of computers. It is obviously
V. 21

cumbersome and burdensome to the computer industry in its

entirety

.

The COST has responsibility for assisting in the technical

facets of the Federal computer selection process. The GSA and

the OMB have overall responsibility for it.

Portions of the computer selection process -which are

technical in nature include:

1. Estimation of the capability of proposed computer configurations to meet stated requirements. The five major

techniques presently employed in order of their usage frequency

are

Evaluation of benchmark problems

Use of published hardware and software evaluation

reports

Programming and execution of test problems

Computer simulation

Mathematical modelling

The suitability of any of these techniques depends upon the

statement of requirements and the state of proficiency of the

selection group in the application of the technique.

2. The initial statement of requirements which is part of

the pre-selection process. These may take the form of functional

specifications, configuration specifications, performance

specifications, job-effectiveness specifications, etc. The

degree of subjectivity and measure of precision in statements

of requirements is highly variable. It affects the ability of
V. 22

bidders to adequately respond. It affects the evaluation of bids

by affecting the types of possible comparisons and the time

needed for evaluation.

3. The scoring system used in the selection process. Most

computer selection processes employ scoring systems in an attempt

to combine quantifiable factors with judgmental or nonquant i fiable

factors. Relevant considerations are enumerated and assigned

weights. Each competing system is subjectively rated, scores

are weighed, and the best system is selected on the basis of

the overall score. Scoring systems are not subjected to the

considerable scrutiny they deserve. Technically non- justifiable

selections often result.

Technical guidance in the use of scoring systems, including

sensitivity analyses, inconsistencies of cardinal and linear

objective functions, indifference curves, etc., will eliminate

inadequacies in scoring systems and concomitantly the time used

by each selection group in deriving scoring systems.

6 . Funding Data for the Computer Utilization Program Area

The allocation of RTS funding to the Computer Utilization

program area is listed below for fiscal years FY 71* FY 72, and

FY 73. The percentage of the total funding for CCST devoted

to this Program Area is also presented.
v. 23

Allocation of RTS Funding to Computer Utilization

i

—

i

t— FY 72 FY 7 3

Total $(000) 829 • U 880.4 1198 . h

% of total COST

Funding

OJ k2 .

6

39.2

A listing of the products or results achievable under this

funding level is presented under major topical areas.

Hardvare Performance Measurements

FY 72

a. Continue the development of the lov * performance digital tape cassette

measurement system. Establish and

maintain the NBS primary reference

tapes and cassettes. Issue NBS

secondary reference tape cassettes.

b. Continue to acquire and calibrate

amplitude reference tapes at the

applicable recording densities.

Maintain the NBS primary reference

groups. Continue issuance of NBS

secondary standard reference magnetic

tapes

.
V. 2 1+

Continue the devel o pment of the disk measur ement

system and the related amplitude reference surfaces for 6-high disk pack applications.

Conduct required measurement services on magnetic

disk, tapes and related transducers.

3 Initiate first use and experimentation with hardware

performance monitors.

FUNDING

$180,000

Develop a disk measurement system and related

reference services for the higher per f orman c

e

one-high and 11-high disk applications.

Develop a digital tape cassette measurement

system and related reference surfaces for the

higher performance 250 ml tape cassettes.

Continue items a, h , and c of FY 72 list.

Analyze and prepare guidance material for the

use of hardware performance monitors by federal

agenc i es . FUNDING

$ 220 ,000
V. 25

Software Management: Accuracy of software -produced data

FY 72-^3

Performance measurement testing of programs run

for COST Computer Facility customers which use

numerical analysis techniques or produce values

of common mathematical functions will he done.

No RTS funding has heen allocated through FY 73

hy the COST. The Computer Services Division,

CCST? supports approximately $90,000 of this work

per year from its own funding sources. The

Applied Mathematics Division, Institute for Basic

Standards, allocates RTS funds to this project.

Software Management: Software Validation

. COBOL Validation

FY 7 2

a. Finalize plans for centralized COBOL validation

services for federal agencies and other groups as

directed

.

h . Obtain 0MB, GSA and other necessary approvals,

c. Develop procedures for centralized validation.

Begin validation program check-out.

FUNDING

$18,000
V.26

FY 73

Initiate operational COBOL validation service

FUNDING

$U00 , 000 : (All of this

is assumed to he hilled

hack to suppliers and is

therefore not funded from

CCST RTS funds)

. Other Software Validation Services

FY 72

Initiate plans for centralized FORTRAN validation

s ervi c e s

.

FUNDING

$ 3,000

FY 73

Finalize FORTRAN validation service plans and

obtain necessary 0MB and GSA approval.

FUNDING

$ 3,000

FY 7U and later years

FORTRAN validation services may begin in FY 75

Development and Implementation of Standards

The funds in this area are allocated to projects leading

to the development and implementation of standards of particular

types. The table below summarizes these funding allocations by

standard type or standards supporting efforts.
V. 27

FUNDS $(000)

FY 72 FY 73

Measurements 20 1*0

Programming Languages 155 215

Policy, Procedures and

Administration

65 65

Components and Devices 20 1*0

Data Communications and

Teleprocessing

80 80

Character Sets and Related Topics 50 50

Media 50 50

Source Data Automation 1*0 80

Applications and Data 80 80

Systems Environment and

Doc urn e nt a t i o n 19 . 1* 60

TOTAL 579. k 760

Computer Services Selection Process

FY 72

a. Develop technical projects for parametric

analyses of the technical aspects of the

selection process.
V.28

b. Gather vendor product statistics for publication

in the Federal Supply Schedule. Establish the

parameters to be reported, data collection procedures, catalog file format, maintenance and

reporting procedures

c. Initiate work on an automatic analyzer for

gathering and compiling statistics on COBOL

application programs.

FUNDING

$ 50,000

FY 73

a. Continuation of FY 72 item b. In conjunction

with GSA, collect and catalog vendor product

data. Report in preliminary form, as appropriate.

b. Continuation of FY 72 item a. Implement program

for determining user requirements by assisting

other agencies in procurement actions.

c. Continuation of FY 72 item c. Complete COBOL

automatic analyzer. Participate with other

agencies in analyses of application programs

and work load structures; this work to be closely

coordinated with a related project concerned

with installation evaluation and timing.
V. 29

d. Initiate work on FORTRAN automatic analyzer.

e. Initiate work on standardizing evaluation criteria,

measurement techniques , and selection procedures.

f. In conjunction with a related project concerned

with performance evaluation techniques, develop

benchmark module programs and "mix" techniques that

can be employed to evaluate the ability of a given

configuration to perform a specified workload.

FUNDING

$ 90,000

Cost Analyses

FY 72

Initiate the development of a methodology for

costing computer services.

FUNDING

$ 25,000

FY 73

Apply costing methodology to computer utilization

and services on an experimental basis at selected

Federal computer centers

FUNDING

$ 30,000
V. 30

B. SPECIFIC COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

This CCST program area is comprised of the scientific and

technological projects which are dependent upon the specific

applications as well as upon the specific requirements of the

concerned customer group.

There are significant differences between the computer technology that creates a successful automated inventory system and

that which creates a successful computer-based real-time satellite

weather system. The automation of laboratory measurement systems

varies substantially in its demands on computer technology from

those of c omput er- as s i s t e d instruction systems.

By 1968, some 1200 different computer applications had been

isolated. They can be grouped into the major subsets of administrative record-keeping, plant and production processing and

maintenance operations, banking operations, educational management, instruction and curriculum development, financial recordkeeping, state, local, and Federal government applications,

hospital administration, patient records and clinical diagnosis,

and insurance applications.

Other computer applications are in the fields of law, libraries, law enforcement, laboratory automation, military and

intelligence operations, weather prediction, mapping and charting,

space operations, and all areas of science and engineering.

Projects in this area of Specific Computer Applications are

characterized by the necessity for cooperative efforts involving
V. 31

the CCST and the appropriate mission-oriented organizations.

Self-generated and self-evaluated work in computer applications

is impossible. In many instances, portions of the funds expended

by the CCST are obtained from other agencies. Generally, the

posture of the Center is more healthy when the funding responsibility is shared with the concerned agency. Exceptions, however,

are made on a case-by-case basis. One notable example in tire

Center’s history is the fingerprint project^ initially funded

totally by the CCST and later jointly with the FBI. This project

has also been one of the most successful application-oriented

endeavors of the Center.

1 . Objectives of the CCST Program

The objective of the CCST Program in Selected Computer Applications is to ensure that adequate technical support and developmental activities are available for those areas of comnuter

applications most important to the Federal Government. This

objective is met through several approaches, all within the

assigned responsibilities of the CCST.

First, the CCST will, through its annual review of computer

science and technology sponsored by Federal Agencies, obtain data

as to the adequacy of the R&D support by agencies of their

mission-oriented computer applications. ( OMB Guidance Letter of

December 15 5 19&6, Section D.) These data then permit the CCST

to recommend to OST and OMB specific projects to be undertaken

by the CCST or by other Federal Agencies-. The problem associated
V. 32

presently with this approach is that no such review has been

conducted. The COST budget as submitted will not support such

a review prior to FY 7^+*

Second, the COST will concentrate its attention on computer

service applications areas in which the government is presently

confronted with problems. These areas will have the following

at tr ibut es

. Labor intensivity is high

. Increased costs are contributing significantly to

increases in cost-of-living

. Demand has increased and will continue to do so

. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the quality

and availability of the service

Initial findings have singled out several service areas for

immediate attention:

. Health care delivery services

. Welfare and medical payment services

. Educational services, both in continuing education

and in formal education

. Law enforcement, and

Mass transportation

Finally, the COST will, in conjunction with the appropriate

mission-oriented agencies, use its technical expertise to improve

productivity in the specific computer service application and to
V. 33

increase the demand satisfaction of the customer population.

Examples of benefits which can accrue from this Program or of

problems which must be met follow for the three areas of Health

Care s Law Enforcement and Education.

2 . Health Care and Computer Technology

In 1969 , the United States spent $63 billion on medical care.

This exceeded defense outlays less Vietnam. Hospitals received

38% of this or $2l+ billion. A study on hospital costs reported

that about 29 % of hospital costs went into information handling

or paperwork. This implies some $6 billion in 1969 "were so spent.

There appears little doubt that the computer can materially

assist in the reduction of these costs associated with information

handling

.

A separate survey of the use of computers by industrial

organizations showed that, in those companies most successful in

their first years of using computers, for each dollar of current

computer-systems outlay the annual return was $1.30. This, of

course, occurred principally in their information-handling

activities. If one permits optimism, one could hope that computers

might save 30% of the $6 billion spent on information handling

within hospitals. Assuming this cost to remain fixed (and, of

course, its trend is actually upward), one might realize a $1.8

billion annual savings. This is almost equivalent to the total
V. 34

amount spent on medical research in that year, i.e., $2 billion.

Even if this prediction is 100% too optimistic, a saving of $900

million is worth attention and equates to almost half the total

annual investment in medical research.

The computer applications which will make possible improved

hospital care at decreased costs include patient management*,

reporting and billing systems which produce patient statements^

claim forms for submission to third parties, e.g., MEDICARE, Blue

Cross, etc.*, patient treatment summary statistics and hospital

supply inventories. Already the costs to hospitals and individual

physicians for such services is comparable and in many cases lower

than costs to produce the same material through traditional

methods. Typical commercial costs for such services are proportional to the number of patient accounts handled. For example,

one such service makes the following charges:

Active Patient Accounts Monthly Fee

0-100 $ 115.00

101-200 $ 180.00

201-300 $ 235.00

1001-1100 $ 590 . 00

• • 1301-1400 $710.00

It has been estimated that with improved computer application

techniques and proper application-oriented software management,

these prices could be reduced to 35% of this level.
V. 35

This type saving would directly benefit Federal agencies such as the Veterans Administration, the Public Health Service of the

HEW and the Medical Corps or Services of the three military departments. The indirect benefits are even more substantial

through their impact on costs of MEDICARE, MEDICAID, and other

Federally subsidized health care and insurance programs.

Additional computer applications which would benefit from

CCST assistance include automated patient history-taking, automated multiphasic health testing, comput er- as si st ed diagnosis,

automated medical record-keeping and physiological monitoring

and sensor analyses, e.g., EKG and EEG monitoring and analysis.

The CCST is working with the Army Medical Corps, the Health

Services and Mental Health Administration (HSMHA) of the DHEW,

and the Public Health Service in such applications of computer

technology. It plans to continue and extend these efforts.

3

.

Law Enforcement and Computer Technology

A number of activities involving the application of automatic

data processing to law enforcement problems are currently underway. Examples include the multi-state System for Electronic

Analysis and Retrieval of Criminal Histories (SEARCH), the Florida

Crime Information Center, the Hew York State Identification and

Intelligence System (NYSIIS), Michigan Law Enforcement Information

Network (LEIN), and the Los Angeles County ORACLE system. On a national basis, there are the National Crime Information Center

(NCIC) and fingerprint automation programs of the FBI. These
V. 36

programs are all directed toward the application of advanced data

processing, information storage and retrieval, and communication

technologies in support of law enforcement and criminal justice

requirements which have been identified or defined and have been

judged feasible from the technical, political, and economic

points of view.

It is also possible to identify a number of potential new

applications of ADP technology whose technical or economic feasibility is yet to be demonstrated. These include the possible

computer-aided evaluation of physical evidence in criminalistics

such as chemical analysis of evidence, latent fingerprints, ballis

tics, voiceprint and handwriting recognition and the analysis of

marks left by tools, shoes, etc. Computer-aided handwriting

recognition would have potential application in connection with

the FBI's Fraudulent Check File and with forgery detection problems in the Postal Service.

Automated communications, control, and dispatch systems offer

promise of better utilization of police resources, particularly

when coupled with automatic vehicle locator capabilities. Computer-aided management of audio and video communications channels

could help alleviate congestion through use of efficient, high

speed data transmission between base stations and mobile units

and could enhance the apprehension of criminals at the scenes of

crime as well as facilitate the aversion of violence in mob action
V . 37

Over the years, the COST has accumulated a considerable

amount of ADP experience that could be of value to the Law

Enforcement program. Potential COST contributions are substantial.

For example, police organizations on local and state levels

are being assailed by an array of technological concepts or

products which have been designed to attract funding and which

do not always meet the needs of law enforcement. There are

several examples of this in the realm of automated fingerprint

identification such as the proposed use of holography. The

COST is in a position to provide ways to measure the performance

of such techniques. These measuring procedures are by-products

of CCST work in developing an automatic fingerprint identification system for the FBI where it was necessary to measure

progress and performance as the work proceeded. These measures

are also readily applicable to other pattern recognition

performance such as voiceprint and handwriting recognition.

As another example, the NBS has worked closely with the

FBI during the last five years in automating its massive

fingerprint identification system. It has assisted the FBI

in the contracted development of a device for reading the

minute details of fingerprints. At the same time, the
V. 38

CCST has developed a technique whereby a computer can utilize

this machine-read data to identify an unknown fingerprint.

1* . Education and Computer Technology

Demand for education continues 'bo expand in the United

States. The education enterprise has an annual "budget of

more than $50 "billion. Continuing education, the necessary

updating of the formal education that all Americans acquire,

is also "becoming increasingly essential for adults.

Both continuing education and formal education are now

"being visibly altered by technological development in the

form of computer-based education. Although the full impact

of computer-based educational technology is still to be felt,

it has been likened in its impact on society to the automobile.

The educational system is slow to improve its methods.

It has been the computer scientist who has been the major innovator here. If computer-based education or computer-assisted

instruction ( CAI ) is to have its purported impact, it must provide high-quality instruction at low cost and great convenience.

One of its major advantages is the ability to provide individualized

instruction so that the student can learn in his own way and at
V. 39

his own pace. The advantage here is particularly apparent in

those aspects of learning that require drill and practice. For

example, competence in preforming arithmetical operations has

been achieved through CAI in a third to a fifth the time required

by conventional means. However, the computer technology for

programming the techniques for teaching a variety of advanced

courses is far from practical reality. Although development

costs will be high, one important asset of CAI is that while the

computer is '’teaching” it records students’ responses. These

responses can determine what material is presented next and what

improvements are needed in the curriculum.

Computer-assisted instruction equipment is presently too

expensive per student hour and can only provide services to

small classes. Present costs average about $7 per student hour

with a maximum of around 100 students being served simultaneously.

A teacher costs $.50 a student hour. Costs for the computer

facility must decrease to $.25 per student hour with simultaneous

instruction to over 1000 students to be cost-effective.

The Office of Education and the National Science Foundation

have both expended hundreds of millions of dollars in grants

supporting computer-based education projects. Informal estimates
V. hO

compiled by NBS point up expenditures in this area by these organizations of over $150 million by 1971. Difficulties encountered in

computer technology have hindered progress despite these large

expenditures

.

The overwhelming technological problems are in curriculum

development and computer application. The COST has the capability to contribute to the resolution of the latter problem

area and plans to do so. Computer-based education is a

technology that transcends the mission of any single government agency and demands'a partnership of computer science with

education

.

The computer technology needed for simple computerassisted instruction is formidable. Each student is assumed

to be proceeding at his own pace and, therefore, each may

be working at a point in the curriculum different from every

other. Thus, the computer must track each student’s status

individually. To complicate the matter, the records on each

student must be kept in real-time since the student’s status

must be available to the instructor. The computer system

used needs an effective monitoring and evaluation scheme.
V. hi

probably a combination of hardware and software. This is needed for

scheduling each student as he begins his instruction period and

for scheduling extra help for him. Extrapolation from some

simulations of CAI systems suggests that with a population of

900 students, there would be some 30 to Uo changes between

courses daily and about 300 mastery tests daily.

The computer system thus depicted has yet to be built. It

is a major inventory control problem at the forefront of computer

art just to keep an accurate real-time list of teachers, rooms,

and media for today's schools. And yet a large portion of funding

granted for computer-based education goes for repetitious starts

towards the same unmet goals. An annual saving of 10% of the last

five year's expenditure by 0E would amount to $10 million. This

is generally easily realizable through proper application of

computer techniques.

The COST plans to work with the Office of Education and the

National Science Foundation in effecting improvements in educational processes through more effective computer applications.

1
V. b2

5 . Funding Data for the Selected Computer Applications

Program Area

The allocation of RTS funding for the program area of Selected

Computer Applications is listed below for fiscal years J1 9 J2 , and

73. The percentages of the total funding for the COST devoted to

this program area is also presented. Funding from Other Agencies

is essential for work in this area to continue.

Allocation of RTS Funding to

Selected Computer Applications

FY 71 FY 72 FY73

Total $(000) 22 .

0

22 .

0

272.8

% of total CCST 1 .

1

1.1 8.9

Funding

The FY 71 and FY 72 funding allocation equates to less than

one man-year for each of those years. This small effort will he

used in FY 72 for in-house support of the FBI fingerprinting

pr o j ec t

.

In FY 73 the funding allocation will he utilized as follows:

(in all cases, efforts involve cooperation from other agencies.)

FY 73

a. Determine performance measurement criteria and

service cost criteria for hospital-hased automated health

care services

.

h. Determine adequate models for automated ambulatory

health care services.

FUNDING

(for a and h

)

$ 100,000
V. 43

c. Extension of computer applications in the law

enforcement area.

FUNDING

$ 50,000

d. Initiation of directed efforts to stabilize the

modalities of computer applications in education on the

basis of benefits, costs, and widespread utility.

FUNDING

$ 50,000

e. Development of standards for the computer applications to computer-aided instruction, health care, legal

information systems, information retrieval, and laboratory

aut omat ion

.

FUNDING

$ 72,000
V. kk

C . TELEPROCESSING

This program area is comprised of those scientific and technical activities

which have as their objective motivating, equipping, and assisting Federal agencies

to pursue the most effective accomplishment of their Governmental functions

through the use of Government-wide and nationally distributed ADP resources

whose interconnection can be facilitated through teleprocessing technology, as well as contributing to sound, economical property acquisition and clock time

management of ADP facilities

.

Teleprocessing is a new synergistic technology emerging from the

joining of computer and communications technologies for particular

purposes . Just as water is qualitatively different from its component

oxygen and hydrogen elements, so is teleprocessing qualitatively different

from the computers and communications from which it derives . Teleprocessing

is not a system in and of itself. Rather, it is a set of techniques by

which a variety of computer systems and facilities might be joined through

a variety of communications systems and facilities so as to enable the

attainment of new and different applications and the accomplishment of

ADP services on a more cost-effective basis. It is a means to achieving

new systems of service--a way of doing things

.

Teleprocessing Science is concerned with developing insight and

understanding of the full range and scope of potentials and limitations

inherent in the various methods and techniques by which computer facilities

can be joined through communications facilities. Teleprocessing Technology

is concerned with directing this knowledge toward useful needed purposes
v.l+5

through the design, measurement, testing, evaluation, and analysis of

actual systems of service employing communications facilities to interconnect computer facilities

.

The Federal Government is now incurring ADP costs upwards of $2 billion

annually, giving consideration to both the acquisition, clock time, and

disposal costs, as well as to the costs related to the effective use of

the processed information and the establishment, maintenance, and exchange

of ADP data bases. Historically, telecommunications and data processing

have been and still are treated separately almost everywhere, including

within the Federal establishment. However, the developing technology and new

applications emerging within many agencies clearly demonstrate the increasing

interdependence of the two, and the need to consider common management of

both in the future, at least for purposes of computer resource sharing.

Within the past half decade the new and rapidly evolving teleprocessing

field has grown to multi-million dollar proportions within industry and

Government

.

The direct dollar savings to the Federal Government resulting

from this COST program are potentially immense. For example, in

just the property management aspect of ADP facilities, which accounts for

some 30 percent of the $2 billion plus cited above, a 10 percent reduction

in hardware or clock time costs which can be made possible through communications interconnection would result in some $60 million savings per year. A way

of gauging this potential value is to recognize that this savings could then

be spent on communications instead of on computer facilities if such communications interconnections enabled the same services to be provided. This

dollar amount is just about as large as the annual costs being proposed to,
v. U

6

and currently under consideration by the FCC for establishing an entire

domestic communications satellite system for the nation. The opportunity for

interconnection which such a satellite system could afford to the ADP

community might in itself result in more than a 10 percent reduction to

current Federal ADP property management costs.

By far the most important aspect of the COST teleprocessing program

however, is to bring the synergistic opportunities inherent in the new

technology to bear upon the 70 percent of the $2 billion plus annual

Federal ADP costs not concerned with property management. These opportunities

are those relating to the effective use of distributed data bases and

distributed information for Governmental management decision-making, planning,

objectives formulation, resource allocation, and policy determination

for more effective Government. Here the dollar pay-off ratio is highly

leveraged, for any improvement in effective use directly impacts upon this

larger (70%) segment of costs, currently some $1.4 billion annually.

The most comprehensive research effort thus far undertaken to

assess the technical and operational factors deriving from synergistic

interaction among computers is the teleprocessing network being established

by ARPA. This network provides for the interconnection of some 20 major

computers within academic, business, and government centers located

from coast to coast throughout the country. The teleprocessing program

of the COST provides for direct interconnection of the Center into the

ARPA network, and for the Center to serve as the hub for use of the

network by Federal agencies located at the seat of Government in the

Washington, D.C. area. This actual involvement in the ARPA teleprocessing
V. k'J

research network is expected to disclose new opportunities for operational

use, and to provide an understanding of the full impact of computer network

resources upon Federal agency activities.

It is now generally assumed that ADP complexes of the future will be

comprised of devices offered by many different suppliers, with much larger

distributed and interactive data bases and data processing serving a much

broader spectrum of different users. Inherent to this assumption is the

presumption that Teleprocessing Science will be ready with technological

answers when needed to facilitate these complexes, and that these answers

will have been effectively "conveyed" to planners and implementers within

the using agencies, either through the availability of expert technical

advisory services, or through standards, which may be regarded as a particular formalized type of advice, or both.

The teleprocessing program of the COST is comprised of research,

measurement, testing, analysis, and evaluation projects which are directed

toward (1) understanding and advancing Teleprocessing Science, and toward

(2) applying new Teleprocessing Technology to the purpose of making ADP

facilities and systems more cost effective and to achieving higher levels

of information management. The program is designed to enable the

Center to fulfill its mandate under the Brooks Bill of "conveying" expert

guidance and of providing to Federal agencies recommendations on whether

and how to use teleprocessing to enhance the effectiveness of their

activities . It further serves to equip the Center to serve as the technical

and engineering hub for Federal agency use of experimental computer networks,

and to maintain a close relationship to the complex of Government -wide

policy issues and problem areas inherent to the Teleprocessing field.
V. 1+8

The CCST program is organized so as to be capable of responding in a flexible way to changing policy guidance affecting the Teleprocessing Field.

There are several problem areas and areas of emerging policy guidance

which require the program response planned by the CCST.

One of these policy areas results from expanding pressures upon the

established communications common carriers for larger numbers of communication

channels and wider ranges of service offerings. These pressures have already

resulted in the emergence of competitive "specialized” communications carriers,

as well as in proposals for the establishment of services based upon new

and different communications technologies, such as communications satellites.

The policy issues surrounding the equitable regulation of even such simple

matters as "from whom will it be possible to obtain communications services

to interconnect computers?" are as yet unresolved.

Another problem is the growing concern that the synergistic interconnection

of ADP data banks poses a threat to individual rights of privacy in a free

society. While technology may offer a selection of safeguarding options as well

as informed estimates of the costs and penalties incurred by incorporating such

options, it is ultimately from the legal and legislative areas that the

policy decisions will emanate, to which technology will need to respond.

Questions relating to the degree of redundancy for data storage locations;

physical survive ability; alternate communications routings, and interoperability

requirements loom increasingly larger in an environment where Federal

managers will be as dependent upon teleprocessing as they now are upon

typewriters and telephones. Again, while technology can disclose available

options, it is consideration of broad national interests which ultimately

must determine the degree to which teleprocessing techniques must respond

in systems designs.
V . k 9

The present lack of a generally accepted set of supporting terminologies

is a deterrent to the effective introduction and use of teleprocessing.

This is due, in part, to the newness of teleprocessing, as well as to

the variety of characteristics under which classifications and categorizations

might be accomplished in this rapidly advancing science. For example,

teleprocessing techniques can apply to "networks of terminals" communicating

to a single computer at human data communication speeds, as well as to

"networks of computers" operating in an interactive conversational mode

at computer data processing speeds. The communications needed to support

the latter are vastly different, both in quality, as well as in quantity

than those needed for the former. They might, in fact be of so different

a character as to require entirely different kinds of communications facilities

.

Teleprocessing techniques can also relate to, and affect the degree

of centralization or distribution of control established for any particular

network of facilities which are interconnected, giving rise to a veritable

spectrum of possibilities and combinations.

If the COST does not serve as a focal point within Government for coordinating such technical aspects of teleprocessing, the resulting environment

of uncertainty and permissiveness would be costly to the Government. There

is currently no group relating these technical aspects to ongoing policy

and regulatory actions within Government, and promoting and guiding teleprocessing applications as a new resource to provide better service to the public through

improved agency performance through reduced ADP costs. This problem is widely

recognized within Government and Executive Branch attention is currently

being directed to this matter.
V. 50

Because the Teleprocessing program of the COST must work within this

"milieu” of multiple technologies and divided authorities and responsibilities, the program has been structured so as to relate to activities

embedded within these fields and authorities according to the following

principal subelements:

1 Teleprocessing Technical Management and Coordination (TPR/TMSC)

2 Teleprocessing Research, Engineering and Design (TPR/RESD)

3 Teleprocessing Measurement, Testing and Evaluation (TPR/MTSE)

4 Teleprocessing Applications and Services (TPR/ASS)

5 Teleprocessing Support Facilities (TPR/SF)

1. Technical Management Functions

In pursuing its teleprocessing functions the COST program must provide

for the timely and positive identification of potential policy decisions

and regulatory actions which might affect teleprocessing activity within

the Government; for advising the affected agencies; and for coordinating

with the responsible Governmental policy and regulatory units in respect

to those aspects of existing and projected teleprocessing technology as may impact upon, or be impacted by such policy decisions or regulatory

actions

.

The CCST plans to provide for the documentation of pending and projected

regulatory and policy actions throughout the Federal Government, assessing

the adequacy and timeliness of technical support for such actions, advising

with respect to technical impacts, and recommending supporting technical

activity in areas determined to be deficient. Principal issues of current

concern relate to the controlled accessibility (security and privacy) aspects
v. 51

of information being handled within systems employing teleprocessing techniques,

and to the degree of specialization of communication services which will

be allowed within the telecommunications industry. Related concerns are the relative costs, rate structures, and tradeoff economics of the technologies

which might apply and the communications services which might be required

to satisfy the principal issues.

It is likely that the regulatory and policy-making agencies acting

without sound technical advice will underestimate the impact of problems

associated with teleprocessing over the next several years. Failure of

the COST to transmit the knowledge and experiences gained through its

activities pursued in conjunction with other Government agencies. to the

overall problems related to teleprocessing in the Federal community would

severely reduce the effectiveness of ADP management within the Federal

Government

.

Coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of

Telecommunications Policy, the Office of Telecommunications, and the General

Services Administration has disclosed that accurate and comprehensive information on teleprocessing activity in the Federal Government is virtually

nonexistent. Accordingly, the GAO, with the concurrence of OTP, is undertaking an initial survey within Government in order that other Federal

agencies as well as the COST may plan programs to evaluate such uses, with a view toward enhancing and extending the effective utilization of teleprocessing capabilities within the Government. The program is directed

towards the development of guidelines for identifying and classifying

teleprocessing systems, and for refining the information to include not
V. 52

only teleprocessing use by and for the Federal Government, but also by

directly-related state and local government activities. The information

base will include current and projected usages and costs, correlation of

the information with possible revisions of 0MB circular A- 82 annual

inventory of Government ADP equipment, and a summary of survey results

in a manner meaningful to Government management and policy-making

personnel.

The program involves close cooperation by the CCST with 0MB, OTP, GAO,

and GSA, to assure the development of meaningful classification, usage,

and cost data upon which to base Federal Government policy decisions affecting

the teleprocessing area.

2 . Research and Engineering Functions

It is clear that very significant changes in computer system organization will take place as Teleprocessing makes possible the sharing of ADP

resources. Some of these changes will occur rapidly—within, perhaps, the

next 5 years. Others will take perhaps a decade to mature. These changes

will span the range from the saving of dollars by participation in computer

networks instead of independent acquisition and operation of large general

purpose ADP facilities, to the sharing of large data bases without need for

data base duplication, to the sharing of "one of a kind" software for

specialized applications . The program is directed toward extending teleprocessing science and contributions to the state of the art of teleprocessing

technology in the areas of network resource sharing, network cost optimization,

data exchange and conversation techniques, and data transmission technologies.
V. 5 3 a. Network Resource Sharing.

There is presently minimal understanding of how to control and make

available the resources within a network of computers. While much is known

about the scheduling of resources within simple individual time-shared

computer networks even here 50% to 70% of the total resources of the system

frequently go unused because of ineffective operating control. With the

advent of numerous computer networks in which resources and users are widely

distributed geographically, such as are found in the ARPA network, an understanding of the problems involved in sharing resources and techniques

between networks is also required.

The COST is making a thorough study of the ARPA IMP ( Interface Message

Processor) system networking efforts with emphasis on the network information

center concept. The project will contribute to the study of the organization

of data for storage in a distributed computer network and of techniques for

optimally distributing data in a network based on projected and measured

usage patterns. The techniques of the ARPA network will later be compared

with the techniques used in other networks such as the GSA RAMUS (Remote

Access Multiple Users System), the National Library of Medicine AIM-TWX

(on line bibliographic retrieval) system, the NASA RECON (REmote CONsole)

system, the FBI NCIC (National Crime Information Center) system, and other

pertinent systems.

An example of the kinds of dollar savings realizable through resource

sharing is to compare the cost of copying a data base, as against the cost

of accessing the data base through a communications network (Teleprocessing).

The current cost of copying a billion bit data base is about $2000. However,
V.

the cost of accessing this same data base through the ARPA network is expected

to be at most only $300, even if all of the billion bits of data were accessed.

Beyond the direct cost savings aspect is the factor of convenience, especially

for data bases which must be used periodically. For a "once per month"

access, the savings could amount to over $20,000 per year for this single

simple operation alone. :

b. Network Cost Optimization

The increasing cost of telecommunications services and equipment

together with their expanding use by the Federal Government warrants a careful study to determine how greater cost-effectiveness can be attained

for teleprocessing networks. The CCST will develop a capability to

estimate performance of proposed new configurations, the identification

of potential areas for standardization, and an assessment of the advantages

to be realized by standardization. Continuing studies need to be made of

telecommunications services available to the Federal Government to determine capabilities, options, costs and other teleprocessing network design

considerations. Construction of a model suitable for analyzing alternative

configurations of telecommunication networks may be required and the model

utilized with parameters collected from real telecommunications configurations. The results obtained from simulations will be used to determine

optimum sets of parameters in response to various requirements and to formulate guidelines for the design of teleprocessing networks.

Even at the present level of communications utilization for ADP, a reduction of only a few percent in communications costs as a consequence

of better network design would produce savings equal to several times the

cost of this program.
V.55

c. Data Exchange and Conversation Techniques.

Effective inter- computer communication (Teleprocessing) requires the

establishment of procedures and conventions at several levels. At the

hardware level problems arise in the selection of telecommunications facilities and interfacing to them via appropriate modems or special communications

equipment units. At the data level problems arise with bit sequencing

and character codes as well as error detection and correction, formats

for transmitting strings of characters between systems, and procedures

for delineating message boundaries and for overall control of the communication

line between two systems. At the control level, consideration must be

given to the meaning of the character strings, or messages, and to an overall protocol which accounts for the activity within the participating

computer systems that are placed into communication with each other and

which is meaningful with respect to the applications desired. There is also

widespread need for alternative protocols for communication among computer

systems at the process-to-process level between systems, and the development

of techniques for describing protocols for the use of interactive processes

potentially available through computer networks, as well as the format

mechanisms for describing language protocols

.

d. Data Transmission Techniques

.

Wide band and digital communications techniques for data transmission

are evolving rapidly in response to the demands imposed by the expanding use

of teleprocessing. The transmission of data by wire, coaxial cable, microwave links, satellites and even lasers is assuming an increasingly larger

role in the operations of many Government agencies such as the National

Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), NASA, DOD, State Department,
V. 5

6

the Justice Department, FBI, GSA, and AEC. The development of standards

for interoperability has lagged in this rapidly evolving field, resulting

in incompatibility among and between different communication systems,

terminal devices , and computer systems

.

Communications services for data transmission which would match the

needs of computer systems as satisfactorily as the telephone service matches

the needs of humans will need to exhibit different technical parameters than

those required for voice communications. Whereas voice communication is a rather continuous constant data rate process, communications to and between

computers requires intermittent bursts of transmission, at data rates very

much higher than the average rate.

By way of illustration, statistics on teletypes, graphics consoles

and remote batch stations show that the burst rate of data flow is approximately 100 times as great as the average rate of data flow. This means that

if a conventional communications line is established for computer conversations, the average utilization of that line will be only about 1%, and its

cost from 10 to 100 times higher than the raw cost of "moving" the bits of

data. Further, the connect time to establish a conversation (switching)

must be short enough that the computer and its users are not held up

unduly. For normal voice conversations, some 20 seconds or so are commonly

required to switch to a connecting circuit. By contrast, for computers,

this switching connect time must be considerably less than a second. The

maximum data rates must also be considered. It is known that for useful

comprehension by a human, a peak data rate is on the order of 250 words

per minute, or 20,000 bits of information per second. This suggests a
v. 57

minimum meaningful communications bandwidth for console to computer communications , and provides a basis for assessing the communications bandwidths

which would be useful for meaningful computer to computer communications.

Finally, the error rates inherent in data communications services must

be far lower than for voice communications, and the service reliability

must be very high if a user is to rely upon remote resources.

COST activity in this project involves direct participation in the

development of preferred techniques for use in Federal teleprocessing

networks, as well as the design of useful experiments employing new

communications technologies, such as data transmission via communications

satellites. Inherent to this project is a continuing assessment of the

economic tradeoffs posed by the rapidly changing technological capabilities.

3 . Measurement and Evaluation Functions

The effectiveness of ADP systems employing teleprocessing techniques

depends both upon how the systems are used, and how they respond to that

use. At present, acceptable methods for measuring and evaluating network

effectiveness have not been evolved. Network performance measurement

has direct applications to system selection and improvement and to validation

of models for hardware and software design. The program of the COST is

directed toward the development of methods and equipment to measure, test

and evaluate such system effectiveness

.

An important technique for this purpose is the measurement of the dialogues

carried on between and among users and computers in teleprocessing networks.

Data resulting from a few such measurements are already being used by the COST

for the development of simulation and analytic models leading to accurate
V. 58

qualitative and quantitative predictions of how teleprocessing networks

react to changes in system configurations and to changes in user group

characteristics. An important part of the program is the development

and testing of performance criteria for both hardware and software employed

in teleprocessing networks. The measuring equipment developed under this

program is known as the COST Dialogue Monitor.

Conservative estimates place the number of simple interactive teleprocessing systems in use by Federal agencies at well over fifty systems. Assuming

each of these consists of a computer costing some $200,000 per year and

about 25 terminals located throughout the country which each average 2 hours

"connect- time" per day, potential savings of about one third of the computer

costs and one-half of the communications costs might be realizable as a direct

consequence of the better understanding of teleprocessing operations obtained by

this program. This would yield annual savings of some $3 million in computer

costs and $3.6 million in communications cost, or potentially over $6 million

a year for these symple systems alone. On the other hand, teleprocessing

costs in the Federal Government may rise well beyond expectations if the

present lack of understanding of how these systems work and how they can be

used most effectively persists.

a. Categorization of Teleprocessing Usage

The CCST is developing user simulation programs using playbacks

of useage histories collected by the CCST Dialogue Monitor. Repeated

simulations of the same users will be made on the same system to measure

and classify the various types of teleprocessing usage patterns, to identify

variations in system performance, and to develop models of user behavior.
V. 59

b. Teleprocessing Behavior under Controlled Conditions

Through the use of the CCST Dialogue Monitor, the Center will have

accumulated a large store of user behavior data. This data will be used for

simultaneous interactivity with selected actual ADP teleprocessing networks

in order to record system response, and to develop measures of system

behavior.

c. Teleprocessing Control Software

Teleprocessing control programs and language processors are quite

complex because of the necessity of handling constantly changing conditions

in real-time while concurrently supporting many processing activities . The

development of teleprocessing software is still mainly an art largely

because the analysis and documentation of procedures for measuring the

effectiveness and efficiency of this type of software has not yet been

undertaken. The CCST program, will investigate techniques for measuring

software performance and for improving software effectiveness.

Savings of at least a factor of two in computer clock time and communications costs should be possible as a result of changes in the design of

operating systems and language processors expected to result from this

project activity.

d. Teleprocessing Terminals Evaluation

The CCST can render an immediate and important service to the Federal

teleprocessing community by providing advice and assistance in the selection

and adaption of the multitude of terminal devices which are available for

systems used by the Federal agencies. By promulgating standards and conventions

for certain common teleprocessing functions such as logging on and off,

requesting assistance, and controlling output performed by terminal devices,
v. 6

o

great simplifications could be achieved which would facilitate the interchangeability of data. This project includes work directed toward the development

of conventions, procedures, and standards for "touchtone" telephones used

as computer terminals, and for experimentation with CRT editing displays

using keyboard and full ASCII character set, and with magnetic tape cassettes

and speed changing recorders, and a Model 37 teletype with full ASCII

character set plus graphic symbols.

This project area can be highly effective in reversing the trend of

continued proliferation of conflicting practices, conventions, and standards

among Federal agencies, and will greatly facilitate the interchange of

computer programs and data required for the eventual interconnect-ion of

various Federal agency teleprocessing systems into a government-wide

computer network

.

e. Modem Modulation Evaluation

During the past 5 years a profusion of modems for use in teleprocessing have been developed for the marketplace. As of December 1970, at least 117

models, from at least 39 manufacturers were available. Although there

tends to be some standardization in signalling speeds, there is little

standardization with respect to the modulation techniques at any given

speed. For example, 2400 bit-per-second modems are listed which use the

following modulation techniques: AM(SSB), AM(VSB), FM, FSK, PM, PM( diphase),

PM(4 phase) and PSK. This inhibits free intercommunication across product

lines and impedes the development of teleprocessing networks.

The types of modulation employed in modems used for digital data

communications influence both system performance and system cost. Performance is influenced because in a circuit with a given signal-to-noise ratio
v. 6

1

the bit error rate depends in part upon the modulation scheme employed.

Use of more sophisticated and noise resistant modulation techniques may

result in a lower bit error rate but may carry along possible penalties in

the form of increased cost and complexity of the modem.

With the recent development of a proposed standard for determining the

performance of data communications sytems, it is now feasible to quantitatively assess the performance of alternative modulation techniques and to

establish meaningful relationships between performance and cost. This, in

turn, would permit identification of the most cost-effective configurations

which would be recommended for use in Federal Teleprocessing networks.

The adoption of preferably one, or at most two, modulation "techniques

for each of the standard signalling speeds would enhance the capability to

interconnect teleprocessing networks using switched circuits and offer a potential for benefits similar to those which have resulted from the adoption

of ASCII, the standard character code.

4. Applications and Services Functions

It is important that teleprocessing network design and evaluation activity

be put into a frame of reference directly related to intended useful applications of ADP systems . Within the CCST program there are opportunities for

useful in-house applications in support of overall National Bureau of

Standards activities , as well as opportunities to support other Federal

agencies. As an adjunct to the direct services provided under the "Computer

Services" and "Effective Applications" elements of the overall CCST program,

the "Teleprocessing" element provides specific assistance for laboratory

automation within the NBS using state-of-the-art teleprocessing technology.
V. 62

The COST program seeks to extend this support for experimental activities

within NBS and other agencies through networking of minicomputers, use

of interactive computer graphics, operational participation in the ARPA

network as the point of entry into the network for Federal agencies, and

the incorporation of existing research and development information in

the computer sciences into Federal time-sharing system data banks

.

a. Laboratory Automation Experiments

The design and development of overall configurations of computers

in support of laboratory activity is now changing rapidly to take advantage

of the new teleprocessing technology. Use of mini-computers in laboratories

and the sharing of central computer facilities has become essential to the

efficient and effective conduct of laboratory research

In the laboratory, however, minicomputers frequently are not adequate to

support experiments unless connected to larger facilities . Large shared

computers by themselves generally are not adequately available to support

laboratory experiments directly in real time. The CCST program is directed

towards solution of the various problems associated with the networking of

computers to support laboratory experiments and toward the development of

techniques for data acquisition and storage, data formatting and display,

experiment control, data reduction, and software preparation for minicomputers.

b . Interactive Computer Graphics

Interactive computer graphics is emerging as a powerful, although

still expensive, technology for a wide range of applications such as computeraided design for buildings, ships, and electronic circuits, and for the

development of management charts and the anaylsis of experimental data
V. 63

in graphical form. The CCST program has its graphics activity focused

on the evaluation of interactive graphics systems and the rendering of

assistance to other agencies in the application of such graphics systems.

Graphics computer programs will be developed as necessary to test new

ideas and to demonstrate new graphics concepts. Cost and performance tradeoff studies will be undertaken to assess factors influencing system designs,

and to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple graphical displays connected

to single computer systems.

c. Data for Federal Time-sharing Systems

The CCST now has available, in a file on a DOD computer, some 6000

resumes of active Federal projects involving research and development in the

computer sciences . In order to make this information immediately accessible

to government managers, the CCST will undertake to transfer this information

to a Federal time-sharing system. This project will include a study of

the GSA "RAMUS" time- sharing system as a candidate government wide timesharing service, and will assist other Federal agencies in making wider

use of this and other time-shared systems.

Failure to make such resumes on Federal R£D work in computer sciences

available in an on-line system would mean that management will continue to

lack quick access to this information as a basis for R6D decision making.

This in turn will lead to overlapping and duplication of effort. Failure to

assess the GSA time- shared system will mean a potential delay in the

development of more- efficient government-wide time-sharing services.

d. ARPA Network Participation

A few years ago no communications system existed which even came

close to providing the type of service which is integral to the experimental
V .6k

ARPA network. This network currently interconnects more than 20 computers

at 15 locations across the country. By 1972, expansion to 25 locations is

expected. The computers at each of these locations interconnect with computers at the other locations through communication lines capable of handling

some 50 thousand bits of information a second. Each location has an Interface Message Processor facility which accepts messages from the Host Computer,

breaks the message into thousand-bit packets, and sends each packet toward

its destination over whichever communication routing is then optimal. Each

interface processor along the route, upon receiving the bit packet, checks

for errors, and if it checks, routes the packet on to the next processor along

the way. At the destination, the bit packets are assembled back .into the

original message, and delivered to the computer at the destination. Since

each communications line is being used for traffic between many pairs of

locations simultaneously, the load on the lines can be quite efficient.

At the present time, the actual cost of the total network communications

ranges up to about $6,000 per month per location. It is estimated that for

the 1972 network of 23 nodes, this will decrease to about $4,800 per month.

One of the principal aspects of the COST participation in the network is to

evaluate the cost implications of Federal agency participation in the network

on an operational basis.

The COST will serve as focus for Federal agency use of the experimental

ARPA Teleprocessing network. The program provides for an extensive study of

the resources which will be available to Federal users through the ARPA

network, and for advising selected agencies as to how these resources can usefully be applied in their ADP operations. An evaluation of the resources
V. 65

will be accomplished through utilization and testing by the CCST operating as

one of the 20 some nodes of the ARPA network. The Interface Message Processor

facility required by the CCST for access to the ARPA network is funded under

the teleprocessing support facilities portion of the CCST program.

5 . Teleprocessing Support Facilities

Computer and terminal facilities are an essential part of the CCST

teleprocessing program. These facilities support the experimental work and

measurements necessary to evaluate computer networks, terminals, and modem

equipments, and to study and test new techniques for effective design of

systems employing teleprocessing techniques. The kinds of facilities

required include on-line computing (not necessarily in-house) using fullcapability time-sharing computer systems; various types of terminals,

including teletypewriters, alphanumeric full graphics CRT’s; in-house computing

capabilities adequate for interfacing terminals and for evaluating devices

requiring specialized interfaces such as touchtone input units, automatic

calling units, and flying spot scanners; and specialized equipment necessary

to the performance measurement activity. In addition, provisions for direct

access to a variety of remote computing systems are required for computer

networking experiments, performance measurement activities, and data communications studies

.

In particular, the CCST project provides for the planning, installation,

maintenance, operation, and demonstration of facilities which include a variety of terminals for access to the ARPA network and various time-sharing

systems and for use on a stand-alone basis, a terminal interface message
V. 66

processor for access to the ARPA computer network, a PDP-11 minicomputer to

support experimental performance measurement activity in conjunction with

the ARPA network, specialized terminal support, and other teleprocessingoriented equipment.

The CCST facilities are available to other NBS projects which can make

effective use of the teleprocessing capabilities provided by the Center and

to other agencies having a direct working relationship with the CCST’s

scientific and technical activities.
V. 6 7

FUNDING DATA FOR THE TELEPROCESSING PROGRAM AREA

The allocation of RTS funding to the Teleprocessing Program Area

is listed below for fiscal years FY71, FY72, and FY73. The percentage of

the total funding for CCST devoted to this program area is also presented.

ALLOCATION OF RTS FUNDING TO TELEPROCESSING

FY71 FY72 FY73

Total $ (000) 337.0 402.0 723.9

% of Total CCST Funding 17.3 19.5 23.7

A listing of the results achievable under this funding level is

presented under major topical areas.

TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

FY72

a. Provide advice to the OTP, FCC, and other agencies regarding

teleprocessing data communications technical requirements, in relation to

data communication services proposed to be established by the common and

specialized communications carriers

.

b. Provide guidance to the GAO, GSA, and OMB for the development of

guidelines for the identification, classification, and inventory of Federal

Teleprocessing systems

.

FUNDING

0

$ 10,000
V. 68

FY73

a. With specific reference to data communications services, assess

l alternative proposed communications rate structures with a view to providing

guidance for the fair allocation of costs within Teleprocessing networks

.

b. Advise regarding technical options available in connection with

the study of the problems associated with controlled access to data about

individuals as stored and used in systems employing teleprocessing techniques.

Provide guidance to the executive and legislative branches regarding the

impact of proposed Federal data banks and specific teleprocessing networks..

FUNDING

$50,000

RESEARCH, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN - NETWORK RESOURCE SHARING

FY72

a. Complete a thorough study of the ARPA network information center

concept, and initiate a compilation of useable resources which can be

accessed through the network.

b. Study other Federal Teleprocessing networks, with particular

emphasis on the GSA RAMUS system and methods of organizing data for

storage. • ... FUNDING

$30,000

FY73

a. Complete the study of major Federal Teleprocessing networks,

and the compilation of data resources available within these.

b. Perform comparative analyses of selected Federal teleprocessing

systems, with recommendations for possible system improvements and means

for interconnection between systems

.
V. 6.9

c. Initiate experimentation with adaptive network control techniques.

d. Investigate techniques for sharing human resources by means of

interpersonal communications through computers in teleprocessing networks

.

FUNDING

$60,000

RESEARCH, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN - NETWORK COST OPTIMIZATION

FY72

a. Initiate a comprehensive study of telecommunication services

available to and within Federal Government Agencies, and provide assessments

of these services for teleprocessing network use.

b. Study analytical approaches for construction of network analysis

models leading to network performance evaluations

.

FUNDING

$30,000

FY73

a. Complete the Federal Telecommunications services study, and

catagorization of capabilities, costs, and other design parameters of these

services, including cost/effectiveness comparisons.

b. Construct at least one model suitable for analyzing alternative

configurations of telecommunications, and initiate application of the

model for network simulations and performance predictions.

c. Identify areas of potential standardization in Telecommunications

systems and services used for data transmission, with a view toward possible

cost reductions for teleprocessing network use.

d. Prepare preliminary guidelines for Federal agency use in planning

for telecommunications services needed to support agency teleprocessing

network activities

.
V. 70

FUNDING

$45,000

RESEARCH, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN - DATA EXCHANGE AND CONVERSATION TECHNIQUES

FY 72

a. Continue development of standards relating to communication bit

sequencing, error detection and correction, and character structure.

b. Initiate study of computer intercommunications at the process

to process level, and the development of suitable protocols and means for

describing these protocols.

c. Participate in applicable FIPS and ANSI standards committees.

FUNDING

$45,000

FY73

a. Continue the development of intercomputer process protocols

for use in teleprocessing networks.

b. Design a language for describing language protocols.

c. Perform experiments in the area of Host to Host Computer

communications utilizing the ARPA network.

d. Continue participation in applicable FIPS and ANSI standards

committees

.

FUNDING

$60,000

RESEARCH, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN - DATA TRANSMISSION TECHNIQUES

FY72

a. Initiate studies of the transmission, modulation, switching, and

error control methods inherent to current and projected data communications

services .
V . 71

b. Develop a methodology for quantitative assessment of performance

of data communications services to be used in teleprocessing networks.

c. Initiate preliminary categorization of communication service

characteristics required for teleprocessing networks

.

d. Participate with NASA in the design of formal experiments in data

communications via satellite.

FUNDING

$20 ,000

FY73

a. Continue the data communications services technical study,

with emphasis upon economic/technical tradeoffs which may be available

to teleprocessing network designers.

b. Develop an initial telecommunications quality specification

standard for Federal teleprocessing networks.

c. Conduct an experimental program in information transfer

and teleprocessing using available operational or experimental satellite

communication links for network interconnection.

FUNDING

$50,000

MEASUREMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION - TYPE CATEGORIZATION OF TELEPROCESSING

USEAGE

FY72

a. Apply the Dialogue Monitor to selected systems of teleprocessing

for the accumulation of data on system responses, communications utilization

and user characteristics.

b. Apply the Dialogue Monitor histories for the development of user

simulation models.
V. 72

c. Define pertinent terminology for descriptive measurement and

classification of teleprocessing network features.

FUNDING

$45,000

FY73

a. Extend the monitoring and data collection to a wider range of

teleprocessing applications, and to multiple users in teleprocessing networks.

b. Develop and refine multiple user simulation models.

c. Initiate development of models for user group behavior.

d. Investigate the hardware and software for measuring "internal"

behavior characteristics of teleprocessing networks, such as channel

utilization, interrupt frequencies, etc.

FUNDING

$65,000

MEASUREMENT TESTING AND EVALUATION - TELEPROCESSING BEHAVIOR UNDER

CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

FY72

a. Apply user simulation models to selected systems to measure

variations in system performance and system responsiveness to controlled

variations in user behavior.

b. Initiate identification of possible hardware, software and

communications services modifications which might improve teleprocessing

network performance

.

FUNDING

$15,000

FY73

a. Extend the user simulation activity to include application of
V. 73

multiple user models to selected systems for measurement of systems

responses

.

b . Identify potential quantitative measures of system performance

and initiate the specification of criteria for evaluating system performance.

FUNDING

$43,900

MEASUREMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION - TELEPROCESSING CONTROL SOFTWARE

FY72

a. Initiate analyses of representative operating time-shared

systems

.

b. Investigate techniques for measuring software performance.

FUNDING

$10,000

FY73

a. Extend analyses to include study of conversational languages and

language processors.

b. Analyze the cost/performance tradeoffs for representative control

software configurations

.

FUNDING

$30,000

MEASUREMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION - TELEPROCESSING TERMINALS EVALUATION

FY72

a. Develop criteria for type classification of teleprocessing

terminal devices

.

b. Prepare a FIPS on user procedures for touchtone telephone

terminals

.

c. Initiate experimentation with representative terminal types

connected to various time-sharing systems

.
V. 7b

FUNDING

$ 20,000

FY7 3

a. Continue experimentation using a wide range of terminals on various time-sharing systems.

b. Develop conventions, procedures and standards for typewriter

like devices and for text-oriented keyboard duplex devices

.

c. Prepare a FIPS on user procedures for the operation of

typewriter- like terminal devices.

FUNDING

. $40,000

MEASUREMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION - TELEPROCESSING MODEM MODULATION

EVALUATION

FY72

a. Develop criteria for type classification of teleprocessing

modem devices

.

b. Initiate experimentation with representative modem types, and

define quantitative measurements for assessment of performance of

alternate modulation techniques

.

c. Continue support of pertinent ANSI standards group.

FUNDING

$20,000

FY73

a. Continue the measurement and assessment of representative

modem modulation techniques.

b. Analyze the cost /performance tradeoffs available to teleprocessing

network des igners

.
V. 75

c. Initiate the identification of preferred modulation techniques

applicable to each of the standard communications signalling speeds, for use

in Federal teleprocessing networks.

d. Continue the support of pertinent ANSI standards groups.

FUNDING

$40,000

APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - LABORATORY AUTOMATION EXPERIMENTS

FY72

a. Initiate the investigation of problems associated with interconnection of minicomputers to central computer facilities

.

b. Assess the particular problems inherent to NBS laboratory automation.

FUNDING

$15 ,000

FY73

a. Investigate the software support requirements for Intra-Lab

minicomputers using larger computer systems.

b. Develop specific NBS laboratory applications for the CCST

minicomputer

,

c. Study the data handling and data reduction alternatives

available to the laboratory minicomputer teleprocessing network.

FUNDING

$20,000

APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS

FY72

a. Extend the studies of the performance requirements and costs of

computer system configurations to support graphics terminal operations

.

b. Develop computer programs to demonstrate new graphics concepts.
V. 7^

FUNDING

$ 20,000

FY73

a. Continue experimentation using a wide range of terminals on various time-sharing systems.

b. Develop conventions, procedures and standards for typewriter

like devices and for text-oriented keyboard duplex devices

.

c. Prepare a FIPS on user procedures for the operation of

typewriter- like terminal devices.

FUNDING

. $40,000

MEASUREMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION - TELEPROCESSING MODEM MODULATION

EVALUATION

FY72

a. Develop criteria for type classification of teleprocessing

modem devices

.

b. Initiate experimentation with representative modem types, and

define quantitative measurements for assessment of performance of

alternate modulation techniques

.

c. Continue support of pertinent ANSI standards group.

FUNDING

$20,000

FY73

a. Continue the measurement and assessment of representative

modem modulation techniques.

b. Analyze the cost /performance tradeoffs available to teleprocessing

network designers.
v. 75

c. Initiate the identification of preferred modulation techniques

applicable to each of the standard communications signalling speeds, for use

in Federal teleprocessing networks.

d. Continue the support of pertinent ANSI standards groups.

FUNDING

$40,000

APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - LABORATORY AUTOMATION EXPERIMENTS

FY72

a. Initiate the investigation of problems associated with interconnection of minicomputers to central computer facilities

.

b. Assess the particular problems inherent to NBS laboratory automation.

FUNDING

$15 ,000

FY73

a. Investigate the software support requirements for Intra-Lab

minicomputers using larger computer systems.

b. Develop specific NBS laboratory applications for the CCST

minicomputer

,

c. Study the data handling and data reduction alternatives

available to the laboratory minicomputer teleprocessing network.

FUNDING

$20,000

APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS

FY72

a. Extend the studies of the performance requirements and costs of

computer system configurations to support graphics terminal operations.

b. Develop computer programs to demonstrate new graphics concepts.
y . 76

FUNDING

$ 20,000

FY73

a. Extend the studies to include factors and problems associated

with multiple graphical displays connected to one computer system, and to

computers accessible through teleprocessing networks.

b. Experiment with interactive computer graphics operations

through the ARPA teleprocessing network.

FUNDING

$ 20,000

APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - DATA FOR FEDERAL TIME-SHARED SYSTEMS'

FY72

a. Initiate the programming and data entry for at least one Federal

time-sharing system to utilize the available resources on Federal R£D

projects in computer sciences,

b. Study the GSA "RAMUS” system as a candidate time-shared system

for such data banks

.

FUNDING

$7,000

FY73

a. Continue the programming and data entry of time-sharing

systems to include entry of all pertinent NBS project resumes.

b. Evaluate additional selected time-sharing systems in other

Federal agencies as candidates for such data banks

.

c. Provide advice and assistance to Federal agencies with respect

to more effective use of available time-sharing systems.
V.77

FUNDING

$ 20,000

APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES - ARPA NETWORK PARTICIPATION

FY72

a. Complete the preparations for the terminal interface message

processor facility enabling the CCST to serve as a nodal point for Federal

use of the ARPA network.

b. Study the resources available to Federal agencies through

the ARPA network

.

c. Advise and assist other agencies preparatory to use of the

ARPA network by such agencies

.

FUNDING

$ 20,000

FY73

a. Extend awareness of resources applicable to Federal agency

use which can be accessed through the ARPA network.

b. Evaluate selected resources through utilization and testing

by the CCST.

c. Evaluate the ARPA teleprocessing network as a potential

operational facility for Federal agency use.

d. Continue providing advice and assistance to other agencies

regarding the ARPA teleprocessing network.

FUNDING

$40,000

SUPPORT FACILITIES

FY72

a. Complete the detailed planning and development of interfaces
V. 78

FUNDING

$ 20,000

FY73

a. Extend awareness of resources applicable to Federal agency

use which can be accessed through the ARPA network.

b. Evaluate selected resources through utilization and testing

by the COST.

c. Evaluate the ARPA teleprocessing network as a potential

operational facility for Federal agency use.

d. Continue providing advice and assistance to other agencies

regarding the ARPA teleprocessing network.

FUNDING

$40,000

SUPPORT FACILITIES

FY72

a. Complete the detailed planning and development of interfaces

for the ARPA network interface message processor and the minicomputer and

initial preparation of software required for these facilities.

b. Continue the interfacing activities for new terminal devices.

c. Initiate the detailed planning for a research computer facility.

d. Procure required communications modems and communications devices.

FUNDING

$95,000

FY73

a. Operate and maintain the teleprocessing research facilities

comprising: the ARPA network Interface Message Processor (IMP), the PDP-11

minicomputer, the MOBIDIC time-sharing facility and in-house research computer

facilities

.
V. 79

for the ARPA network interface message processor and the minicomputer, and

initial preparation of software required for these facilities.

b. Continue the interfacing activities for new terminal devices.

c. Initiate the detailed planning for a research computer facility.

d. Procure required communications modems and communications devices

.

FUNDING

$95,000

FY73

a. Operate and maintain the teleprocessing research facilities

comprising: the ARPA network Interface Message Processor (IMP), the PDP-11

minicomputer, the MOBIDIC time- sharing facility and in-house research computer

facilities

.

b. Finalize the plans for the research computer facility.

c. Continue the interfacing activities for additional terminal devices.

d. Procure the required communications services and modems to support

current teleprocessing activities.

FUNDING

$130,000
V. 80

D . SUPPORTING EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT

This COST program area is comprised of the scientific and

technological projects which are directed towards l) resolving

the urgent problems deterring the effective application of computer

technology, 2) resolving the problems of computer utilization

unduly constraining the customer, 3) providing the technical

foundations for standards activities, the technical problems

resulting in prohibitive costs to the Federal computer customer,

and 5 ) the technical problems resulting in inequities in the

computer service marketplace. The resolution of these problems

is the objective of this COST Program.

A very important attribute of an adequate Directed Exploratory Development Program is that it be oriented towards resolving

the problems which will confront customers for computer services

in three to five years. The COST does not presently have afforded

to it the luxury of such a program. The one currently underway

and being planned through FY 73 is attempting to simultaneously

resolve yesterday’s problems, today’s problems, and those of

tomorrow

.

Another characteristic of Directed Exploratory Development

projects is an often-lacking short-term tangible product. The

products which are highly visibile to customers are manifestations of better computer utilization or of useful computer

applications. And yet, the basis for reducing the time of
V. 8l

operation of a payroll system, for instance, probably rests upon

a data structuring technique 'which permits more rapid access to

data on disks. The data structuring project, however, is hidden

in the shadow of the more tangible product.

Illustrations of representative Directed Exploratory Development projects planned for the COST follow. They are Unbundled

Software, Controlled Accessibility to Data Banks, Emulation

Software, Software Effectiveness, Pattern Classification and

Processing, Information Control and Language Development.

1 . Unbundled Software

The term "unbundling” describes the separate pricing of

products and services provided by the manufacturers of computer

hardware. Until 1969» it had been general policy for the manufacturers to supply programs (software) and certain installation

and maintenance services under the original purchase or lease

price of the system. The products and services which can now

be priced separately from the computer itself under the terms

of the "unbundling" anti-trust decision are l) computer programs,

2) education of the customer's personnel, 3) consultation and

programming support for specific customer applications, and

U) maintenance.

Unbundling has posed severe problems to most computer

customers. The OMB believes its impact has been serious on the

Federal customer. It has shifted the burden of responsibility
V. 82

from the seller to the customer for assuring that his total computer

system will provide its services efficiently. Most customers do

not have the technical sophistication to understand or deal with

the problems of software management or computer service management. One of the assigned responsibilities of the COST is to

assist Federal computer customers in these rather complex cons iderat ions

.

Major difficulties introduced by unbundling are the lack of

inventories of software product characteristics to guide customers

in their selection and the uncertain status of program protection,

including copyrighted software, patented software, and software

protected through licensing and contract arrangements. The lack

of descriptive data about software including time for running

programs and costs of producing output as well as the lack of

any performance criteria to assist the buyer or to help the

seller accredit or certify his product are major deterrents to

adequate customer protection. These have all been highlighted

by unbundling.

The COST plans to emphasize the assistance it can supply

the Federal customer in overcoming these types of problems.

2 . Controlled Accessibility to Computer Data Banks

A rational approach to the problem of security, privacy,

and confidentiality of information contained in computer data

banks is both feasible and necessary. The subject is a highly
V. 83

visible one today frought with emotion, fear, and political pressures. One Senator has recently (1971) advocated a stop to

computer procurement by the Government until adequate protection

of computer data banks is assured.

This problem cannot be resolved in the abstract or in

generality. The means of controlled accessibility is dependent

upon the data in question. This is because the constraint,

regulations, legal decisions, and the like which now control

accessibility of data vary with the data. Copyrighted material

must be handled differently than non-copyright ed material. Medical records have different constraints on their use than do

criminal records. Information possessing a military security

classification is subject to different regulations than is

proprietary drug-house experimental data.

It is necessary in each such case to translate the different

information controls into hardware and software terms, to determine alternative approaches for meeting imposed controls , to

cost them out, to have them validated by proper legal and regulatory groups and then to implement them.

The computer in these instances becomes an information repository and the logical control machinery for controlling

access. The computer technological supporting system includes

the personnel and means for operating the information repository

and its control machinery, handling the information as it is
V. 8U

received and disseminated and the rules governing accessibility.

The computer and its supporting system must he separately treated.

Consider the case very much in the spotlight today -- that

of medical records.

Privacy assumes individuals have the right to keep certain

information about themselves to themselves.

The Supreme Court has addressed this in only one full

case. The subject was birth control. Connecticut law says that

it is unlawful for married couples to use contraceptives. The

Supreme Court accepted the constitutionality of privacy and

rules that this Connecticut law violated the allowed privacy

of indi vi duals

.

Confidentiality assumes sensitive information has been passed

from one person to another with whom the first person has a relationship of trust. This relationship of trust can be protected

by law. Information so passed can only be used for the personal

benefit of its originator -- not for any other person.

Both privacy and confidentiality of information assume

patient consent to its release. Medical practice is based upon

the assumption that medical records do not belong to the patient

but to the institution, clinic, or physician that produced them.

Privacy might be detrimental to medicine. Confidentiality

of information is common in medicine. It is generally accepted

that confidential information about patients may be exchanged
V. 85

among medical personnel without further specific permi s s i on of

the patient. This is because the law assumes that this exchange

is in the best interests of the patient. The law also assumes

the exchange of confidential information is for treatment not

research.

Computer technology can now provide four types of patient

control over computer systems. All are expensive and difficult

to implement. In brief they are:

1. The patient must consent to the release of all/

any pat i ent -r elat ed information.

2. The patient signs an initial blanket consent for

release of information entering the system on the basis of

standards for information control.

3. The patient gives blanket consent but distinguishes

between named release and un-named release.

4. The patient has some form of personal surveillance

on who has accessed the information and for what purpose: he

has right to correct errors.

Similar examples peculiar to other fields of computer application can be equally well formulated.

In designing computer systems with adequate control to

information, one must be careful not to require so much additional

"control" information as to impose new problems of invasion of

privacy or to increase system costs to an important level.
V. 86

Imposed accessibility controls must vary based on the type

of information: thus, several sets of control procedures may

have to be implemented in a single computer service center if

it provides a mult i -customer community service.

The COST is giving this area of Directed Exploratory Development the highest priority.

3 . Emulation Software

A grave problem facing the government is the practice its

computer customers have adopted of emulating second generation

computer software on third generation computer hardware. Emulation, as used here, is a process whereby one computer is set up

to permit the execution of programs written for another computer.

This is done through a combination of hardware features and

software packages. The present problems arose when customers

bought third generation hardware and found that the software

available soonest consisted of programs that would allow applications packages developed for their old computers to run on their

new ones. This is highly wasteful of newly procured computer

hardware

.

The technical problem which the COST must address on behalf

of the entire government is whether to make large scale investments

in software for third generation equipment or to call the third

generation of computers a "lost" generation and concentrate on
V. 87

the future. Annual investments in software of over $100 million

by the Federal Government will ride on the technical inputs made.

It is estimated that of the IBM 360 series computers in

the Federal inventory are using emulation software. This implies

that a significant fraction (over 11#) of the latest generation

computer hardware is using emulation software to run "old" programs written for older computers.

The problem is not one-time but is s elf -compounding . If

not faced up to now similar problems will cascade as computer

customers move to new equipments, minicomputers, and time-sharing

computer configurations.

b . Other Illustrative Exploratory Development Projects

a . Software Effectiveness

This project will define the parameters of software products

in a consistent manner using systems concepts; that is, by

treating a software product as a "black box" whose internal

characteristics are to be established by imposing standard inputs

and measuring the resulting outputs. In this way, competing

products should be able to be compared and potential users, can

more accurately specify their requirements and more closely

satisfy their needs. This project also proposes to provide

specialized types of users (e.g., scientists) with languages

for data acquistion, querying, and manipulation specifically

suited to their needs. It also seeks to develop data and

storage definition languages to facilitate mutual file access

and transferability.
V. 88

b . Pattern Classification and Processing

In this project, better tools and techniques are sought to

automatically classify, manipulate, describe, and interact

with two dimensional or graphic information, signals, and large

non-numeric sets. Tools needed are specialized languages, and

semi-automatic computer input methods azvd classification

methods. The techniques to be employed include computational

linguistics and artifical intelligence.

Clients for improved manipulation and interaction with

curves, patterns or signals, are agencies performing physiological and environmental monitoring, and agencies performing

chemical analysis, or voiceprint or fingerprint analysis.

c . Information Control

Initially through simulation, and later through actual

mul t i - c omput er implementation, priority control methods, resource

allocation methods and fail-soft controls will be studied and

appropriate ones developed for specific uses. Access to an

operational network will be essential by FY 73.

d . Language Development

Languages for data manipulation and definition to improve

file accessibility and transferability will be evaluated for

utility. Query and retrieval systems for specialized users, and

aids to problem-solving and diagnostics, will be evaluated and

changes recommended.
V. 89

5 . Funding Data for the Directed Exploratory Development

Program Area

The allocation of the RTS funding to Directed Exploratory

Development projects is listed he low for fiscal years 71# 72

and 73. The percentage of the total funding for CCST devoted

to this program area is also presented

Allocation of RTS Funding to

Directed Exploratory Development

FY 71 FY 72 FY 73

Total $(000) 261.2 261 .

2

390.8

% of total CCST 13.4 12.6 12.7

Funding

A listing of the allocation of funds for FY 72 and FY 73 in

terms of project areas is presented helow:

FY 72

Software Management, e.g., unbundling, emulation,

software, effectiveness, and software inventory projects.

FUNDING

$ 126,000

Controlled Accessibility to Computer Data Banks

FUNDING

$ 75,000

Computer Network Design and Economic Analysis

FUNDING

$ 31,200
Graphic Display Processing

FUNDING

y. 90

$ 30,000

FY 73

Softvare Management

FUNDING

$ 175,000

Controlled Acc es s ihility to Computer Data Banks

FUNDING

$ 100 ,000

Information Control

FUNDING

$

1+ 0 ,000

Graphic Display Processing

FUNDING

$1+5,800
V. 91

E . SUPPORTING SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVISORY SERVICES

This program area is composed of projects directed towards

satisfying the requirements of that part of PL 89-306 -which

assigns the Secretary of Commerce responsibility for providing

scientific and technological advisory services relating to

automatic data processing to Federal agencies. These projects

are also responsive to the portion of the BOB policy guidance

letter of December 1966 which delineates specific guidelines

for providing ADP advisory and consulting services.

The current COST technical program reflects the changing

character and emphasis of the Center’s scientific and technological

advisory services. Since its establishment, the Center has directed

the majority of these services toward helping Federal agencies

solve specific ADP problems; only a small part of the effort was

aimed at supporting those few Federal agencies which have broad

policy-making responsibilities in the area of automatic data

processing. Starting in FY 1972, CCST has reoriented its

scientific and technological advisory services program to put

more stress on support to such Federal policy-making and policyinfluencing agencies as the Office of Management and Budget,

General Service Administration, Office of Science and Technology,

Office of Telecommunications Policy, National Science Foundation,

National Academy of Science, General Accounting Office, Federal

Council on Science and Technology, Department of State, and the

Civil Service Commission. In spite of this change in emphasis.
y .92

however, ADP consulting and advisory services will continue to

be made available to other agencies to assist in solving specific

ADP management and application problems.

The COST Scientific and Technological Advisory Services program is made up of five general areas of activity:

1. Support to the formulation of ADP policies

2. Technology assessment and forecasting

3. Support to U.S. international activities in automatic

data processing

4. Support to other Federal agencies

5. Information services

1 . Support to Policy Formulation

The formulation of Federal policies affecting both the

development and utilization of computer technology is an

increasingly important part of Federal ADP management. The

Federal Government, with some 5300 computers valued at $2.8

billion is easily the largest single user of computers in the

United States. Clearly, a wide range of policy formulations are

required to insure effective management of these resources from

the point of view of acquisition, application, operation and

eventual disposition. At the time of their formulation, Federal

ADP policies must be assessed not only in terms of their impact

within the Fedral environment but also in terms of the supporting

computer technology, the national economy, the private sector’s
V. 93

use of computers, and the international environment.

The policy formulation process itself has become exceedingly

complex because of the rapid growth and rate of change in computer

technology and the extent to which automatic data processing is

being used both in the Federal Government and the private sector.

This is due in part to the increasing number of Federal agencies

now taking an active role in ADP policy-making and, in part, to

the growth of interdependence of computer technology with other

technologies, e.g., communications. For these reasons, ADP

policy-making is creating heavy demands for high quality scientific

and technical support over a wide range of ADP topics. In many

cases, this support must be in the form of extensive research

in computer science and technology of the type described in

earlier sections of this report. Moreover, the organizations

charged with responsibility for formulating ADP policy do not

have their own computer science and technology resources and,

therefore, must seek scientific and technical advice from other

organizations. The CCST, under PL 89-30 6, is the Federal

focal point for providing the technological base for the development of ADP policies.

Some of the prominent areas where scientific and technical

advisory services are needed are general Go vernment -wi de ADP

management policy, ADP product acquisition, teleprocessing and

computer networking, development of new computer science and

technology, technical assessment of automation opportunities,
y.94

and ADP manpower. Each of these areas has associated with it

unique demands for a technological base to support effective

policy-making. Some illustrative, examples follow.

a . General Government -wide ADP Management Policy

Under PL 89-306, the Office of Management and Budget has

responsibility for overall policy control of automatic data

processing. In carrying out this responsibility, 0MB needs a sustained, high level of scientific and technical advice and

assistance in identifying and exploring ADP management problems,

developing technically sound solutions, evaluating alternative

solutions, estimating the cost-benefits associated with specific

alternatives, and determining compliance with promulgated policies

As the technological arm of the Federal ADP management mechanism

COST must maintain data bases, conduct research and development,

develop ADP standards, keep abreast of new developments and provide technology forecasts, and conduct a wide range of technical

and economic analyses in order to provide the scientific and

technical foundation for ADP management policy formulation.

Similarly, COST must provide high quality technical support to

other Federal agencies such as the General Services Administration

and the General Accounting Office.

A specific example of COST ' s scientific and technological

support to ADP policy formulation occurred recently when 0MB

asked the Center to provide technical answers to several questions
V . 9 5

concerning potential damage to computer magnetic recording media

(i.e., magnetic tapes, films, disks and drums) from various kinds

of magnets. The Center quickly reviewed the research that has

"been done in magnetic recording and degaussing, summarized some

of the basic laws of magnetism, and conducted some tests and

experiments using small magnets and large electromagnetics. Within

a few days, the Center provided OMB with a brief but comprehensive

technical paper which answered the specific questions posed and

proposed a set of general guidelines for protecting magnetic

recording media against damage. This paper will serve as the

technical basis for a policy issuance to assist computer installation managers in guarding against intentional (or unintentional)

attempts to use magnetic devices to destroy information on

computer magnetic media.

Similarly, the Center is involved in providing technical

advice and assistance in formulating Federal ADP policies for

the validation of computer software. In this case, CCST is

providing technical inputs on the validation process itself,

and has developed a plan for implementing a central COBOL

validation service.

b . Computer Product and Services Acquisition

Under PL 89-306, the General Services Administration is

responsible for formulating policies affecting the acquisition

of ADP equipment, products and services. The entire area of

ADP acquisition has been growing rapidly and increasing in
y.96

complexity. GSA ADP procurement policies must deal effectively

with very difficult problems which are deeply rooted in computer

science .and technology itself. To insure maximum cost-effectiveness

in the procurement of ADP equipment, product and services, GSA

requires a high level of expert scientific and technical advice

and assistance in such difficult areas as performance measures

for computer systems, product validation and certification,

establishment of criteria for effecting interface compatibility

between the components that comprise a computer system, technology

assessment and forecasting as an adjunct to effective procurement

management, development of effective methods for determining

the real worth of used computing equipment, development of methods

for calculating the trade-offs between computer and communications

in teleprocessing systems, the maintenance of hardware and software

directories of what is already available in the Federal inventory

as an adjunct to improved resource sharing arrangements, etc.

CCST’s research program includes work in all these areas and

will provide the technological base for supporting GSA in formulating specific procurement policies. CCST will also provide

scientific and technical inputs to the General Accounting Office

to support its role of advising the Congress on ADP procurement

practices

.

In the area of computer products and services acquisition,

the Center is currently involved in providing technical assistance
V. 97

in the area of ADP equipment interface standards or plug-to-plug

compat ibility . The Center has made two recent contributions in

this area. First, it has prepared a policy-oriented paper which

discusses the need for interface standards for automatic data

processing systems. The paper discusses the kinds of interfaces,

the device controller /adaptor , and the hardware markets, and

recommends courses of action. Second, the Center has prepared

a technical paper which outlines a new approach to developing

solutions to the problems of interchangeability of components

in computer systems. The approach emphasizes deriving documentation of design and/or performance specifications for device

interfaces. First efforts in this area would be directed at

magnetic tape interfaces including both reels and cassettes -- reels because of their current widespread use and cassettes

because of their importance to teleprocessing. This work will

lead to Federal ADP procurement policies which will require all

computer equipment bids to contain precise interface descriptions.

These policies would forewarn industry of the Government’s intent

in the interface standards area and insure that unintentional

impacts of interface standards on industry are minimized.

Another area where COST scientific and technical support

of policy formulation is needed concerns the problem of the

Federal Government's large inventory of second generation computer

equipment. A real question is whether to invest in improved

software for equipment that is essentially obsolete; another is
V. 9 8

whether to impose "interface" standards that will require this

older generation of equipment to he plug-to-plug compatible with

newer peripherals. Another similar problem is the practice of

emulating second generation computer software on third generation

hardware. This problem arose when customers bought third generation hardware and found that the software closest at hand consisted of programs that would allow applications packages developed

for their old computers to run on their new ones. This is a highly wasteful use of computer hardware. The technical problem

is whether to invest in new third generation softwar.e or to

call the third generation a "lost" generation and concentrate

on the future. The problem demands a technological assessment

and forecast. CCST will emphasize work in this area as a part

of its technical program in Scientific and Technological Advisory

Services

.

2 . Technology Assessment and Forecasting

Technology is a "codified way of deliberately manipulating

the environment to achieve some material objective". Technology

assessment is "a systematic planning or forecasting process that

delineates options and costs, encompassing economic, environmental,

and social considerations (both external and internal) and with

special focus on technology-related ’bad', as well as 'good*

effects .
V . 99

Computer technology assessment and forecasting in the

Federal environment are particularly important because of

the pervasiveness of computer usage, the high cost of ADP

products and services, and the disruption and expense associated

with effecting changes in operational systems and computer

usage practices. Adequate forewarning of major advances or

important changes in the technology can smooth the introduction

of new technology and minimize the costs and disruptions

associated with such introductions,

The COST program in technology assessment and forecasting

has two primary objectives:- to prepare Federal customers for

anticipated changes, and to prepare the Center itself for the

resolution of problems associated with the new technology. In

the former case, COST will provide assessments and forecasts

to such agencies as OMB and GSA to initiate and support the

formulation of new or revised ADP policies which, being issued

in advance of the arrival of the new technology, can prepare

Federal agencies to deal effectively with the technology.

Further, CCST will engage in a wide range of technological

assessments and forecasting to assist specific Federal Agencies

in making decisions. regarding the acquisition of new ADP hardware,

developing new software, exercising lease vs purchase options,

etc. The CCST program in teleprocessing or computer networking

will be particularly valuable as a basis of advising Federal

agencies in the areas of computer services, trade-offs analysis

involving computing capacity versus communications capacity,

privacy or controlled accessibility of information, network design
V. 100

and cost optimization, teleprocessing software effectiveness,

and performance measurement.

3 . Support to U.S. International Activities

ADP scientific and technical advisory services play an

important role in U.S. international activities in the automatic

data processing area. Such services are needed as inputs to

the formulation of U.S. policies on exporting and importing computer

products and services; they are also needed to provide the capability

for assisting foreign governments in solving specific technical

problems in the acquisition and utilization of ADP systems. These

COST scientific and technical advisory services bear- directly on

U.S. economic well being and the balance of trade. In 1970, the

computer industry accounted for 38% of the total U.S. foreign

trade balance. Department of Commerce statistics show that total

U.S. exports for 1970 amounted to $1*2.731 billion and total imports

were $39*9^8 billion leaving a favorable trade balance of $2,783

billion. Computer exports were $1,105 billion and imports were

$33 million. The computer industry, therefore, accounted for

$ 1,072 billion or 38% of the total balance of $ 2,783 billion.

CCST scientific and technical advisory services constitute

a significant input to the formulation of U.S. ADP export-import

policies, and to the shaping of U.S. positions for participation

in international meetings and conferences involving such groups

as the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation

and Development (OECD). An example of this latter type of support
V. 101

involves COST inputs to the formulation of a U.S. position

regarding the proposal by the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International

Council of Scientific Unions to develop a World Science Information

System. Another example concerns proposals to develop international

programs to handle information to support actions relating to

environmental quality control.

Over the last few years, CCST has provided technical representation on special U.S. teams assisting foreign governments in

solving specific problems in automatic data processing. The

Center recently provided two computer professionals to a team

which assisted the Greek Government in analyzing and developing

solutions ADP systems problems. Currently, a senior member of

the CCST staff is detailed to the U.S. Agency for International

Development (AID) Mission in Kabul to assist the Royal Government

of Afghanistan in analyzing automation proposals, formulating

systems designs and preparing for the acquisition of computer

hardware and software. These types of scientific and technical

services not only help recipient countries but also are of

significant benefit in shaping U.S. computer export policies.

h . Support to Other Agencies

CCST has a basic responsibility under PL -89-306 and the NBS

organic act to provide scientific and technical consulting and

advisory services to assist Federal agencies in solving their

ADP oroblems . During FY 1971 » CCST provided such services to

some 4 5 organizations in l6 Departments and Independent Agencies.
y . 102

These services, provided on a cost-re imhur sable basis, cover a vide range of activities including systems analysis, system

specifications and requirements definition, system design, computer

programming, preparation and analysis of automation proposals,

and equipment selection. Specific examples of the assistance

provided to other agencies are provided in Section V.C.5 of

this report

.

The COST recently provided a unique type of scientific

and technological advisory service to the General Accounting

Office. In this instance, the GAO asked the Center to assist

in resolving technical issues related to bid protests involving

the award of a contract for the design and development of an

Undergraduate Navigation Training System. The Center provided

three expert consultants who worked with GAO lawyers, USAF technical

and procurement personnel, and industry personnel to determine

the merits of the technical issues of protest. Based on this

work, the Director, NBS , provided a report of findings to the

Comptroller General of the United States. The new program of

the Center emphasizes these kinds of service to Federal agencies.

5 . Information Services

In the performance of its mission and functions, CCST

must necessarily be a broker of information services. It

must collect, organize and maintain significant quantities of
V.103

information in the ADP and computer sciences and technology areas

both for its own consumption and for delivery to Federal customers.

The types of information to he collected include directories,

inventories and listings of ADP software, hardware systems, and

services, state-of-the-art surveys and reports, research and

technical reports, product specifications, etc.

The scientific and technical information services program

poses some difficult problems. The half-life of information is

currently about 3-5 years; therefore, state-of-the-art surveys

can no longer be done in the traditional leisurely manner. New

methods must be derived to facilitate conducting such surveys

and provide for their maintenance. Similarly, improved methods

for preparing and maintaining current inventories and directories

of relevant ADP information must be developed. In this regard,

COST will provide technical assistance and recommendations to

OMB, GSA, OST, OTP and other policy-making agencies to develop

the techniques and reporting mechanisms necessary to insure the

timely availability of the scientific and technical information

required to support the COST mission and the activities of other

agenc i e s

.

The COST has a responsibility to provide easy accessibility

to its own technical information holdings and to refer customers

to other sources of information. This area also requires improved

procedures and techniques in whose development CCST must participate.
V. 10l|

6 . Funding Data for the Scientific and Technological

Advisory Services Area

The allocation of RTS funding to the Scientific and

Technological Advisory Service Area is listed helow for FY 1971,

FY 1972 and FY 1973. The percentage of the total COST funding

devoted to this program area is also shown.

ALLOCATION OF RTS FUNDING TO

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVISORY SERVICES

FY 71 FY 72 • FY 73

Total $ (000) 357.7 357.7 200 .

0

% of Total CCST 18 .

4

17.3 6.5

Funding
V.105

F. COMPUTER SERVICES

The. Center for Computer Sciences and Technology operates a specialized service bureau as a prof it-and-los s enterprise, providing computer and related services to NBS and other government

agencies on a co s t-r eimbur s eable basis. Primary emphasis is

placed both on support of scientific, experimental and developmental applications and on assistance during the development

and early implementation of systems in which the user anticipates

conversion to his own computer within a specific period. Access

to the main computer system, an intercoupled UNIVAC 1108/1+18

is provided to both on-site users and those at remote terminals

connected via telecommunications.

1 . Planned Service Improvements for NBS Customers

In the Center’s new program for improving computer services

to its NBS customers, primary attention will be focused on

four general areas of activity, each of which will be discussed

in subsequent paragraphs:

a. laboratory support,

b. computer facilities,

c. ADP standards implementation,

d. experimental computer facilities for the

specific needs of COST.
V. 106

The highest priorities will he placed on those services and

facilities which cannot he obtained economically and effectively

through commercial sources.

The COST is proposing these new initiatives in its computer

services to place major emphasis on the specific needs of KBS.

This emphasis will result in the development of in-house

capabilities to augment and facilitate the use of the computer

in support of NBS technical and management programs. Without

this central computer support, particularly for exploratory

research, development and measurement technology in its various

programs, NBS may fall far behind other Federal laboratories

that are already making extensive and sophisticated uses of

computers. This concern is evidenced in the May 1970 report by

the "Ad Hoc Study Group on ADP Policy for KBS".

a. The need for computer support in laboratory experimentation has been documented in the interim report of the CALM

survey dated January 12, 1971* Forty-five visits have been completed, of over 100 planned, to various laboratories in the KBS.

Thus far, the survey reveals that significant improvements in the

Bureau's laboratory experimentation can be obtained through

(a) more reliable paper tape handling, (b) direct data and program

interchange between laboratory experiments and. the central

computer, and (c) development of 1108 processors for laboratory mini-computers. The latter development would
V. 107

substantially reduce the overhead programming expended in each

laboratory to program its own mini -computer . The Center plans

to hasten its efforts to improve paper tape handling with

emphasis on both the reliability of paper tape conversion/

input and the "one-job" concept; i.e., a single computer job

may consist of a program deck, a length of paper tape and/or

other media such as data cards and magnetic tape. Centralized

data logging will be supported by developing a system capability

that allows a laboratory experiment to be directly connected

to the central computer system as a remote batch terminal.

It is also planned to develop a system facility that will allow an

experimenter to interactively edit his centrally logged data

from a remote keyboard terminal. Future improvements to this

basic facility will also allow interactive compilation, computation and text processing. To improve access to the central

batch processing environment as well as job turnaround time,

it is also planned to place up to ten remote batch terminals

at strategic locations in the Bureau’s various laboratory

buildings. Finally, the development of an 1108 processor to

support laboratory mini - c omput er s will not only reduce the cost

of overhead programming, but will also greatly enhance the use

of such computers throughout the NBS laboratories.

b. Improved computer facilities are urgently needed in

support of on-line inquiry, interactive problem-solving and data

management applications. A specific example here is the Bureau’s
V. 108

management information system which is currently being

developed in a hatch processing environment. The present mode

of operation severely restricts the effective development of

these kinds of applications and feasible modifications to the

present operating environment have produced only marginal stopgap measures. The Center plans to upgrade the 1108/1+18 facility

to a multi-programming, expanded core system with augmented

input/output facilities, all of which it considers essential

to meet its service objectives. The augmented I/O facilities

will include an on-line extended character train printer to

support computer-aided text preparation and a full complement of

ASCII input/output devices. The overall responsiveness of

the batch processing system would be improved for both on-site

and remote users through faster job turnaround and increased

reliability; i.e., fewer system failures and less reruns.

Add-on facilities to this basic system will permit the orderly

development of on-line and interactive applications. An additional benefit of such system modernization will be increased

utilization of system resources.

c. An important element in planning these system modifications is attention to the requirements of those users who have

and are adopting Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)

and their associated American National and International

Standards. It is necessary to note that some "information

processing standards” now endorsed as FIPS were deliberately
V. 109

written to cover categories of information and processing not

routinely handled hy "standard computer centers" at the time

the standards were written. There is a growing class of

users and potential users of computer services which requires

implementations of the anticipatory features embodied in FIPS.

In recognition of this, the Center’s plans for improved hardware

and software are made with a view toward supporting the necessary

standards. Users with "advanced" requirements will be advised

of the potentialities of existing and developing standards and

encouraged to take these into account at an early stage in

planning long-term projects.

d. The fourth area of activity for major emphasis in

service improvements arises from the Center’s overall program.

Achievement of the Center’s new objectives implies a significant

and increasing demand for computer support, particularly in order

to conduct initial experiments in performance measurement,

computer networks, COBOL and FORTRAN validation systems, management information systems design and data communications. While

some of this support can be obtained commercially, the remaining

substantially new workload will require specialized in-house

computer services. Pending acquisition of a minimum set of

hardware systems to support the Center’s proposed technical

actions, interim support will be provided by the 1108 /Ul 8

complex and its immediate successors. Installation and/or

development of specific hardware and software capabilities
V. 110

vill be implemented within this complex as required and funded

to meet the experimental and computational needs of the Center’s

other program elements. Such modifications will be controlled

so as not to disrupt or degrade normal computer service to

other components of NBS.

The expected success of these planned improvements in the

Center's computer services to its NBS customers depends largely

upon the experience and competence of its technical staff. Recent

additions of senior personnel to the staff of the Computer Services

Division have greatly enhanced the prospects for a successful

program. In addition, the- Center will draw on staff of other

divisions in NBS to supplement its own expertise in specific areas.

2 . Funding Data for the Computer Services Program Area

The allocation of RTS funding to the Computer Services

Urogram area is listed below for fiscal years 71» 72, and 73.

The percentage of the toal funding for CCST devoted to this

Program area is also presented.

Allocation of RTS Funding to Computer Services

FY 71 FY 72 FY 73

Total $(000) 93.8 93.8 213.8

% of total CCST k . 8 4.6 7.0

Funding

A listing of the service improvements achievable under this

funding level is presented under major topical areas oriented

primarily to the Center's NBS customers.
V.lll

Service Improvements — NBS Lab Support

FY 72

a. Continue support to RTS-funded projects in

the area of programming services, software assistance, advice

on hardware and assistance in converting old programs to new

systems as provided for by UBS ADP policy dated August 5 S 1970.

b. Continue the definition and analysis phases

of the requirements study begun in FY 71 for automation of

NBS laboratory work. Complete documentation of financial support capability, and complete evaluation of alternative remote

batch devices at terminal ends.

c. Implement improved handling procedures to

reduce user time involved in punched paper tape processing.

Complete modifications to the Ul8 to reduce 1108 time required

to process punched paper tape data.

d. Investigate and define specific 1108 software

processors to support operation of mini-computers in NBS laboratori es

.

FUNDING

$93,800

FY 73

a. Continue support to RTS-funded projects in the

area of programming services, software assistance, advice on

hardware and assistance in converting old programs to new systems

as provided for by NBS ADP policy dated August 5> 1970.
V .112

b . Complete procurement and install remote

batch terminals at selected sites.

c. If feasible (technically and financially),

lease and install small time— sharing system for use of NBS only.

d. Develop selected 1108 software processors for

mini-computers used in NBS laboratory automation. Initial

efforts will be concentrated on support of those mini-computers

already installed.

FUNDING

$ 213,800
VI . ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CENTER FOR

COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

A. INTRODUCTION

The Center, in the five years since it was established,

has many accomplishments in which it takes pride. Its predecessor

organizations within the National Bureau of Standards earned much

of their reputation on the innovative and pioneering contributions

they made to computer hardware design. This was especially true

in the 19 50 1 s

.

The growth of the computer industry and the unpredicted

widespread use of computers both in the public and private sectors

made it inevitable that the Federal Government would find it

necessary to establish a substantial base of competence not only

in the technology of computer hardware but in the increasingly

important technologies of computer utilization and application.

These latter technologies form the core of what shall be referred

to as the technology of computer services.

The Brooks Bill (PL 89-306) of 1965 explicitly recognized

the importance of computer services in their entirety as a new

integral part of the operations of the Federal Government. Through

the foresight of its creators, it provided the impetus and primary statutory authority for the establishment of the Center for

Computer Sciences and Technology.

Under the direction of the Brooks Bill and the more detailed BOB guidance of December 1966, the efforts of the Center
VI. 2

have focused on the extremely complex areas of software management, systems management, computer utilization, computer applications,' and computer standardization. Only peripheral attention

has been directed towards computer hardware, per se. The computer hardware industry has demonstrated the ingenuity, production

capability, and quality control necessary for excellent hardware

products. The software industry has not yet done so.

In the context of this emphasis, the Center's accomplishments are discussed in subsequent sections under the general topics

of :

1. Standards Program

2. Scientific and Technical Information Services

3. Computer Services

k . Hardware Design and Implementation

5. Scientific and Technical Advisory Services to

Other Agencies

6. Software

Two excellent NBS pamphlets also describe technical highlights of the CCST for FY 6 9 and FY 70. They are reprinted from

"NBS Technical Highlights Fiscal Year 1969" and "NBS Technical

Highlights Fiscal Year 1970" NBS SP 3^-0. The accomplishments as

discussed here address the problem or responsibility generating

the accomplishment, present a brief background, and then describe

the accomplishment in terms of specific products or results,

benefits, and those customers who are assisted by the work.
VI . 3

B . SUMMARY OF ALLOCATIONS OF EFFORT

The OMB Policy Guidance letter separates, for its purposes, the responsibilities of the COST into four major areas.

The funding records of the COST have been examined and a rough

estimate of funding resources allocated to these four areas from

FY 1965 - FY 1971 is presented in the table below.

Fundi ng : $ ( 000

)

Responsibility FY 1965 ~ FY 1971

1

.

Advisory & Consulting

S ervi c e s 1658.2

2 . Standards (Federal and

Voluntary

)

1+238.

6

3. Research 2803.6

k. Computer Services 61+6.2

TOTAL 931+6 .

6

Before presenting the accomplishments, it should also

be asserted that the resources available to the Center have forced

it to focus on exceedingly modest, short-term goals. Its ability

to assist and when necessary to influence other Federal Agencies

has been similarly limited. Some of the projects which the COST

has felt to be important and which it has not been able to undertake or to complete in a responsive manner include:

1. The timely issuance of a COBOL standard.

2. Development of the following FIPS Standards given

high priority by Federal Agency consensus:
VI. k

FORTRAN

Interface Standards for Telecommunications

Signal Quality Interface Standards

Computer Software Performance Monitors

Analytic Performance Techniques

Application Packages

Systems Documentation

3. Software Product Management. This includes adequate

documentation, selection criteria, performance measurement, and

utilization procedures. In this context, software products

include

Systems Software

Software Packages (proprietary and in-house)

. Application oriented

. Non-client oriented

Software Services

U. Generalized Data Management Systems: Analysis and

Technical Guidance Services.

5. Management Information Systems ( MI S ) : Analysis and

Technical Guidance Services.

6. Engineering Analysis in the Hardware Interface

Problem Area: This involves detailing feasible means of achieving

component interchangeability in a competitive marketplace.

7. Information Accessibility Controls in Computer Systems

Work in this area could have decreased the amount of emotionalism

currently present in information privacy and confidentiality

discuss ions

.

8. Determination of Means for Measuring Compliance of

Federal Agencies with Standards.
9.

Improvement of the Technical Aspects of the Computer

Selection Process.

10. Development of Software Validation and/or Certification

S ervi c e s . 11. The "annual review of the accomplishments of and

programs for research in computer sciences and techniques [to

be] conducted with the Bureau of the Budget, Office of Science

and Technology and other Government Agencies engaged in or

sponsoring research in computer sciences to assess accomplishments

and to provide guidance to programs." This was a responsibility

assigned to the 0MB Policy Guidance letter of December 15, 1966.
VI . 6

C . ACCOMPLISHMENTS MATCHED AGAINST ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITIES

The accomplishments of the CCST are presented in the

following sections.

1 . The CCST Standards Program

A major function of the CCST is that of administering the

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Program. This is

in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 89-306 (the Brooks

Bill) that authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make appropriate

recommendations to the President relating to the establishment of

uniform Federal automatic data processing standards.- In a letter

to the Secretary of Commerce of December 15» 1966 policy guidance

was provided in the implementation of this law by the Office of

Management and Budget . The Federal Government is the largest single user of information processing equipment. Since the introduction of the first

general purpose computer in 1951* use has increased to where there

were approximately 5300 computers in the Federal Government in

July 1970. The establishment of information processing standards

was not recognized as a significant factor in the early years of

Government computer use since there were only a small number of

manufacturers and a limited selection of available equipment.

Information systems were generally independent of other systems

and those standards that were established were done so on strictly

a local basis. However, as the technology advanced and as the
VI . 7

number of applications of information processing systems increased,

the need for standardization became more apparent. Large systems

now being acquired by the Government include complex networks of

peripheral devices and central processing units and frequently these

interface with extensive systems of world-wide telecommunications.

A practice used by some agencies in the past in acquiring

multiple computer systems has been to procure these from a single

manufacturer. Acquisitions of this type provide a certain amount

of standardization and compatibility within a given environment.

In many cases the manufacturer provided nearly all the system

components including communications hardware. However, this type

of "single vendor" procurement did not provide compatibility with

other systems acquired from other manufacturers. Furthermore, this

approach to establishing standards by procuring equipment and

services from a single manufacturer resulted in unbalanced competition.

Standards Produced

To date three standards have resulted from the COST program,

and six from the OMB program. There are published by BBS in a series of publications entitled FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING

STANDARDS, commonly referred to as FIPS. The publications issued

are listed below. Those that are standards are noted with an

asterisk.

FIPS PUB 0 General Description of the Federal Information

Processing Standards Register.
VI . 8

*FIPS PUB 1 Code for Information Interchange, (Hardware Standard, Interchange

Codes and Media).

*FIPS PUB 2 Perforated Tape Code for Information Interchange, (Hardware

Standard, Interchange Codes and Media).

*FIPS PUB 3 Recorded Magnetic Tape for Information Interchange (800 CPI, NRZI),

(Hardware Standard, Interchange Codes and Media).

*FIPS PUB 4 Calendar Date, (Federal General Data Standard, Representations and

Codes )

.

*FIPS PUB 5-1 States and Outlying Areas of the United States, (Federal General

Data Standard, Representations and Codes).

*FIPS PUB 6-1 Counties and County Equivalents of the States of the United

States, (Federal General Data Standard, Representations and Codes).

FIPS PUB 7 Implementation of the Code for Information Interchange and

Related Media Standards ,• (Supplement to FIPS PUB 1, 2, and 3).

*FIPS PUB 8 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, (Federal General Data Standard,

Representations and Codes).

*FIPS PUB 9 Congressional Districts of the United States, (Federal General Data

Standard, Representations and Codes).

*FIPS PUB 10 Countries, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty, (Federal

General Data Standard, Representations and Codes).

FIPS PUB 11 Vocabulary for Information Processing (Software, Documentation).

FIPS PUB 12 Federal Information Processing Standards Index.

Standards Submitted for Approval

Additionally, the following proposed standards have been submitted to

OMB for approval as FIPS:

Bit Sequencing of the Code for Information Interchange in Serial-byBit Data Transmission.
Character Structure and Character Parity Sense for Parallelby-Bit Data Communication.

VI . 9

. Character Structure and Character Parity Sense for Serial-by-Bit Data

Communication in the Code for Information Interchange

. Hollerith Punched Card Code

. Rectangular Holes in Twelve-Row Punched Cards

. Subsets of the Standard Code for Information Interchange.

Approval of these by the Director, OMB occurred on 18 June 1971

Time Required to Standardize

A chart which reflects the time taken to develop the nine standards and proposals

for which NBS has primary responsibility is reflected below:

NBS/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (dates, year-month)

TITLE OF STANDARD OR

PROPOSED STANDARD

Joined

Industry

Committee Decision

to

Process

as

Federal

Standard

Coordinated

with

Gov't

Agencies

NBS

forwarded

to

Dept,

of

Commerce

Dept

.

of

Commerce

Forwarded

to

OMB

Approved

as

FIPS

(President

or

OMB)

Promulgation

of

Implementing

Inst.

I

Implemented

in

Procurement

Act'n

—

-

—

——————

FIPS 1, Code for

Information Interchange 60-11 65-09 65-11 66-05 66-06 68-03 69-03 70-04

FIPS 2, Perforated Tape

Code for Info. Interchange 62-06 6 5-09 66-01 66-11 66-12 6 8-0 3 69-03 70-04

FIPS 3, Recorded Magnetic

Tape (800 CPI, NRZI) 62-06 6 5-11 67-04 67-11 67-12 68-03 69-03 70-04

Bit Seq of the Code for

Info. Interchange 63-02 69-03 70-02 70-03 70-04

Char. Stru. S Par. Sense

for Parallel-by-Bit Data C. 63-02 69-03 70-02 70-03 70-04

Char. Stru. £ Par. Sense

for Serial-by-Bit Data C. 63-02 69-03 70-02 70-03 70-04

Hollerith Punched Card

Code 62 67-12 68-02 70-07 70-07

Ret. Holes in 12 Row

Punched Cards 62 67-12 68-02 70-07 70-07

Subsets of the Standard

Code for Info. Inter. 69-07 69-05 69-11 70-07 70-08
VI .10

Standards Objectives

The objectives of the FIPS Program have been defined as follows:

Data, Programs and Components

. To facilitate the interchange of machine sensible data within and among data

processing installations.

. To facilitate the interchange of computer programs among computers of different makes and models.

. To facilitate the interchange of computer components and devices across product lines.

Data Communications

. To establish, where applicable, common standards for both information

processing and data communications.

. To facilitate the interfacing of information processing and data communications systems.

Computer Performance

. To provide objective measures of performance for Federal computing systems,

components and software packages.

Applications and Data

. To eliminate unnecessary reinvention of like computer applications throughout Government departments and agencies

.

. To facilitate the interchange of data at the data element level.

Personnel and Environment

. To maximize the productivity of technical personnel working with Federal

information processing systems.

. To reduce the need for retraining in programming, operations and maintenance due to differences in manufacturers’ products and systems.

. To develop guidelines for ADP and telecommunications site preparation and

environment

.
VI .11

Acquisition and Reassignment of ADP Products

. To provide tools for optimizing computer selection.

. To facilitate and speed-up the mechanics of acquiring information processing systems, components, software and related

material, supplies and services.

. To protect current investments in computer programs, data files

and personnel when acquiring new equipment.

. To facilitate the procurement of portions of multiple CPU

systems from different suppliers.

. To facilitate the procurement of components of a single CPU

system, particularly peripheral devices, from different suppliers.

Priorities

In March 1970, NBS queried Federal Departments and establishments as to their needs and priorities for ADP standards. The

results of this query generally indicated that highest priority be

given to programming languages, documentation, telecommunications

interfaces, data elements, and optical character recognition.

Some fifty areas have been identified for which standards are

needed. Work is currently underway or is planned within CCST to

develop these for Federal implementation.

COBO L

One of the major standardization efforts has been that of

the COBOL programming language. The demonstrated Government

interest in having a COBOL standard prompted NBS, in July 1968,
VI. 12

to solicit comments and views, from both Government and industry,

on plans for the adoption of the ANSI COBOL as a Federal Standard.

The Federal COBOL Standard will become effective on July 1, 1972.

Revisions have been made to the draft FIPS PUB to resolve

these major issues. Coordination has been completed with selected

agencies and concurrences have already been received. The proposed FIPS PUB for Federal Standard COBOL will be published in

the Federal Register for the purpose of obtaining industry comments. Following the review of industry comments, a recommended

FIPS PUB will be forwarded to OMB through the Department of

Commerce. The COBOL standard will become effective in the Federal

Government in July 1972.

Software Validation Service

CCST in cooperation with the Department of Defense is developing procedures and tests for validating the COBOL programming

language. A software validation service is envisioned with

initial funding being requested from the ADP revolving fund.

Barring unforeseen difficulties, the validation service should be

operational in the last half of FY 72 or early FY 73.

Interface Standards

The need for interface standards has been another major concern of the CCST. Shipments of plug-to-plug compatible devices

by independent peripheral manufacturers have been increasing in
VI .13

both volume and variety. Expanding adoption of de facto interface standards is largely responsible for the increase of annual

shipments to approximately 560 million dollars in 1970 and an

expected rate of 720 million dollars in 1971. De facto device

interface standards result when various application requirements

become generally satisfied by the capabilities of equipments

whose performance was prescribed through the voluntary standardization of ADP supplies such as tapes, disk packs, cassettes, and

forms. In addition to compatible devices, the larger independents

have begun shipping subsystems that meet de facto interface

standards at the channel level. Also, there is an expressed requirement for greater uniformity in the direct connection of major

system components (such as mass memories), which must presently

be individually fitted and remain sensitive to variabilities in

system software.

If the volume of shipments cited above (combined sales and

rentals) derives from underpricing the main frame manufacturers

by as little as 15$, customer cost savings are currently in excess

of 1000 million dollars per annum, of which the Federal Government

should be realizing a proportionate share. Further economic

benefits of competition are being realized through market reactions

of the principal system manufacturers, which have included significant price reductions as well as new performance features.

Performance standards for retail products are rarely written

voluntarily. Further, such standards do not necessarily insure
vi. lU

interchangeability of complex ADP components. The alternative to

product standards is de facto interface design and performance

standards, 'whose development and utilization require, in addition

to maturing of the market, the same urgency of demand from

"general interest" and "government" groups normally needed in

voluntary standardization processes.

The following recommendations have been made concerning future

standardization of interfaces:

. De facto standards for reel type tape handler and disk handler

interfaces should be reviewed and those appropriate for

selective use in Federal procurement of the related devices

should be identified. Identification should be in terms of

equivalent performance, since design specifications, however

detailed, cannot be expected to assure functional interchangeability of components.

. After some pre-announce d date, such as the first of Fiscal

Year 19T^ S supplier bids for main frame hardware should be

required to describe certain kinds of interfaces (to be

enumerated) in sufficient detail to permit competitive procurement of related system components.

. Field engineering changes in major ADP components for the

purpose of improving system operation either should not alter

significantly the functioning of system interfaces, or should

prescribe peripheral modifications required to maintain

comp at ibil ity

.
VI. 15

CCST should actively participate in the work of ANSI subcommittee X3T9 in developing an input/output interface standard

at the channel level as being fundamental to most applications,

but providing exceptions such as process control computers and

minicomputers

.

CCST should continue its active support of ANSI in the standardization of ADP supplies, including magnetic tapes, disk packs,

tape cassettes and forms, in order to help define the performance of interfaces for the corresponding peripheral devices.

Such definition is viewed as a significant benefit in addition

to those relating directly to the standardization of supplies.

A program should be undertaken to collect complete information

on device level interface specifications for all computer peripheral equipments having existing or potential economic

significance. These data should be considered in the development

and application of additional device level interface standards

which may become economically and technically feasible. Such

new standards may have to be developed because of recent

developments in integrated circuit technology and its application to general-purpose interface adaptors by equipment

manufacturers

.

Finally, but perhaps most urgently, performance criteria interms of job effectiveness for types of applications should be

identified and classified, so proper weights may be assigned

to them in determining the cost-effectiveness of various
vi .16

combinations of interchangeable ADP components for any particular

installation. The relative values obtained may be expected often

to differ greatly from those currently obtained from consideration

of the hardware performance figures in the manufacturers’ manuals.

) Magnetic Tape Standardization

Government Agencies, industrial producers of tape and tape

handling equipment, the American National Standards Institute

(ANSI), and the International Standards Organization (ISO) had

requested standard computer tape references since the establishment o f COST . In 1969 , the NBS (COST) began issuing secondary standard

magnetic tape computer amplitude references, referred to as

Standard Reference Material (SRM) 3200.

This Standard Reference Material consists of 600 feet of

reference tape wound on an 8 1/2 inch diameter precision reel,

applicable test and calibration data, and a description of the

equipment and procedures employed for the calibration. Each tape

is calibrated against the Master Standard Magnetic Tape kept in

repository at NBS.

The primary purpose in issuing these secondary reference tapes

is to provide industry and Government with a common signal level

reference source for calibrating computer tape recording and

reproducing equipments. Thus far, the major customers have been

tape and tape equipment manufacturers and testing laboratories.
VI. IT

In addition, the secondary reference tape serves as the common

reference for production control and is used in the qualification

and acceptance testing of all computer tape available to Federal

Agencies from the GSA Schedule. The secondary reference tape is

also of significant value to Federal ADP installations and tape rehabilitation centers "which are employing industry produced working

reference tapes. Specifically, the SRM 3200 can be used for measuring

the signal amplitude stability of these working references because

it serves as the primary reference in the calibration and certification process used by industry in the production of these working

references. Widespread use of the NBS "secondary reference tapes by

computer installations and testing facilities substantially contribute to error-free tape recording and reproduction in using installat ions.

The issuance of the secondary reference tapes by NBS directly

supports the June 1966 Presidential memorandum to all Departments

and Agencies which directed the employment of all possible means to

provide better computer utilization at the lowest cost.

This capability and function of the COST is unique both

nationally and internationally. Thus far fifty-eight secondary

reference tapes have been distributed as follows:

U . S . Industry 38

U.S. Government 5 Foreign Countries 1_5_

TOTAL 58
vi . 18

The NBS (CCST) developed its Master Standard Magnetic Tape

as a result of research on tape characteristics, in the course of

which the NBS performance measurements laboratories had to develop

new instrumentation for a tape evaluation system that measures

the amplitude of signal pulses read from the tape. This instrumentation is now used in calibrating the secondary reference tapes

issued by the NBS.

Voluntary Standards Participation

It has been the policy of CCST to support the voluntary

standards activities especially those of the American National

Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO). It is important that Federal computers and information systems be compatible not only with each other, but also

with those of State and local governments, the private sector

of the economy and those of other nations. Accordingly, standards

developed to meet Federal requirements should, to the extent

practicable, be consistent with corresponding ANSI and ISO standards.

This has not, however, prevented the Government from (l) adopting

standards on its own in cases where ANSI and ISO standards do

not exist or are inadequate, nor from (2) modifying ANSI and ISO

standards where they do not completely meet Federal requirements,

nor from (3) embarking on independent standards development efforts

in cases where ANSI and ISO efforts do not exist or are too slow,

or are leading to results which will not satisfy the Government’s

needs

.
VI. 19

In this regard, there are some 167 Government representatives

from the various Federal Departments and Agencies participating

on voluntary standards groups, particularly on the ANSI Committees

concerned with Computers and Information Processing (X3), Office

Machines (XI*) and Library Work, Documentation, and Related

Publishing Practices (Z39)« NBS provides 21 participants on these

groups

.

As a result of these cooperative efforts, some 30 voluntary

standards have been adopted. Four of these have been adopted for

Federal use and five others have been recommended. The remainder

of the ANSI standards are in various phases of consideration or

coordination as Federal standards. There are some 70 other standards

under development within the technical groups of ANSI.

FIPS Coordinating and Advisory Committee and Task Groups

The CCST in performing its functions in developing proposed

Federal Information Processing Standards under the Brooks Bill

(PL 89-306) needed to obtain advice and assistance from other

Federal Agencies. A FIPS Coordinating and Advisory Committee

was established in May 1969 by the CCST. It provides coordination

of the work assignments to such task groups, and serves as a general advisory group to NBS on Information Processing Standards.

It has members from all concerned Federal Agencies.

The FIPS Coordinating and Advisory Committee consists of

(l) the Chief of the Office of Information Processing Standards,

Center for Computer Sciences and Technology, NBS, as Chairman,
VI . 20

(2) the Chairmen of FIPS Task Groups, ( 3 ) the Chairman of the

Interagency Committee on ADP, and (k) such other members as the

Chairman of the FIPS Coordinating and Advisory Committee may

designate. The composition of the Committee also includes

members from NBS, 0MB, and GSA , the three agencies principally

responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Brooks Bill.

CCST recognizes that it must coordinate the standards program on an interagency basis. It is the purpose of the FIPS Task

Groups to assist NBS to provide better coordination of the

Federal ADP standards program. Technical personnel with a knowledge of each agency's requirements assist NBS in matters regarding

development, adoption, and implementation of standards.

This participation by agencies enables NBS to gain greater

insight into their respective agency problems and requirements.

Such participation also allows NBS to more effectively evaluate

its own standards program, and focus efforts on agency needs.

To date ten FIPS Task Groups have been established as follows

Task Group 1 - Objectives and Requirements for Standards

Task Group 2 - Data Terminals and Data Interchange Systems

Re quirement s Task Group 3 - Character Subsets, Sign Conventions, and

Packing Techniques

Task Group 4 - Subsections on Standards for Use in Requests

for Proposals
VI. 21

Task Group 5 Task Group 6

Task Group 7

Task Group 8

Task Group 9

Vocabulary

• Computer Magnetic Tape

Magnetic Tape Labels

• Format Description for Information Interchange

COBOL

Task Group 10 - Computer Systems Performance Evaluation

The three major benefits resulting from the standards program as expressed by Congressman Jack Brooks (D - Texas), the

sponsor of Public Law 89-306, are:

1. The free interchange of data

2. The interchangeability of programs

3. Increased competition among computer manufacturers

resulting in better computers at lower cost.

Congressman Brooks has also stated:

"There is no question that ultimately optimum compatibility

among computers will be attained. The real question is when.

At this time, we have the opportunity, through meaningful problem

definition, to determine with greater exactitude the true nature

of this problem. With greater interest among those participating

in the effort we can speed up the process. Optimum compatibility

among computers is the key to their fullest exploitation. We must

do more than we have done in the past, and we must give compatibility

the highest priority. In terms of the benefits computer techniques

can bring to our society, we can move this nation forward decades

in but a few years."
vr.22

COST has supported these objectives and statements and is

doing all -within its available resources to assure that they are

realized and implemented.

2 . Scientific and Technical Information Services Provided by

the COST

The NBS (CCST), under its Brooks Bill mandate, is responsible

for providing scientific and technological advisory and consulting

services to Federal Agencies in the area of ADP

.

The BOB policy

guidance in its letter of December 15, 1966 cited specific tasks

in support of this mission. The Department of Commerce Department

Order 90-B of May 1966 highlighted the importance of information

services in that one of the five Divisions of the CCST was given

the mission of operating a specialized information. center for the

computer sciences and technology.

The initial information base for the COST was the documentation that had been acquired by the organizational units that -preceded the establishment of the Center, primarily the collection

of the Information Technology Division. This contained

not only the computer literature that had accrued since the mid1940' s but also the holdings of the Research Information Center and

Advisory Service on Information Processing, a special project cosponsored by the National Science Foundation and NBS beginning in

1958 with emphasis on research and development and the personnel

involved in what is now termed the information sciences. Since

Public Law 89-306 effectively gave specific legislative legitimacy
VI. 23

to NBS ' s on-going function of providing technical and scientific

advisory services to agencies in their utilization of computers to

perform their missions, there already was a pattern of their making

use of the services now provided hy the Center. It was the Center's

objective to be able to provide them even better and thus to increase

the effective and efficient utilization of ADP in the Federal Establishment . To this end, the task of systematizing the total information

base in order to be more responsive to requests was undertaken,

building on the tools already available, through the use of a set of index-creating programs. A major problem encountered

immediately was the derivation of a classification scheme for

computer information. There were as many such schems as there

were collections. Two of the professional societies with commensurate problems being the Association for Computing Machinery

and the Computer Group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic

Engineers, collaborative efforts were undertaken with these and

other activities on information management systems problems,

including the development of a mutually acceptable computer

information classification scheme, the definition of a universal

set of descriptive data elements and their respective codes, and

the realization of a standard format for recording bibliographic

information on magnetic tape to facilitate interchange (utilizing

such standards as ASCII). Over the first three years this type

of effort took as much manpower as that of continuing tasks

of acquisition, descriptive cataloging, including analysis
YI . 2k

and recording of data, and searching the data "base for selecting

and retrieving information to meet the requirements of users of

the services. In addition, in changing from an IBM 709*+ to a UNIVAC 1108 as the NBS service computer, the index producing

programs had to be rewritten so they were made machine independent

by using COBOL as the programming language. The system used for

file preparation and manipulation has been named CHAOTIC, for

Computer- and Human-Aided Organization of a Technical Information

Center, and can be utilized for any collection of information.

As to the information maintained by the Center, it Includes but

is not limited to the following types: books, proceedings, reports

journals and other serials, update services, program catalogs and

documentation, descriptions of hardware, software and services,

house organs, brochures, manuals, course and conference announcements, some Requests for Procurement and suppliers responses, and

so forth. The magnetic tape file containing the FY 70 Index of

Computer Sciences and Technology Project Resumes is available but

of limited usefulness. The supply of Federal Information Processing

Standards Publications (FIPS Pubs), published by the Center, is

also maintained for regular distribution and for responding to

additional requests.

Services range from alerting individuals regarding availability

of information of known concern to them or their organizations to

indepth searches with analysis on specific aspects of the computer

field, in addition to the obvious one of providing documents on

demand to the Center staff. An analysis of services provided over
VI .25

the first nine months of FY 71 indicates that the number of

requests for technical and scientific advice averaged about 50 per

month (other than simple requests for identifiable documents) and

that the clientele served could be categorized as follows: approximately 60 % were employees of Federal agencies (some 50 agencies in

17 departments and independent agencies); 30 % came from industry;

and the remaining 10# were evenly divided between students and

staff of high schools, colleges and universities, and private

individuals (not otherwise identifiable). Of the requests received,

slightly less than two-fifths consisted of requests for general

information or for location or identification of a source from

which to get information, one-fifth could be answered by reasonably

easy referral to references, and the remaining two-fifths required

detailed search and analysis, along with compilation of a selective

bibliography and/or document collection.

A sample of requests received and responded to include such

topics as the use of computers in real estate, identification of

program optimization packages, history of computing at NBS

,

economics of the computer industry, number and types of computer

personnel by size of installation, forecasts of technological

advances in computers, early publications on data input devices,

statistics on teleprocessing terminals used in the U.S. Government,

status of and information on computers in various foreign countries,

information center management at the local, national and international levels, computer programs for engineering departments in universities and computer selection criteria. Special bibliographies
VI . 26

are typied by such subjects as management information systems,

operational medical information systems, software development and

manpower requirements, centralized vs decentralized computer operations, memories, data communications, and software catalogs and

indexes. The tape files and printouts of data on domestic and

foreign computer installations, obtained from the International

Data Corporation for use by the Government, have also been utilized

for searches, both manual and by special computer runs, an example

of the latter being to produce a report of the relevant market share

by manufacturer for the Department of Justice.

The costs to the Center for the establishment of a management

system for the computer sciences and technology information base

and for providing scientific and technological advisory services

for the period FY 67 through FY 71 are approximately $1 million,

including costs of labor, information resources, computer time

and NBS overhead. The provision of this type of analytical service

requires professional staff as well as support staff for file

preparation and maintenance. The computer-produced indexes provide

necessary search tools for the present; however, the computer data

files will be cumulative on tape for eventual use for batch processing and/or on-line when it becomes economically advantageous.
VI . 27

3. Computer Services

The Comput er service activity operated by tire Center for

Computer Sciences and Technology is included in the D e c e mb e r 1 5 , 1966 policy guidance to the Department of Commerce in the implementation of the Brooks Bill. Its mission , as provided in

paragraph E. of the guidelines, is ". . . to meet the needs of the

National Bureau of Standards and upon request to furnish services

including problem diagnosis, systems design, programming, and

related support activities to Federal Agencies on a reimbursable

basis .

In January 1964, the Bureau of the Budget Bulletin 6 U9

announced the establishment of a Computer Sharing Exchange and a Computer Service Center at the National Bureau of Standards to

serve Government Agencies in the metropolitan Washington, D.C.,

area on an experimental basis. The sharing experiment was successfully concluded, and in August 1 966, responsibility for the

Sharing Exchange was transferred to the General Services Administration (GSA). Subsequently, the Service Center experiment was

evaluated and, in July 1967, GSA delegated to the Department of

Commerce authority to operate a permanent ADP Service Center at

the National Bureau of Standards.

On February 27, 1967, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for

Science and Technology advised the Assistant Director for Management

and Organization of the Bureau of the Budget that "...the National
VI. 28

Bureau of Standards proposes to concentrate its efforts towards

those tasks requiring professional input on the part of NBS staff,

on those which deal with the experimental use of computers, and on

those which represent the development of a new computer application.

The Service Center will continue to provide raw computer time to

other agencies, hut only to the extent this does not interfere with

the ability to he responsive to service requests under any of the

above circumstances .

Most recently, in a statement of new ADP policy, dated

August 5s 1970, NBS assigned authorities to the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology for providing central computer

services primarily oriented to meeting the technical and administration needs of NBS. One of the major policy conclusions

reached by the ad hoc study group on ADP policy for NBS was that

M ...The Center for Computer Sciences and Technology should take

a more positive role in advancing the state-of-the-art of ADP

utilization at NBS.”

In meeting these responsibilities, the Center operates a computer facility that provides computer and related services to

NBS and other Government Agencies on a cost-reimbursable basis.

Primary emphasis is placed both on support o f scientific , experimental and developmental applications and on assistance during the

development and early implementation of systems that the user

anticipates converting to his own computer within a specific
VI. 29

period. Access to the main computer system, an intercoupled

UNIVAC 1108/1+18, is provided to both on-site users and those at

remote terminals connected via telephone lines. The following

examples illustrate some of the Center’s more significant accomplishments in Computer Services.

Several agencies have made use of the remote access capability

of the NBS central computer system to develop large-scale applications and data bases prior to installing their own computer or

in connection with evaluating the feasibility of installing their

own computer. For example, assistance was provided to the Economic

Development Administration, which began using the NBS facility from

a remote terminal in the summer of 1967 and, as planned, converted

to its own computer in January 1970. This assistance permitted the

orderly development of a broad economic data base and informationhandling techniques at a minimum cost. More recent examples include the Edgewood Arsenal and the Social Security Administration.

A terminal was installed at the Edgewood Arsenal in July 1969, and

in May 1971# they installed their own computer system at the

Arsenal. Staff members of the Computer Services Division provided

consultation and advice preceding and during the conversion and

furnished a substantial number of programs and software packages

originally developed for the NBS computer. This enabled Edgewood

to become fully operational in a minimum period of time. The

Social Security Administration installed remote terminals in their

Baltimore (October 1968) and Washington (March 1969) offices to

gain access to the NBS computer for support of research and development activities. A new computer system, has now been installed in
VI . 30

Baltimore (October 1970) which already supports the work from the

Washington, DC., terminal, and it is expected that most of the

Baltimore terminal workload will he supported in the near future.

As a final example of this type, terminals at IJ.S. Forest Service

offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Milwaukee, Denver, and

Albuquerque were connected to the system, enabling the Forest

Service to experiment with centralized road design computations

and collaborative development of new design techniques. At the

same time, a saving was achieved by the Forest Service by not having

to acquire additional computer equipment to support the decentralized

operations

.

A comprehensive set of computer programs called SPEED (Systematic Plotting and Evaluation of Enumerated Data) has been developed

for the Structures Section of the NBS Building Research Division to

automate the recording and processing of experimental data on

either magnetic or paper tape. The computer programs interpret

and transform these data, print the transformed data, and also

produce graphs. The scientist is able to control the exact

form of the output through the use of a few input parameters.

Following a presentation of SPEED at an ACM symposium in June 1970

and subsequent publication in "Computer Graphics," there have been

about 30 inquiries and requests for copies of the programs.

Cost/benefit analyses of results obtained from experimentation

with various terminal equipments and various communication facilities
VI. 31

were used in selecting equipment and facilities. Benchmark tests

showed a marked improvement in performance of selected terminal

devices when using a Milgo U800 bps modem as compared to both the

201B modem (2U00 bps) over the same leased line and the dial-up

201A (2000 bps) service. As a result , five sets of Milgo modems

have been purchased and placed in service to take fullest advantage of the capability of the terminal. This has produced a saving

of about $1200 per terminal and a performance improvement of 12 to

25 percent over leased modems. In addition, the Coastal Engineering

Research Center has independently installed Milgo modems to replace

their 201Bs and to achieve similar economies and increased performance. As a further test, a direct communications cable was

installed between the NBS Supply Division’s terminal and the Hl8

in order to achieve the full rated capability of the Noller

Corporation DTS-llU terminal using a pair of lU.4 kilobit modems.

The resulting improvement was impressive enough that the Bureau has

placed a pair of these modems in full time operation for the Supply

Divi sion

.

The Computer Services Division has established several channels

of communications with its users in an effort to keep them up to

date on both policy and technical matters affecting computer utilization. The computer itself is used to Cl) print notices of

current interest at the end of each printed output; (2) produce

a comprehensive user's manual and maintain an up-to-date version
VI. 32

in on-line mass storage, and (3) maintain a list of known software bugs and tips on how to avoid them. In addition, frequent

newsletters are issued containing technical information and advance

notice of proposed system changes, enabling users whose programs

are affected to plan accordingly. Most recently, an automatic

response telephone was installed which provides recorded messages

of current interest to users of the facilities. Occasional

seminars presented by the systems staff serve to pass along '’tricks

of the trade," stimulating users to think about more efficient ways

of using the computer. These communications are aimed both at

better service to the users and at freeing systems programmers for

more effective use by reducing demands on their time for one-toone user counseling.

The Quick Query information retrieval system was obtained from

the Economic Development Administration and implemented on the NBS

UNIVAC 1108 for use by the NBS Office of Flammable Fabrics in constructing and interrogating a data base of fire accident cases.

Subsequently, the Office of Fire Research and Safety and the Metric

Study’s Industrial Survey team were introduced to Quick Query as a relatively inexpensive and flexible approach to maintaining and

interrogating data files.

For over three years, the Office of the Secretary, U.S.

Department of Commerce, has received continual support from

Computer Services Division in the operation and maintenance of
VI. 33

the Uniform Personnel System which is used to maintain a file of

personnel records for the Office of the Secretary and 1

6

other

Commerce bureaus and commissions. One programmer has recently

been representing the Office of the Secretary in meetings at

Civil Service Commission concerned with implementation of the

Federal Personnel Management Information System.

For some time, Computer Services Division has been promoting

the use of microfilm produced in lieu of computer listings for

voluminous information that must be retained on file for lengthy

periods. Several programs have been developed to assist users in

using the S-C ^020 Computer Recorder for the preparation of microfilm, and a UNIYAC 100^ plug board has been made available to allow

off-line printing of magnetic tapes which have been formatted for

microfilm production. The NBS Supply Division was one of the

initial benefactors of these efforts, switching to microfilm

recording of some property management and standard reference

material information. The Applied Mathematics Division is the most

recent user of one of the print-to-microfilm programs, replacing

large listings representing the results of mathematical library

testing

.

The Harry Diamond Laboratories' (HDL) Office of Technical

Information has received programming and analysis support for the

past five years. One of their most recent achievements was the

introduction of a Selective Dissemination of Information (SDl)
VI. 3b

system which is dependent upon computer programs designed and

developed (in part) by Computer Services Division. The SDI system

is currently furnishing HDL ’ s technical staff with references to

bibliographic information from the Defense Documentation Center,

Engineering Index and INSPEC (Science Abstracts). The main program of the system was furnished to the NBS Office of Computer

Information for possible use in information retrieval projects.

Programs were recently completed which processed data obtained from the Bureau of the Censms- and then used the results

as a basis to calculate state and local shares under the Administration's Revenue Sharing Proposal. The method of calculation

was suggested by the Treasury Department, The computer output

was pho t o -repr o due e d and published by the Treasury Department for

distribution to the Congress and other interested parties.

Installation of a paper tape reader on one of the NBS

terminals and modifications to the ^18 software provide a service

not previously offered, allowing the labs to use data from their

experiments logged on paper tape, as direct input to the computer

without conversion. This is the first step in several improvements

that are planned in support of NBS laboratory automation.

Significant contributions have been made by users in improving

the quality of performance of the central facility. The Applied

Mathematics Division, for example, has improved both the transferability and capability of OMNITAB, a scientific, numerical, and
VI. 35

statistical analysis program system. With the financial support

and assistance of the Computer Services Division, they have started

the effort on performance measurement of mathematical algorithms.

This joint effort has already produced improved and validated

mathematical subroutines with known accuracies and several linear

programming routines with known characteristics. This early work

will be the basis for more extensive work in performance measurement of mathematical software.

Thus far, data processing services during fiscal year 1971 have

been provided to U 5 divisions of NBS and to 50 organizations including eight executive departments, 12 agencies of the Government,

the Congress, state and local governments, quasi-government organizations and universities. Total revenues and costs for FY 1971 are

estimated to be $2,1^0,000. The revenue includes $1^,000 from the

CCST RTS base for training of applications programmers, and $60,000

from the NBS Director’s RTS base to provide programming support to

NBS RTS-funded projects. The FY 1971 costs and revenues for computer services are estimated to be $2,000,000. The revenue received

supports a $105»000 effort in system modernization, $11,000 for

implementation of FIPS, and a $15j000 effort in applications

programming services for customer support but does not include the

$30,000 from the Director's RTS base for improved NBS laboratory

support. The remaining $1^0,000 revenue is directly billed for

applications programming.
VI . 36

k . Hardware Design and Implementation

Public Law 89-306 (Brooks Bill) authorizes the Secretary of

Commerce to undertake necessary research in the sciences and

technolosie s of automatic data processing computer and r el at e d

svstems. The BOB guidance letter of Dece mb er 15, 1966 advi s ed

the NBS /COST to sponsor, monitor and undertake research an d

development activities in the computer and information sciences

and t e chnolog-le^., i n cXuding—,s y.s..t em design, oriented primarily

toward Go ve rnment appli cat, ions . During the fifties and- early sixties, NBS was very active in

the actual development of computers and logical elements. SEAC

,

DYSEAC , PILOT, AMOS, ACCESS and FOSDIC are all vivid examples of

early accomplishments of NBS. Since the establishment of the

CCSTj its technical resources have redirected from Innovatiion to

application. By hardware application, we mean the process of

employing computer marketplace components to implement a system

design which is either not available, or for which the performance

of system components cannot be determined by paper analysis alone

In this case, working models have proven to be a most effective

way to achieve confidence and acceptance of the new system. The

COST has pioneered in this application area.

a . High Altitude Nuclear Test Detection Studies (HANDS) Station

In collaboration with the ESSA research laboratories, COST

provided system design and actual hardware implementation of an
VI. 37

advanced computer controlled multi-sensor geophysical background

monitoring station. A geophysical background consists of many

different events that occur in the atmosphere and the ionosphere,

such as lightning strikes, effect of sunrise and sunset on the

propagation of VLF-UHF radio energy and solar flares which can

create hazardous conditions in upper air for both high altitude

aircraft and manned space vehicles.

The data collected by the station designed and implemented

by COST served to improve and also validate techniques employed

by DOD in monitoring the occurrence of nuclear events on a -worldwide basis. Total sponsorship was provided by the Advanced Research

Projects Agency of DOD. Solar flare detection and warning service

is provided to NASA and the Weather Services on a continuing basis

by the station. Work began on this project in I96U and continued

through 1968 and was known as the High Altitude Nuclear Test

Detection Studies (HANDS).

b . Automated Control of Sensing Instruments

As a result of findings from the HANDS project, the Air Force

asked NBS/CCST to undertake a large task to apply procedures and

system design for the development of a computer-based experimental

field station to automatically control sensing instruments and

perform correlation and analysis of events that occur in the geophysical background.

A medium sized computer C$250,000) was procured and installed

in the COST Field Site at Ft. Belvoir, Va. Hardware necessary to
VI . 38

connect the output and control signals between complex sensing

instruments and the computer 'was designed and fabricated utilizing

off-the-shelf components.

The field station has been s emi -oper at ional for approximately

one year and has demonstrated the capability to provide unattended

control and collection functions. The automatic features of this

system will be installed in the world-wide network of operational

stations which will result in less need for manpower with a greater

improvement in the quality and confidence in the data collected by

these stations

.

Design and implementation of this computer controlled station

was initiated in 19^9 and work, will continue as previously planned

and scheduled through 1971 and 1972 .

c . MOBIDIC Computer Effort

Upon the deactivation of PILOT (a large vacuum tube computer),

the COST was left without a computer to use in its research and

development, and without funds to procure a replacement. To fill

a void, a i960 vintage solid-state, van-installed computer was

obtained from the Army at no cost.

After moving to the present site at Gaithersburg, Maryland,

this computer known as MOBIDIC was augmented by interfacing two

high capacity, high speed memory units, and four large disk files

to the input/output channel. As an interesting sideline, the

computer was made by Sylvania, disk files by Telex, disk controller
VI. 39

by RCA, and memory units by Ampex -- a good example of interface

design using multiple source components. Concurrent with the

augmentation, MOBIDIC was modified from a batch type computer to

a time-shared configuration which could accommodate keyboards,

CRT displays, and direct dial-up of communications lines.

Even though MOBIDIC does not have the speed and power of

present generation machines, it has provided CCST researchers with

access to a computer for investigating new concepts. Early work

on fingerprint identification was done on this computer. It was

connected, through a specialized interface, to a laboratory

experimental set-up located in another part of NBS to provide

real-time control and data collection and analysis. MOBIDIC is

now employed in measuring the performance of time-shared computer

systems located anywhere within the U.S. In essence, this computer

monitors the dialogue between the user at a keyboard terminal and

a remotely located computer, such as the OSA remote access computer

in Atlanta, Georgia. This is one of the Center’s first endeavors

in the field of performance measurement related to the high

priority Teleprocessing Program.

MOBIDIC has enabled us to build our competence in teleprocessing

and control system design and will be gracefully retired when a node of the ARPA computer network is established in the Center

during 1971-1972,
VI. Uo

d . Machine for Automatic Graphics Input to Computer (MAGIC)

A large screen display (_15

M diameter CRT) complete with its

own computer and memory was designed and constructed for use in

the study of graphics, text editing, command and control, computeraided design and other fields where large display areas and manipulated controls are desired. The console contains a joystick to

position data points on the CRT, a keyboard for data entry, a light pen for spot identification, and a stylus-platten graphical

input device known as a RAND tablet.

This display known as' MAGIC (Machine for Automatic Graphics

Input to Computer) was designed and assembled during 1966-1968 and

is available for use by any researcher in the computer sciences and

technology. The decision to embark on its development was made

within CCST and RTS funds were used for implementation.

e . Computer-Assisted Calibration of Fluid Flow Test Benches

The Fluid Mechanics Division of NBS was requested by the Navy

to improve the operation of fluid flow test benches used in calibrating and adjusting fuel flow controllers for jet aircraft

engines. CCST provided engineering and construction assistance for

selecting a minicomputer and interfacing it to the sensors and

controllers on the test bench.

A prototype model has been completed and during acceptance

tests, it has shown the capability to do more accurate calibration

than the manual method and requires only 50 man-hours as against

each previous 150 man-hours in the manual mode. As a result of
VI. kl

the excellent performance of this model, the Navy is procuring

eight systems for installation in its Norfolk maintenance depot.

CCST became involved in this project in 1969 and -will continue to assist the Navy and the Fluid Mechanics Division through

1971 - 1972 .

f . Laboratory Automation

The predecessor of the Center, the Information Technology

Division, initiated a program to foster the application of data

processing techniques to scientific experiments within NBS

laboratories. A series of modular data logging and control

building blocks were designed and stocked for use by interested

scientists at NBS.

Some of the early applications of digital techniques in

experimental control were made possible by this program. The

Center has continued to support and improve the hardware and

design services to a growing number of requests for assistance

by various NBS laboratories. Since 1966, CCST has both directly

designed laboratory automation systems and assisted ten scientists in automating specific laboratory measurement processes.

This spectrum of use ranges from pure physics research to chemical reactions and structure analysis in building research.

Other agencies have called upon us for assistance in employing

automated measurement procedures in their laboratories. We have

been approached by EPA and FDA to participate in the planning to

perform specific engineering tasks related to the measurement

processes needed in those two mission-oriented agencies.
VI. 1*2

g . Computer Tape Measurement Equipment

The measurement of th_e magnetic qualities of computer magnetic

tape necessitated the development of a new precise electronic

system to control a digital tape recorder and analyze the signals

generated at the reproduce/record heads. Basically, the system

consists of comparators, a precise power supply for reference

voltages, current measuring circuits, and time history recorders.

At the request of GSA , an identical measurement system was

constructed and calibrated for use in their facility where GSA now

measures the magnetic qualities of computer tape submitted by

industry for testing to determine its eligibility to be placed on

the Qualified Products List of the GSA Purchasing Schedule.

With NBS and GSA both using the same equipment and procedures

to produce the secondary standard reference tapes and also test

for quality acceptance, the industry and government are using an

identical '’yardstick."

This system was delivered in 1970 to the GSA Magnetic Surfaces Testing Facility.

The accomplishments presented in this section are indicative

of the nature of our hardware activities since 19&5* This review

portrays an orderly transition from component design to the

application of hardware and related systems in solving unique

problems within NBS and government. As the computer technology

continues to grow and produce new devices, such- as the versatile
VI. U 3

minicomputer, the CCST looks forward to involvement with many

agencies in the utilization of new principles and techniques

offered by the marketplace and design houses.

5 . Scientific and Technical Advisory Services to Other Agencies

The Brooks Bill authorized the Secretary of Commerce to provide Federal Agencies and GSA with scientific and technological

advi sory services relating to automatic data processing and related

systems

.

The BOB Guidance Letter of December 15 s 1966 instructed

NBS to provide scientific and technological advisory and consulting

s ervi c e s to executive agencies on automatic data processing. Upon

request of Federal Agencies , the Center has, to the extent possible.

provide d direct assistance on specific projects and monitored the

technical performance of commercial consulting contracts . NBS has traditionally assisted agencies of the executive branch

under the provisions of its basic organic act and subsequent modifications. During the early part of the 1950's, the Bureau assisted

agencies in the solution of relatively simple problems (by today's

standards) in computer utilization using the SEAC . One of the

first applications of a digital computer in data management systems

was the demonstration project sponsored by the old Bureau of

Supplies and Accounts, now the Navy Supply Systems Command. When

the Center was formed in 19^5? requests for assistance increased,

and in the last two years a noticeable increase in the demand for

services had occurred.
vi. H

a . ADP Management Advisory Services

In .1966 an extensive study was undertaken by a study team

jointly sponsored by NBS-OMB-GSA upon request of the Assistant

Secretary for Administration, Department of Health, Education,

and Welfare. The purpose of this study was to determine departmentwide future ADP requirements and to develop a plan for departmentlevel policy, management, organization, and control which would

best provide for the efficient continuing evolution of information

systems and the provision of data processing services for HEW’s

constituent agencies and the Office of the Secretary. This study

was particularly sensitive since it dealt with organization and

responsibility at the Assistant Secretary office level.

Similar problems on a smaller scale are represented by studies

of the ADP organizations at the Agency for International Development and the Office of Business Economics in 1967 . Both of these

studies dealt with ADP organizational responsibilities, methods

of operation, and general ADP policy. Consultative assistance was

given to the Labor Department the same year in a general Department systems planning and review study.

b . Automated Fingerprint Identification for the FBI

From time to time, other Government Agencies request NBS (CCST)

to determine feasibility, perform exploratory research, and

develop prototypes for special applications that are usually unique

and for a specific Government need. An example of this was a
VI .1*5

request from the FBI for assistance in automating its massive

fingerprint identification system.

In 1965 the FBI asked NBS for advice on the possibility of

automating its manual identification system which currently processes over 30,000 inquiries a day against a fingerprint file

containing the arrest records of more than 19 million individuals.

After experimenting with fingerprints for two years (NBS supported

research), NBS concluded that it seemed feasible to automate the

sys tern

.

Since then, as a consultant to the FBI, NBS has- assisted the

FBI in the contracted development of a device for reading and

digitalizing the positions and directions of minute details (ridge

endings and forks in the ridges) directly from inked fingerprints.

The minute details which are used by fingerprint technicians for

positive identification can be machine read in approximately one

second. A prototype reader, being built by the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, will be installed at the FBI in early 1972.

The National Bureau of Standards has also developed a technique whereby a computer or special device can utilize this machine

read minut i ae -dat a to identify an unknown fingerprint. Identification is accomplished by comparing the patterns of the minute

details of an unknown fingerprint with the patterns from the

fingerprints in a large file. While the match processing is

currently performed by a general purpose computer, it is expected
VI. 1+6

that the FBI workload requirements can be more economically met

by a special purpose processor whose design is optimized for the

matching process, NBS has conceived a design approach for such

a processor. This can serve as the basis for a developmental

contract at the appropriate future time.

It has been estimated that an automated fingerprint search

will cost less than a third of the present cost for a manual search.

The work by NBS (COST) will assist the FBI Identification Division

in handling heavier workloads and will lead to advances in detecting the perpetrators of crimes through fingerprint identification. In particular, it will become possible to automatically

search a latent fingerprint found at the scene of a crime against

the file of all recorded fingerprints and thereby reduce the

percentage of hitherto unsolvable crimes.

c . System Design for the Immigration and Naturalization Service

In 19675 COST assisted the Immigration and Naturalization Service with a short study to determine the economic and program

accomplishment feasibility of automating the Service’s large

name-index files. This was followed later by a one-year effort

to more fully define system characteristics for design purposes.

During this portion of the study, more than 12,000 requests for

searches were evaluated for degree of match on name parts and

other identifying attributes. Approximately 100,000 records were

subjected to these type analyses. As a part of this analysis,

rules for handling certain foreign name characteristics were
VI . b 7

determined and a program was written for Soundex Coding based

upon the rules. The end product of this joint effort was a conceptual systems design with sufficient system specifications for

vendors to bid on the final systems design and implementation.

The Service was thus able to go out to contract with the assurance

that the resulting system would meet at least minimum expectations

such as the percent of names which could be matched or the numbers

of possible matches (misses) if certain attributes were missing.

d . U.S. Post Office Mail Directory System

In 1969 , the CCST was called upon by the then U.S. Post Office

Department to assist in monitoring a "turn key" contract with the

Burroughs Corporation for the design and implementation of a mail

directory system. The problem was one of readdressing an estimated 13,000 letters a day for servicemen in the war zones of

Viet Nam who, through transfer, hospitalization, or other causes,

were no longer at the anticipated address. The Burroughs concept

was to couple existing mail-handling equipment, teletypewriters,

self-adhesive labels, and a computer into an "Automatic Mail

Directory System," AMDS. The CCST role was one of identifying,

isolating, and defining problems and possible solutions in order

to expedite system implementation. This covered a range of

activities from assisting with the predelivery systems test to

designing a work shelf for the teletype stands.
VI. U8

e . Development Work in Computer Display Techniques for

the Navy

In the period from 1966 to 1968, the COST conducted an

exploratory program in advanced computer-driven display techniques

for the Naval Electronic Systems Command. The primary objective

of this project was to assist in the preparation of procurement

specifications for advanced displays to he installed at the Navy

War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Problems addressed included

those of interfacing displays to computers and of the man-machine

interface by which control actions could be entered from a number

of control areas.

f . The Army TACEIRE System

In the spring of 19^7» NBS was asked to assist the Army Automatic Data Field Systems Command in the selection of a contractor

for development of the TACFIRE computer system. This system is

based upon the use of mobile computers with special displays and

remote terminal devices for the support of field artillery calculations and other data processing functions. A team of NBS computer

specialists was assembled which attended design reviews, participated in a protracted proposal evaluation, and has continued to

attend contractor progress reviews. NBS assistance has been

directed almost exclusively to software. Qualification testing

of various software items, such as the Compiler, Operating System,

Maintenance Routines, and Programming Aids is now getting underway.

The Engineering Test/System Test phase will be initiated following

the s e tests.
VI . 1+9

g . Teleprocessing for the Public Health Service

In 1969» a research project was completed for the U.S. Public

Health Service. This was a study of the intercommunication of

medical information among hospitals and medical facilities. The

purpose was to determine the type and quantity of Information to

be transmitted, its sources and destination, and the ways in which

it would be used. This information would serve as the basis for

the development of interfacing techniques, including terminal

devices, codes, and procedures to permit the desired information

transfer to be achieved effectively, with the requisite accuracy,

timeliness, and security. The study was conducted jointly with

the National Center for Health Services Research and Development

and was envisioned as the first phase of an expanded effort.

However, emphasis within the sponsoring agency moved in other directions at the conclusion of this project.

h . Image Processing for the CIA

During 1967-1968, a project in Image Manipulation was

established at NBS for the CIA. This involved the investigation

of techniques whereby halftone images might be processed digitally

for use in studies of subjective recognition procedures. Photographs were to be manipulated in various ways to determine the

effect on an observer’s ability to perceive them. Algorithms

were to be developed by which the images might be enlarged or

diminished, relocated, blended with the background by a process
VI . 50

analogous to photographic "dodging," and subjected to variations

in texture. This project was a joint effort involving several

researchers at NBS and outside organizations including the

University of Maryland, Auerbach, and EBS . The NBS contribution

included a set of routines for blending an image with, its background in varying degrees through the use of appropriately modified

"noise" patterns.

i . Optical Character Reading Devices for the Post Office

From 1969 to 1970, a project was conducted for the Post Office

Department in the optical character reader (OCR) readability of

printed mail addresses. The COST assisted in preparing a specification for machine-addressed letter mail in order to assure readability on OCR-equipped letter sorting machines being installed

by the Post Office. A quantity of these machines Was in use on

an experimental basis at the time that the project was initiated.

It was necessary to study the performance of these machines,

determine the parameters affecting OCR readability, and establish

suitable limits for these parameters. Recommendations were needed

of measurements that were capable of being performed with readily

available commercial equipment. The use of OCR in this application contrasted greatly with the conventional use of OCR where

the most rigid controls are placed on all aspects of the preparation

of input documents. For the Post Office application, there is

practically no control of the preparation of incoming material.
VI. 51

so the OCR readers must he capable of operating over very "wide

limits. This is offset to some extent by the fact that reading

errors do not have the critical effect that they might have in

conventional OCR applications. Fortunately, the characteristics

of printed addresses are such that the equipment rarely mis-sorts

any mail; it usually rejects anything -which cannot be sorted

accurately. Use of the automatic equipment is economic even with

relatively low "accept" rates, because it is so much faster than

hand sorting. A draft specification for the Post Office was

developed by NBS as a result of several experimental runs using

an extensive collection of mail samples.

j . Aircraft Identification Procedures for the FAA

The FAA is continually confronted with the demand for more

precise control of aircraft flying in the National Air Space.

One of the most difficult tasks that has plagued air traffic control since its beginning is that of aircraft identity. A system

has been planned that employs techniques developed during World

War II for identifying "bogies," namely IFF. In essence, each

aircraft flying an airway on either IFR or VFR will be equipped

with a transponder which when triggered by the ground control

radar will transmit to the control center an assigned identifier

code. This code will enter the computer driven CRT displays now

used quite extensively by air traffic controllers.
VI. 52

Presently, there are k09& distinct codes available to FAA

,

and there are more than 21,000 flights per 2k hours in the U.S.

Therefore, one can readily observe that a scheme for optimum code

assignment is needed. FAA asked the Center to simulate the airways

and develop several code assignment plans for identifying aircraft.

The NBS 1108 computer was employed for this simulation using a simulation program called ,r S ims c r ipt . " A report has been completed on this phase of the program, and a second phase will begin

in FY 72 which will address the problems expected during the

transition from a relatively simple semi-automatic system to the

fully automatic k09& code identification system.

k . Microimage Work for the National Library of Medicine

In 1966, the National Library of Medicine requested assistance

from COST to improve their microfilming operation in order to

capture for archival purposes the contents of old medical texts and

documents, some of which date back to the 1700 era. This program

is still active and has been expanded to include the generation of

better procedures for the everyday operation of the Interlibrary

Loan Service. During the past year, the COST established the

requirements for an automated microfilm document image retrieval

system with computer controlled capabilities. . During the contractor development of this device, the Center monitored the

technical activities and will play an important role for the NLM

in the installation and acceptance phase.
VI. 53

1

.

Computer Selection and Evaluation Services

The Center is often called upon to assist agencies in the

selection and evaluation' of computer and associated systems. A

listing of such services provided follows:

1. Reviewed in detail for the National Center for

Health Statistics a Request for Proposals and made

recommendations for improving the RFP and the

selection process. - 1966

2. Assisted the Patent Office in determining the suitability and procuring of a computer being released

from another Government activity for Patent Office

needs prior to releasing an RFP. - 1967

3. Assisted the Peace Corps in the selection of a computer.

This involved helping the agency develop criteria and

procedures for selection. Helped in the analysis of

proposals and benchmark results leading to the selection

of an RCA 70/25- - 1967

it. Assisted the National Labor Relations Board in a feasibility study to determine the costs and advantages

of procuring a computer to replace a punch card

system. - 1967

5. Assisted the Labor Department in a general Department

systems planning and review study. Assisted in the

selection of a computer. - 1967
6 .

VI . 5b

Assisted the Bonneville Power Administration by reviewing their specifications and evaluation procedures

in terms of their objectives and made recommendations

for improving the RFP and the selection process. - 1967

7. Wrote an RFP for the Patent Office and assisted in

the proposal evaluation and selection for a computer

with remote terminals to improve the document location

and status operation associated with patent processing.

1971

m . Prevention of Intentional Destruction of Magnetically

Recorded Information

Senior management in the Government, industry, and commercial

firms have expressed deep concern over recent attempts, with

occasional successes, to disrup computer operations. One sensitive

problem area is the maintenance and storage of computer magnetic

tape. Many misleading and erroneous statements for example have

been made about the ease with which one can damage magnetically

recorded data on a reel of tape using hand held magnets. As a result of the varying opinions on this subject, OMB asked the

Center to investigate the vulnerability of computer tape files

when exposed to magnetic fields.

Using the precise measurement system f or . c al ibr at ing the

secondary reference tapes, a series of controlled experiments

was performed which exposed pre-recorded tapes to many sources

of magnetism all the way from small paper hanging magnets to a large magnetic crane in a local scrap metal yard. The findings

along with rule-of-thumb guidelines for tape protection have
vi. 55

been forwarded to 0MB and in the near future this information will

be transmitted to ADP managers.

It has long been established that a very important element

in the NBS program structure is the provision of advisory services to other agencies. When the COST participates in solving

real problems of the real world, its perspective is broadened

and it obtains a better feeling for the direction in which limited

R&D RTS funds should be spent. The impact of the ADP Standards

Program is just beginning to be felt by the Government users, and

in the future much of our effort will be needed to advise agencies

on how to implement standards on old and new computer hardware

and software systems. Likewise, an increasing awareness of the

role of teleprocessing will result in an increased call for

assistance from the COST. New devices, continuing software

developments, and complex computer architecture will make it

extremely necessary for the COST to maintain a high competence

in the fields of software management and computer utilization.

In summary, the Center's responsibility to provide other

agencies with advisory and technological services will continue

to be of utmost importance and requests for services will occur

more frequently as computer technology advances and more applications are identified.
VI . 56

6 . Software

Crucially important to the effective -utilization of computers , the furtherance of which is laid upon the NBS by PL 89-306 (Brooks

Bill)^ is effective, reliable software to control the operation

of the computers and to provide the service which the Government

seeks from computer installations. Much COST work falls under

the stricture of the BOB guidance letter of December 1966, "to

initiate efforts to solve large-scale and difficult problems sufficiently unique to special needs of Government that outside interests

are not likely to undertake vigorous and timely action."

The COST since its establishment -- as well as the antecedent

organizations since the early days of computers -- has worked to

assure the availability of computer programs appropriate to the

fundamental operation of computers and to the solution of a wide

range of mission-derived problems. Much of this work has been

accomplished by writing specific computer programs; progressively

more of the service has been provided by evaluating and validating

existing computer programs and by disseminating directories of

available programs.

Synergistic augmentation occurs between COST activity in

software research and development and the technical and advisory

services it provides to other agencies. The expressed needs of

other agencies highlight those technical areas most urgently

requiring work; the hands-on experience of the COST staff puts
VI . 57

it in a position to provide effective assistance to the other

agencies. Often as a result of advisory services given to

other agencies COST is called upon to undertake a specific

development task.

The value of the services provided to other agencies and of

the supporting research can sometimes he measured in dollars or

man-years; more often the measure is in increased effectiveness--

heing able to do things better than before or even to do what was

previously impossible.

The following discussions show the wide applicability throughout Government of many technologies. Indeed, COST has helped

virtually every Federal Department and many of the independent

agencies. The missions of the agencies, conversely, often draw

on several technical areas in which we are active. Thus, the

Defense Communications Agency has required both intensive systems

analysis and the processing of two-dimensional information, and the

U.S. Patent Office has called on us for systems analysis, science

information processing, and application systems design,

a . Data Management Packages

Government Agencies call upon the COST to assist them in

choosing computer program packages appropriate to carrying out

their respective missions. Since 1966, we have evaluated data

management packages or developed specifications for at least

eight Agencies

.
VI . 58

AID asked the CCST in 1966 to determine which of the thenavailable software packages to use for mechanized handling of its

Technical Assistance Program intelligence data. A similar

request from the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science

and Technology in 19&7 concerned mechanized handling of

Go vernment - sponsor ed computer science project descriptions.

A total of 17 software systems was examined in these two

studies. The computer science project information is now

accessible on the DDC system; AID implemented its first

automated information system by using the Formatted File System.

Nine commercially available data management systems were

evaluated in 19&9 against the requirements of the Public Health

Service to make the health records of Federal employees adequately

accessible under the constraints of the hardware available to

the PHS . The PHS now has a pilot system operational at two of

its facilities . The Urban Information System Interagency Committee

(USAC) is trying to assure the transferability from

city to city of the techniques developed under its sponsorship.

A 1970 study by CCST revealed that none of l60 data management

systems fulfills the transferability and applicability criteria.

This study convinced USAC and HUD that extensive additional work

is required to achieve the pervasive improvements that they seek.

CCST, in cooperation with the Technical Analysis Division, is

currently assisting USAC in identifying, aggregating,
vi. 59

and analyzing major differences among the various participating

muni c ip ali t i e s .

The. Department of State came to COST in 1970 for help in

making its files of documents, which accrue at the rate of

500,000 per year, effectively accessible to about U00 key users.

Of eleven currently operational systems the REC0N system of NASA

was chosen and is expected to suffice for the next five years.

Thirty additional agencies and offices have requested copies of

our report on this work for their guidance.

The formulation of systems specifications permitted the

Analytical Chemistry Division (NBS) in 1970 to arrange for

output reports of graphic art quality from tlieir activation

analysis bibliographic data base. In addition, a computer

program is presently being produced which will give access to

this file via more complex and specific questions than can

be accommodated by present, laborious manual methods. A

feasibility study in 1971 for the Water Quality Office (Environmental Protection Agency) resulted in an RFP on the basis of

which the EPA could solicit bids for a system providing real-time

access to information.

b . Application Systems Design

During the period 1966 - 1971* CCST has provided operational

computer programs for information processing to some seven organizations .
vi. 6o

Following up on an advisory study for the Division of

Radiological Health (PHS) covering the entire radiological

health survey reporting system^ the CCST converted the

Pasteurized Milk Network File to the Formatted File System,

enabling the production of reports conveying analyzed data

within two weeks instead of six months and by two persons

instead of eight.

In response to a request from the Property Review Board

(Executive Office of the President) the CCST provided in 1971

systems analysis, computer programming, and computer processing

‘to fit the GSA real property inventory into the Quick Query

file system. ? When special reports; were previously required

months of effort were needed for manual compilation or for

special programming effort. Now special compilations are

available within 12 hours.

Similar assistance was provided in 1966 and 19&7 to the

Department of the Treasury in establishing and making operational

a central computerized system for recording and reporting the

status of all loans or grants to foreign entities made or guaranteed

by the U.S. Government. The system facilitated meeting the

reporting requirements of the Foreign Assistance Act; it gave

the Treasury better and more timely access to the data required

both in its international cooperative role and in the financial

analysis required domestically.
VI. 6i

A system currently being programmed by the CCST for the

Navy Medical Services Center will provide periodic reports for

use directly in such publications as "Statistics of Navy Medicine"

during the same month as the last raw data are supplied. This

system will replace one man-month of clerical effort with 12

hours of computer use, and perhaps more significantly it will

release the equivalent of one full-time statistician.

In 1968 the Agricultural Research Service asked the CCST

to design and implement a completely automated accounting system

meeting the specific requirements arising out of largely decentralized operation. Between then and 1971* "the CCST designed

the system, programmed the entire system, and trained Agriculture

staff to run it. The ARS thus met, with one and one-half years

to spare, the GAO requirement to change to cost accrual accounting.

The processing provides more timely reports and has permitted

consolidation of three financial administrative divisions into

two

.

The National Labor Relations Board publishing of its

hearings records used to involve as many as five re-typings.

An editing and photocomposition routine designed and implemented

by CCST not only saves the NLRB $150,000 per year but also reduces

the time elapsed from the filing of a claim until the formal

publication of a finding by about ten months.
VI .62

For the U. S. Patent Office, the COST designed and implemented

in 1970 a text processing program to monitor the quality of input

data containing multiple type fonts, Greek letters, special symbols,

and page arrangements. The input error rate has been reduced by

a factor of 10.

A system to produce a whole range of library bibliographic

materials in graphic arts quality from a single keyboarding was

designed and implemented in 1967 at the request of the Council

on Library Resources. Several of the basic concepts were adopted

by the Library of Congress and other agencies in developing their

automated library systems. More tangibly, the Library of Congress

has been able to reduce by 70 the number of GS-U clerks required

for publishing its title, author, and subject index cards. A

similar undertaking in 1970 for the Analytical Chemistry Division

(NBS) saved the equivalent of one full-time position and reduced

by one-third the number of pages published in its bibliographies,

at a saving of $18 per page in printing and distribution costs.

CCST personnel recently began designing a photocomposition

system for the Office of Solid Waste Management (Environmental

Protection Agency) to print the myriad reports prepared by over

100 grantees. Despite going to graphic arts quality, a savings

of $ 750,000 per year is anticipated, exclusive of the savings

from handling one-third less paper.

c . Science Information Systems

A research and development project provided the Biotechnology

and Resources Branch of the Rational Institutes of Health with a
VI. 63

prototype pharmacological information storage and retrieval

system

.

Based on earlier work, the CCST developed during 1968 to

1970 a set of computer programs on its UNIVAC 1108 which permits

access within the same system to both chemical structure information and information about the characteristics of chemical

substances. The resultant system provides for the first time

for chemical substructure search as an integral part of

retrieval also seeking descriptive and numeric information.

The descriptive and numeric portion is suitable by itself for

files having nothing to do with chemistry. The chemical structure portion was recently adapted by CCST to serve a U. S.

Patent Office requirement for classifying patents according to

the structure of chemical substances mentioned.

The CCST has recently undertaken to define the overall

science information requirements of the Bureau of Narcotics and

Dangerous Drugs (Department of Justice) and to propose a system

for handling drug information. We must pull together the many

requirements for information within the Office of Scientific

Support and study the applicable systems currently available

elsewhere. Readier access to information translates into

quicker response to new drugs appearing on the street,

d . Systems Analyses

Since 1965 s CCST has been providing technical support and

guidance to the Defense Communications Agency in the task of

planning, designing, and managing large complex switched networks
VI ,6k

with attention to attack susceptibility, reliability, cost,

availability, and other indices. For the last six years, CCST

has been assisting DCA in developing quantitative measures of

network survivability. Computer programs developed by CCST and

under contract are being used to identify especially important

links. A heuristic program developed by CCST to minimize telephone line rental costs identified changes leading to savings of

about $1,600,000 annually, under the TELPAK tariffs then in

effect

.

During 1970, CCST worked closely with the U.S. Patent Office

in devising a plan to realize an operational computer-aided

classification procedure for its holdings of about 7*000,000

domestic and foreign patents. The joint task group recommended

that only state-of-the-art techniques be relied upon, that

emphasis lie on a lexicographic approach to text processing, and

that separate attention be given to the problems posed by chemical

patents. CCST is conducting linguistic analysis of patent English

in support of the lexicographic approach. If more effective

organization of the patent collection were to permit reduction

by 25% of the time spent for search, then for a corps of 1000

examiners an annual saving of about $2 million would result,

e . Two-Dimensional Information Processing

The Center has responded to requests from the Department

of Defense and the National Institutes of Health to address

the problems of display of two-dimensional information and

analysis of the structure of such information.
VI .65

Programs produced for the Defense Communications Agency

during 1970 and 1971 plot on overlays for Operational Navigation

Charts an arbitrary number of geographically designated points

marked and labeled in accordance with user requirements and with

circles of different diameters drawn about them.

A typical run of 12,^00 points uses 70 minutes of computer

time and about 200 hours of plotter time in contrast to about

one man-year if the points and associated information were to be

plotted by hand.

In 1969, CCST undertook a basic research project addressing

both analysis of chemical structure diagrams and their dis"Dlay

in support of the National Institutes of Health's program to

design an adequate pharmacological data management system. The

display program accepts as input linear notations which represent

chemical structures and plots properly oriented chemical structure

diagrams. During 1969 an(i 1970 CCST applied linguistic techniques

to the analysis of chemical structure diagrams. The results of

our work were utilized in their own research by NIH staff and

were also part of the basis for the design specifications of the

Biotechnology Division for its on-line pharmacological information

system. Partial publication of the results of the analysis work

has evoked interest from chemical industry in the U.S., the

United Kingdom and Italy, and from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
VI. 66

Upon request originally from the Army and subsequently from the

Air Force, CCST staff conducted until 1968 a linguistic analysis of

Chinese characters aimed at facilitating the input and output

required for processing Chinese text. Based on an explication

of Chinese characters a computer program was written which

permitted the geometric construction, on a cathode ray tube,

of Chinese characters from a dictionary of components. The

analysis was instrumental in designing a method to differentiate

among several possible readings for poorly printed characters.

Since 1969 , CCST has cooperated with the Applied Mathematics

Division supporting both hardware and software aspects of an

NIH project involving the automatic operation of an optical microscope in scanning medical and biological speciments. Under computer control a mechanized microscope scans around each point

specified by the histologist. By use of a sufficiently large

remote computer^ interactive display and manipulation of scanning

images is provided and statistics are derived from the scanning data.

With this system, the histologist can isolate data of interest

within minutes instead of hours or days and indistinct biological

structure in brain tumors can be detected,

f . Real-Time Monitoring

A real-time monitor has been implemented, by adapting the

monitor supplied by the manufacturer of the EMR 6l35 computer
VI. 67

to the needs of the Analytical Chemistry Division, to acquire

data from laboratory instruments, to store them for later

analysis, and to provide a control loop for those instruments.

The system is designed to allow the experimenters to initiate

an experiment at any time and to allow up to about 50 experiments

to utilize the computer concurrently. A system of priorities

assures that data from the instruments are captured and stored.

The first online experiment is currently being debugged.

The same system could be used by many laboratories which

produce quantifiable data for the direct, automatic acquisition

of laboratory data in a form for prompt computerized analysis.

If such a system conservatively estimated saves the equivalent

of one day per week per worker, and if the cost per worker

including depreciation of equipment is about $50,000 per year,

then a long-term saving (for the same amount of work) of about

$10,000 per worker per year is implied.

g . Computer Languages and Programming Aids

Certain problems arising in physics involve complex mathematical derivation which require analytical rather than numerical

solution and thus require a symbol manipulation language.'

During 1967 and- 1968, an interpreter for LISP was implemented

on the NBS computing facility. Its first practical use was the

analytic solution of an important problem in plasma physics

involving non-commut at ive differential operators.

Problems in linguistic analysis of text require a different

kind of symbol manipulation. A grammar generator was implemented
VI. 68

as a programming aid, in 1970 , using the SN 0 B 0 L language on a UNIVAC 1108 operating under the EXEC 8 time-sharing monitor.

This -work provides a tool to agencies, such as the U.S. Patent

Office and the Department of State, which use a linguistic

approach to the classification of* their document holdings.

None of the higher level languages (such as FORTRAN, COBOL,

or LISP) available in 1966 provided detailed access to all parts

of a computer storage word as required by programs for chemical

structure processing used by the U. S. Patent Office and for

image processing being done by the Metallurgy Division of NBS

.

Similarly, no programming language provides higher-level commands

of the type needed for laboratory data gathering. Two distinct

language design projects were therefore undertaken. In 1966,

NEMO was designed to provide the "bit-picking" and Boolean

processing facility of an assembly language but without being

tied to a specific computer; it was implemented in 1967 on the

UNIVAC 1108 and used in 1967 and 1968 for programming a chemical

structure search program for the U. S. Patent Office and NIH

.

LLLAMA was designed in 1969 as a machine-independent laboratory

processing and control language, oriented towards the typical

small laboratory computer. Its features have influenced the

design of CCST’s laboratory automation programs for Analytical

Chemistry and NIH.

The problem of file maintenance, file access, and file

transferability have been tackled with programming languages

designed for the purpose.
VI. 69

DRL , under development at CCST since 1970 as a data storage

and retrieval language, contains a set of retrieval commands

keyed to access not via the usual route of file position but rather

via the nature of the data actually being sought. This language

is being implemented as a preprocessor for FORTRAN and is, in

principle, transferable to any computer installation with a FORTRAN

compiler. The potential impact of better file access can be

illustrated by the fact that there exist at least ^0 data banks

in the Government with information about chemical substances,

but no two of these can presently exchange information,

h . Software Inventory

The proliferation of computers in the Federal Government has

resulted in ever increasing expenditures for computer software

(programs) of all kinds: in 1970, the Government spent oyer $182

million for programming and related services. The CCST has had

under continuous investigation the feasibility of providing a centralized service that will facilitate sharing general purpose

computer programs and thus minimize replicative programming

activities

.

The Center has collected some 60 indexes, directories and

catalogs containing descriptions of programs available for sheared

use in both the public and private sectors. Seven of the more

useful ones have been identified and are now being incorporated

into a permuted title listing for more efficient and effective
VI. TO

search and retrieval. The primary objective of this effort

is to ascertain the existence and availability of programs and

to refer potential users to their sources; a corollary objective

is to delineate a minimal set of data elements, including a system of classification, for describing a program so that a decision can be made on its applicability to the solution of a given problem with some reasonable probability of satisfaction,

and to define a minimal level of supporting documentation. If

a reduction of even 5% of the 1970 costs noted above can be

reached by more effective program sharing^ and it certainly

appears reasonable, the estimated savings will be on the order

of $9 million.

i . Summary

The construction of computer systems to individual requirements is often very costly and time-consuming. The COST often

serves Government by identifying existing computer programs that

may not be ideal but are entirely adequate and by adapting

existing programs to accommodate some special requirements.

Some government missions are supported by research in areas of

special COST competence. Systems analysis plus related skills

and tools, including management studies, heuristic approaches,

simulation, operations research techniques, linear programming and

linguistic analysis have been used in the last few years to

achieve the accomplishments described above. COST has been
VI .71

able to save significant amounts of money to help provide for

the common defense, to support the useful arts important in our

economy,- to facilitate one step in ameliorating the plight of

our cities, to improve health service and to support health

research, to increase the effectiveness of government data

bases, and to disseminate useful computer software.
.
ATTACHMENT 1

1972 ISSUE STUDY

THE ROLE OF NBS IN FEDERAL AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING

BY

THE NBS CCST ISSUE STUDY COMMITTEE

Statement of Issue

What can be done to make the contribution of the National Bureau of

Standards more effective in implementing the Brooks Bill (PL 89-306,

79 Stat 1128)?

Significance and Background of Study

Under the Brooks Bill, NBS is authorized to: (1) provide scientific

and technological advice to other agencies, and (2) make recommendations

to the President relating to the establishment of uniform Federal ADP

standards. In addition, the Secretary of Commerce is authorized to

undertake such research in the sciences and technologies of

automatic data processing computer or related systems as may be

required to support these two functions. In addition to implementing

the Brooks Bill, the CCST has a number of other responsibilities that

derive from the NBS enabling statutes as amended.

NBS has identified several areas in which benefits might accrue from

more efficient and effective use of automatic data processing throughout

the Government. Many of these areas require cooperation from other

agencies for which no mechanism has been established. For NBS to so

enlarge its activites under the Brooks Bill, a means to establish such
a mechanism may be needed. The areas themselves must be examined to

determine what mechanism is appropriate. More information on Government ADP operations may be needed in order to identify problems

and formulate recommendations for changes in current activities and in

such areas as training and installation management. This would involve

examination of present ADP expenditures and management practices

throughout Government and formulating recommendations for program options

for consideration bofh within and beyond the scope of present NBS work.

New program options would also have to be examined in the light of NBS

legal authority.

Specific Objectives of Study

1. Identify problems in Government automatic data processing that

affect objectives of the Brooks Bill; and related to these problems

identify present practices, alternatives to present practices,

resources required in and out of NBS to implement the alternatives,

benefits to be derived from the alternatives, and risks or constraints involved in alleviating the problems.

2. Determine whether NBS or other agencies need additional authority

or policy guidance, and what fact finding studies, any, are

necessary to contribute to the reduction of problems identified in

1 above.

Hypotheses

1. Areas of Work - The perspective of NBS might be expanded to cover

not only the areas specifically emphasized in the Brooks Bill and
the BOB guidance letter of December 1966, but all aspects of

Federal automatic data processing. This could involve expanding

or reducing NBS activities in some of the areas in which it is

already working and also initiating work in areas in which NBS

is not already working.

2. Authorization - Additional legislative authority is assumed not

to be necessary since the Brooks Bill may be interpreted as authorizing NBS to work for efficiency and economy in Federal

automatic data processing without restricting it to the areas

identified in the Bill. However, new BOB guidance may be required

to specifically interpret the Brooks Bill to include the required

additional areas; and legal questions of authority will be

reviewed at the conclusion of the study.

3. Other Agencies - Closer liaison than ever before may be required with other

agencies, particularly their ADP installation and ADP management personnel.

The study may consider whether BOB would have to advise specifically

other agencies regarding their relationships with NBS. This

advice could include:

a) Support of FIPS Task Groups

b) Unified Government action on voluntary standards

c) Information reporting to NBS

d) Acceptance of uniform Federal ADP management practices

e) Training of Federal ADP personnel
f) Advisory and consulting services and sponsored research

g) Other topics?

Scope

The study should give specific attention to the following major areas

of interest:

1. Standards - Evaluate progress in satisfying the Government's

needs for ADP standards. Provide recommendations for increasing

the effectiveness of NBS in meeting these needs. Consider the

following:

a) What specifically are the Government’s most pressing needs

for standards? How do you view current progress in

meeting these needs?

b) How best can these standards be achieved within the

desirable time frame? Evaluate present approaches, such

as ANSI and FIPS Task Groups, and consider alternative

approaches

.

c) In what alternative ways can NBS (COST) make significant

contributions to these objectives?

- What resources are available and required?

- How can requirements be met (persuasion, fees for

services, additional appropriations, etc.)?

d) Emphasis in this area is currently placed on hardware,

software, and data standards. What consideration should
also be given to the need for the development of standards

for applications?

e) Two types of risk are associated with the standardization

process. The first is the risk of failing to standardize

where compatibility is needed, and the second is the risk

of standardizing at the expense of slowing down technological

improvement. How do you assess the costs associated with

these two types of risk and balance them one against the

other?

Performance Measurement Techniques - This issue relates to the need

for techniques to both validate and evaluate ADP products. It

includes the need for techniques to test products for compliance

with ADP standards. The techniques should apply to hardware,

software, and systems and should be based so far as possible on

quantitative measurements.

a) Validation - This refers to verifying that a product or

system does, in fact, possess a particular property or perform in a specified manner. Of immediate interest

are techniques for measuring the compliance of compilers

with COBOL or FORTRAN standards. Also important is the

validation of producer's claims as required for the

Federal ADP products catalogue recommended in the report

of the Charlottesville conference. Who should be

responsible for validation?
6

b) Evaluation - This refers to making a determination as to

how well a product or system performs a particular

function, usually the carrying out of its intended purpose.

In the development of performance standards, there are two

aspects of the problem: (1) the development of appropriate

yardsticks, and (2) the specification of numerical

values on them. Who should carry out these two functions?

3. ADP Management Guidelines - This issue relates to the need for

guidelines in various aspects of computer use. It should

include means by which management can measure (and evaluate) the

overall performance of its computer installations. Possible

subjects include systems studies, ADP procurement techniques,

selection, operations and evaluation.

4 . Coordination and Use of Agency Efforts in Achieving Government

Objectives - Work undertaken by agencies on a unilateral basis to

to serve their own requirements can often benefit other agencies.

Primarily as an aid in performing its own program responsibilities,

but also in its role as technical consultant, should NBS consider

ways and means for identifying and coordinating such work and

exploiting it for Government -wide use. Examples include:

a) COBOL compiler validation techniques developed by Navy

and Air Force which could be considered by NBS for

adoption as a Government standard, with minimal NBS

development effort.
7

b) I/O interface techniques developed by Livermore which

might have application elsewhere.

c) Performance guidelines and practices, such as documentation

guidelines, selection and evaluation criteria, ’’good

programming practices,” and installation evaluation

techniques. These might be adaptable as Government -wide

guidelines with only slight modification by NBS

.

d) Research, development and applications experiences which

have Government-wide utility.

e) Computer programs which might be usable in other agencies.

5. Tra ining - Examine the need for a Government -wide ADP training

facility, including: cost of start-up, operating cost, type of

training, manner of funding, appropriateness for NBS, Civil Service

Commission or Department of Labor?

6. Other Work Programs - Identify contributions to the Brooks Bill

objectives of other agency reimbursable work, other direct-funded

programs, and services to other NBS programs. How might such

work better contribute to Brooks Bill objectives while still

accomplishing its primary purpose?

The NBS Issue Study Committee

J. Harrison, Chairman

M. Fox

E. Keren

C. Meadow

R. Moore

T. O'Neill

B. Ramsay
.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

BUREAU OF THE BUDGET

ATTACHMENT 2 Washington, d.c. 20503

April 7, 1970

Honorable Larry A. Jobe

Assistant Secretary

for Administration

Department of Commerce

Washington, D. C. 20230

Dear Mr. Jobe:

As was indicated in Director Mayo’s letter of March 18 to Secretary

Stans, it was anticipated that additional program issues would be

identified and requested for intensive analysis. Our respective

staffs have identified the following program issues:

1. Automation of Weather Service Activities

2. Hurricane Modification and Control

3 . The Role of NBS in Federal ADP Operations

4. User Demand for Patent Office Products and Services

5 . Comparative Analysis of International Programs to

Stimulate Exports

Further details and specifications of the issues are set forth in the

enclosures. These specifications have been developed Jointly by our

staffs and we understand that agency analysis on these issues is

already underway.

As your letter of March 25 indicates, my staff had agreed to extend

the deadline from May 1 to June 1 for receiving drafts of the major

program issues identified in Director Mayo's letter of March 18.

Unfortunately, the timing of the Director's review of the major

Commerce program issues has been accelerated from mid-June to late

May or early June. Therefore, if it is at all possible we would

appreciate receiving the Commerce drafts by May 15 « With regard to

the program issues identified in this letter, we would appreciate

receiving your draft submissions by June 15 and the final products

for both the major program Issues and the issues identified in this

letter by no later than September 15«

We understand that you plan to submit draft Program Memoranda to

us by June 1. If it is at all possible we would appreciate draft
2

submissions by the middle of May, especially for ESSA and DIB. Final

submissions should be transmitted by September 15.

As your letter indicates we are also hopefulthat the products discussed above will be useful to both agencies in determining funding

requirements for 1972.

Sincerely,

Enclosures
1972 Program Issue

The Role of NBS in Federal ADP Operations

A. Statement of Issue

What can he done to make the contribution of the National Bureau of

Standards more effective in achieving greater efficiency and economy

in Government ADP operations, as envisioned in the Brooks Bill

(P.L. 89- 306 )?

B. Specific Objectives of Study

1. Identify problems in Government Automatic Data Processing operations

that affect objectives of the Brooks Bill; and related to these

problems, identify present practices, alternatives to present

practices, resources required, benefits to be derived from alternative

practices and the risks or constraints involved in alleviating the

problems

.

2. Determine whether NBS or other agencies need additional authority or policy guidance and what fact finding studies, if any, are necessary

to contribute to the reduction of problems identified in 1 above.

C. Scope

The study should give specific attention to the following major areas of

interest

1. Standards - Evaluate progress in satisfying the Government’s needs

for ADP. Provide recommendations for increasing the effectiveness

of NBS in meeting these needs. Consider the following:

a. What, specifically, are the Government’s most pressing needs

for standards? How do you view current progress in meeting

these needs?

b. How best can these standards be achieved within the desirable

time frame? Evaluate present approaches such as ANSI and FIPS

Task Groups vs. alternative approaches.

c. In what alternative ways can NBS (CCST) make significant

contributions to these objectives?

- What resources are available and required?

- How can requirements be met (persuasion, fees for services,

reallocations within COST, NBS, Commerce; additional appropriations, etc.)?

d. Emphasis in this area is usually placed on hardware, software,

and data standards. Consideration should also be given to

the need and role of NBS in the development of standards for

applications.
2

2. Performance Measurement Techniques - This issue relates to the

need for techniques to both validate and evaluate ADP products.

It includes the need for techniques to test products for compliance with A DP standards. The techniques should apply to

hardware, software and systems and should be based so far as possible on quantitative measurements.

In general the same type of considerations listed under the

standards issue are applicable here.

a. Validation - This refers to verifying that a product or

system does, in fact, possess a particular property or

perform in a specified manner. Of immediate interest are

techniques for measuring the compliance of compilers with

COBOL or FORTRAN standards. Also important is the validation of producer' s claims as required for the Federal ADP

products catalog recommended in the report of the Charlottesville conference.

b. Evaluation - This refers to making a determination as to

how well a product or system performs a particular function,

usually the carrying out of its intended purpose. In the

development of performance standards, there are two aspects

of the problem: first, the development of appropriate yardsticks, and second, the specification of numerical values

on them.

2 , ADP Management Guidelines - This issue relates to the need for

guidelines in various aspects of computer use. It should

include means by which management can measure (and evaluate)

the overall performance of its computer installations.

Possible subjects include systems studies, ADP procurement

techniques, selection, operations and evaluation.
3

,4. Coordination and use of agency efforts in achieving Government

objectives - Work undertaken by agencies on a unilateral basis to

serve their own requirements can often benefit other agencies,

including NBS. Primarily as an aid in performing its ovm program

responsibilities, but also in its role as technical consultant,

NBS should consider ways and means for identifying and coordinating

such work and exploiting it for Government -wide use. Examples include:

a. COBOL compiler validation techniques developed by Navy and Air

Force which could be considered by NBS for adoption as a Government

standard, with minimal NBS development effort.

b. I/O interface techniques developed by Livermore which might have

application elsewhere.

c. Performance guidelines and practices, such as documentation

guidelines, selection and evaluation criteria, "good programming

practices," and installation evaluation techniques. These might

be adaptable as Government-wide guidelines with only slight

modification by NBS. .

d. Research and development and applications experiences which have

Government-wide stability.

e. Computer programs which might be usable in other agencies.

5. Training

Examine the need for a Government-wide ADP training standards or facilities including: cost of start-up, operating cost, type of training,

manner of funding, appropriateness for NBS, Civil Service Commission

or Department of Labor?

6, Other work programs - Identify and evaluate the progress and impact

of all other direct -funded work programs within CCST in terms of

(a) their overall contribution toward improved ADP management, and

(b) their relative importance vis-a-vis the standards and performance

measurement programs.
k

7. Reimbursable programs - Evaluate the contribution (direct or

indirect) to the CCST programs that results from the consultation

and development work performed for and funded by other agencies.

Are there possibilities for increasing this contribution by a

reorientation of this work to more closely parallel the Brooks

Bill objectives?

The above items are intended to embrace the total CCST program.

The study should give consideration to all of these areas in

determining the emphasis and resources that should be allocated

to each other in order to achieve a properly balanced program.

D. Assumptions (Hypothesis)

1

.

Areas of work - The perspective of NBS might be expanded to cover

not only the areas specifically emphasized in the Brooks Bill and

the BOB guidance letter of December 1966, "but all aspects of Federal

automatic data processing. This could involve expanding or reducing

NBS activities in some of the areas in which it is already working

such as ADP standards and ADP validation techniques, and also

initiating work in areas in which NBS is not already working such as

ADP training, ADP installation management and ADP procurement

techniques.

2 . Authorization - Additional legislative authority is assumed to be

unnecsesary' since the Brbokg Bill may be interpreted as authorizing

NBS to work for efficiency and economy in Federal automatic data

processing generally without restricting it> to the specific areas

identified in the bill. However, new BOB guidance may be required

to specifically interpret the Brooks Bill to include the required

additional areas; and legal questions of authority will be reviewed

at the conclusion of the study.

3. Other agencies - Closer liaison than ever before will be required

with other agencies, particularly their ADP installation and ADP

management personnel. BOB may have to specifically advise agencies

regarding their relationships with NBS. This advice could include.

a. Support of FIPS Task Groups

b. Unified Government action on voluntary standards

c. Information reporting to NBS

d. Acceptance of uniform Federal ADP management practices

e. Training of Federal ADP personnel

f. Advisory and consulting services and supported research
1972 ISSUE STUDY

THE HOLE OF KBS IN FEDERAL AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING

OUTLINE

Preface

1. Introduction

Statement and Discussion of Issue

Brief History of NBS Involvement in ADP

Current ftole of NBS in Federal Automatic Data Processing

Plan of the Study

2. The ADP Standards Issue

Statement of the Issue

Identification of Required Standards

Alternative Methods for Standards Development

Evaluation of Alternatives

Recommendations

3. Performance Measurement Techniques

Statement of the Issue

Validation

Evaluation

Recommendations

'»

. ADP Management Guidelines

Statement of the Issue

Resources Management

Recommendations

3. Coordination of Other Agency Efforts

Statement of the Issue

Exploitation of Efforts * Recommendations

•• e. The* ADP Training Issue

Statement of the Issue

Alternative Approaches

Recommendations

7. Other Work Programs

Statement of the Issue

Contributions to Brooks Bill Objectives

Recommendations

Rccommendat ions and Conclusions
X i

ris
ATTACHMENT 3

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

REGARDING TELEPROCESSING ACTIVITIES

OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

AND THE OFFICE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

PURPOSE : To establish a frame of reference within which the

teleprocessing programs and activities of the Department of

Commerce can be carried out effectively and economically, and

to establish working relationships between department organizations which will minimize redundant effort and insure maximum

return on resources invested.

NEED FOR ACTION : Teleprocessing represents the most dramatic

change in the means of computer utilization which has occurred

since i960. Teleprocessing technology thus offers great

potential for achieving cost-effective computer applications

to improve efficiency and resource utilization in Government

operations. There are many problems which must be solved

before the full potential of teleprocessing technology can

be realized. Teleprocessing is the intersection of the computer

and data communications technologies. Its associated potential

as well as its problems lie in the area of convergence of the

two related technologies . Although advances can occur independently within each of

the technologies, many important and essential advances can only

be achieved through closely coordinated efforts between the
2

computer and data communications fields. Further, it is

evident that many associated problems cannot be solved

unilaterally by a single agency or department, by the Federal

Government or by industry; they require a concerted and carefully controlled effort involving organizations both in Government

and industry. The interaction between Government agencies is

especially important in achieving the advantages of specific

applications of teleprocessing technology and in providing

direction and impetus to any broad effort to exploit teleprocessing technology.

MANDATED RESPONSIBILITIES : . No single organization in the

Federal Government has a mandated responsibility for teleprocessing as a whole. At best, the principal responsibility

is divided between several Executive Branch organizations.

Public Law 89-306 (Brooks Bill) divides ADP (which includes

teleprocessing as a recently evolved method of providing ADP

services) responsibilities between three agencies: the General

Services Administration is responsible for coordinating the

acquisition and maintenance of ADP equipment; the Department

of Commerce is responsible for providing scientific and

technological advisory services relating to ADP and related

systems, and for necessary research in the sciences and

technologies of ADP computer and related systems; and the

Office of Management and Budget is responsible for exercising

fiscal and policy control.
3

The Bureau of the Budget letter of December 15, 1966

implemented Department of Commerce responsibilities under

P.L. 89-306 and resulted in the establishment of the Center

for Computer Sciences and Technology within the National

Bureau of Standards. The Center was charged with specific

responsibilities in the ADP area, and was authorized to

carry out research activities directed primarily toward

areas that give promise of satisfying widespread needs

within the Federal Government and that offer prospects for

significant improvements over existing capabilities. Thus,

teleprocessing is clearly a major responsibility of the Center.

Executive Order 11556 of September 4, 1970 established the

Office of Telecommunications Policy to formulate telecommunications policy. The Order also assigns the Department of

Commerce responsibility as a primary source of technical research and analysis to support the Office of Telecommunications

Policy

.

Department of Commerce Organization Order 30-5A of

September 18, 1970 established the Office of Telecommunications

to perform communications research to support the Office of

Telecommunications Policy, and provide advisory services in

telecommunications to Federal agencies and State and local

governments. The Office receives research and engineering

support from the National Bureau of Standards.
h

Several Divisions in the Institute for Basic Standards

(IBS), in pursuing their statutory responsibilities, develop

competence in areas touching upon telecommunications. These

competences are generally of a character involving scientific

and technical expertise in the complete spectrum of electromagnetic radiation from d.c. through the visible and beyond.

It is understood that OT will be able to draw upon these

competences by entering into reimbursable contractual arrangements according to standard NBS practices. The Technical

Analysis Division is prepared to assist the Office of Telecommunications in carrying out systems analyses related to

teleprocessing, in collaboration with COST or individually as

the requirement dictates. The working arrangements between

the IBS, IAT and COST are an internal responsibility of the

Director, NBS

.

UNDERSTANDING ; The National Bureau of Standards through its

Center for Computer Sciences and Technology (CCST) and the

Office of Telecommunications (OT) both have mandated responsibilities in their respective areas of technology, i.e,,

computer and telecommunications. The interests and responsibilities of the two groups converge in the teleprocessing

area which involves both the computer and data communications

technologies. Clearly, NBS (CCST) and OT will discharge their

respective mandated responsibilities independently and without
5 specific reference to each other except where obviously required

or desirable. In the computer-data communications area, however,

there is' a need for coordination of efforts of the CCST and OT.

The CCST will carry out its research and developmental

program in teleprocessing, making use of OT’s telecommunications

capabilities wherever appropriate. The CCST and OT will work

together in designing and conducting collaborative efforts

involving joint interests and responsibilities in teleprocessing.

CCST will respond directly to the Office of Telecommunications

Policy and other Government agencies requesting information,

guidance and support in the teleprocessing area; the CCST will

advise OT of these activities and will refer to OT any requests

which impinge directly on OT’s responsibilities and activities.

The Office of Telecommunications will carry out its telecommunications research program, drawing on CCST’s teleprocessing

and computer research capabilities where appropriate. OT will

not duplicate the CCST’s teleprocessing and computer research

and developmental efforts. The OT will respond directly to

the Office of Telecommunications Policy and other Government

agencies requesting information, guidance and support in the

telecommunications area; OT will advise the CCST of any requests

which impinge directly on CCST’s responsibilities and activities.

The Director, NBS , and the Director, OT, will keep the

Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology advised of their
6

collaborative efforts. Direct point s -o f-contact between NBS

and OT in this regard will be Dr. Ruth M. Davis and Mr. Kandoian.

This memorandum of understanding will be implemented

through later memoranda establishing points of contact and

working arrangements.
ATTACHMENT h

Resources Needed for NBS to Assume Additional

Responsibilities for the Data Elements and Codes Standard Program

1 . Background

The ADP standards program was established by Public Lav

89-306 (the Brooks Bill) in 1965 'which authorized the Secretary

of Commerce to make appropriate recommendations to the President

relating to the establishment of uniform Federal automatic data

processing standards. Subsequently, the Office of Management

and Budget (formerly the Bureau of the Budget) provided guidance

to the Secretary of Commerce in fulfilling the assigned responsibilities in a letter of December 15» 1966. NBS responsibilities

cited in the letter excluded standards for data elements and

codes. In September 1967s OMB Circular No. A-86, Standardization

of data elements and codes in data systems, vas issued. It

assigned specific responsibilities to OMB, Federal departments

and establishments, and NBS. The basic differences between the

approach taken to data standards and that taken for other ADP

standards are: (l) OMB is the program manager rather than NBS;

(2) standards are developed either by OMB chartered task groups

or principal program agencies rather than by NBS; (3) agencies

are encouraged to develop standards for use vithin their agencies

when not in conflict with existing or proposed standards; (^)

agencies can approve and publish certain standards vithin their

program or functional area; and (5) NBS is involved only to the

extent of registering data standards and providing technical
2

assistance to agencies or task groups as requested. (NBS does

publish certain data standards designated for general use.)

OMB in early 1971 drafted a Bulletin that provides further

guidance on data standards and places more importance on the

registry of data standards hy NBS and its use by agencies.

2 . Assumptions

In acquiring additional responsibilities for data elements

and codes standardization by NBS, it is assumed that a revised

OMB Circular would be issued either by amending Circular No.

A- 71 to include this area thus superseding Circular A-86 or

revising Circular A-86 to . include all information processing

standards including data elements and codes. In either case,

it is further assumed that these would be revised to reflect

the following statements regarding data elements and codes

standardization:

a. That NBS would be the program manager as with other

standards

.

b. That NBS, with OMB support

for appropriate departments and estab

maintain specific Federal general and

The cost for such efforts to be funde

and not NBS .

c. That NBS would arrange for

representing industry and State and 1

standards of mutual interests. When

and direction, would arrange

lishments to develop and

Federal program standards,

d by the designated agency

liaison with organizations

ocal governments on data

representation to such
organizations is provided by agencies other than NBS, the cost

will be borne by that agency and not NBS.

d. That OMB will retain approval authority over Federal

general data standards.

e. That NBS will publish a list of agency points of

contact for data standards.

f. That NBS will provide for the preparation of guidelines and criteria to assist agencies, task forces and equivalent groups in developing standards.

g. That NBS will utilize the Federal Information Processing Standards Coordinating and Advisory Committee (FIPSCAC)

or its equivalent rather than the Federal Automatic Data Processing Advisory Council as now in Circular No. A-8 6 to advise

NBS on matters regarding data standards.

h. That a general policy statement on the implementation

of standards and waivers will be developed and included that

pertains to all standards in general and not just data elements

and codes

.

i. That NBS as the program amanger will assess the

effectiveness of the standards program by determining those areas

where standards would be most beneficial, establishing standardization priorities, and monitoring the implementation of approved

standards

.
4

j. That NBS will continue: (l) to register data

standards; (2) publish general standards; and (3) to provide

active participation on ANSI and ISO standards committees.

3 . Program Plan

Assuming that NBS is assigned additional responsibilities

for the standardization of data elements and codes and that the

necessary resources are allocated, the following program would

be planned and initiated:

a. The development and implementation of an information

base reflecting the data requirements and interfaces (interchanges) of Federal-wide programs and associated agency data

systems. Before this can be accomplished techniques and guidelines need to be developed and furnished to Federal agencies,

since in most cases this information is not currently available

at the agency level.

b. The development of techniques to analyze this information base to determine existing or potential interchange

difficulties and those areas or subjects most facilitated by

the benefits of standards.

c. Based upon the findings in (b), the establishment

of standards projects either under the auspices of NBS (with

additional funding) or by delegation to other Federal agencies.

d. The continuation of current activities in the development and promulgation of a standards codes register, ANSI and
5

ISO participation and on-going Federal data elements and codes

projects

.

e. The development of a training course on data standards

to assist agencies in their assigned responsibilities. This

course would either be conducted by NBS or the Civil Service

Commission, as determined most appropriate.

f. The development of procedures and techniques to assess

the effectiveness of the program to include the standardization

phases of planning, development, implementation and maintenance.

b . Workload

If the assumptions in paragraphs 2 and 3 are valid, and are

accepted, it is estimated that four full time professionals are

needed to adequately perform the NBS responsibilities. In addition, one clerical person is needed for administrative support.

Assuming an average grade of GS-l4 for the four professionals

at an annual cost of $53,000 each (including leave, benefits,

and overhead), the annual personnel cost would be $ 220 , 500 . It is estimated that other objects which include travel ($6,000),

computer time ($10,000), and other miscellaneous items ($5,000)

would amount to $21,000, bringing the annual amount needed to

$2i+l ,000.

In FY 71 , NBS is spending at the rate of approximately

$55,000 for data standards. This includes the part-time participation of two professionals, a GS-15 and a GS-lU. Accordingly,
6

an annual increase of $ 186,500 would be necessary to provide

for an adequate effort in this area.
ATTACHMENT 5 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

Honorable Elmer B. Staats

Comptroller General of the

United States

General Accounting Office

Washington, D. C. 205^8

De ar Mr . Staats

As you remember. Dr. Ruth Davi

Starr and Mr. Mahoney of your

The purpose of the meeting was

plug-to-plug compatibility amo

In addition, ‘work underway at

development was reported on by

s , Mr . staff

to di

ng s el

NBS in

Dr. Davis

Cun ni ngh am , Dr . Ch aun cey

et wi th you on Mar ch 18 . cus s pro gr e s s in a chi e ving

c t e d computer comp one nt s . int er f ac e stan dar d s

During the meeting, you suggested the advisability of the

National Academy of Engineering assisting the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology primarily through reviewing their

work in interface standards. Dr. Davis was pleased with this

suggestion and agreed to pursue it. In later informal conversations she had with Dr. Starr and Dr. Piori, NAE , it was

decided that the Computer Sciences and Engineering Board ( CSEB

)

of the NAS-NAE would be the proper group to review the work of

the Center and to provide consultant assistance.

At the first subsequent meeting of the Computer Sciences and

Engineering Board on April 22, 1971* Dr . Davis briefed the

Board and asked its assistance. The Board unanimously agreed

and the Chairman, Dr. Oettinger, is currently appointing a Task Force chairman and f ive-t o-s even members to assist

Dr . Davi s

.

We wanted to inform you of our progress in following your suggestion and to indicate that we are still meeting the schedule

as Dr. Davis reported it. Our report on Interface Standards

will be provided to the CSEB for review by June 1. She and

the CSEB Task Force will brief you as soon as possible after

that on their combined recommendations. We would appreciate

a contact on your staff so that Dr. Davis and Dr. Oettinger

may make the necessary formal arrangements for participation

by the Computer Sciences and Engineering Board.

Sincerely

,

Lewis M. Branscomb

Dire ct or

ATTACHMENT 6

NBS-NSF RELATIONSHIPS

In the formative years of the National Science Foundation

(NSF), Dr. Astin and Dr. Waterman evolved a policy (undocumented) which led to a de facto practice of only minor

involvement in joint activities. Several circumstances

contributed to this situation.

a. NSF emphasized expanding and sustaining the

capabilities of universities.

b. NBS was concentrating its efforts in basic and

applied research conducted in its own laboratories.

The need for closer collaboration between NBS and NSF arises

from several recent circumstances:

a. NBS mission objectives relate to strengthening the

Nation’s science and technology, paying particular

attention to fostering the effective application of

science and technology for public benefit.

b. By statutory responsibility and by interagency

agreements, NBS is deeply involved in applied research

directed at almost every area of national need to

which the science and engineering of physical measurement is relevant.

c. The 1968 Amendment to the NSF Act authorizes the

conduct of applied research on national problems.

To this end NSF has budgeted a request for $8l million

in FY 1972 in the program Research Applied to National

Needs (RANN).

NBS can and should assist NSF both directly and indirectly in

the conduct of effective applied programs to meet national

needs. NBS and NSF programs and capabilities complement one

another in many respects

.

NBS has a need for closer links with the academic community

because

a. Many of our responsibilities (fire research,

building research, failure analysis, precision

measurement..,) pose very difficult and often

sophisticated problems to which university talent

can make important contributions.
2

b. Many of the disciplines and skills found vital

to KBS work are very badly underemphasized and therefore under exploited in universities; we believe an

industrial market exists for such skills (optical

technologies for dimensional metrology, automotive

vehicle safety technology, materials quality control

technology . . . )

.

c. KBS can help university groups establish effective

inputs to the users of applied research, especially

in the area of research to support the rational

regulation of technology by all levels of Government.

KBS has had many years of experience in university collaboration especially in its most intimate form as exemplified in

the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics at the

University of Colorado. To meet an urgent need to sustain

the Nation's capabilities in high precision measurement,

KBS has initiated an unsolicited grant program for academic

younger investigators (Precision Measurement Awards).

NBS can be of assistance to NSF by assisting NSF-funded

investigators to couple their work to applications. The

availability of a large, diversified capable laboratory staff

at KBS with well established cooperative relationships with

many other agencies could prove a useful interface between

Federal policy and academic research.

Six categories of possible cooperative activities between

KSF and KBS are identified.

a. We should consider the development of joint research

programs and the exchange of personnel between KBS

and selected universities with interests and capabilities

in selected areas. Initial support for such a cooperative program would be provided by KSF. KBS would

encourage voluntary technical participation by industry

or other agency personnel as appropriate.

b. We should propose to develop a joint program in

which we provide jointly agreed upon facilities,

including the operation of Data Centers, for the use

of KSF supported students and faculty.

c. KBS should insure that KSF program RAKK managers

are familiar with the program opportunities at KBS for

research to meet identified high priority national needs.

d. KBS could provide to KSF program review and

evaluation services, either on a voluntary or reimbursable basis, or in a cooperative program such as is

envisioned under (a) or (c).
3

e. In general NBS would fund its own investment in

long range and basic research. But in special cases

where NBS has truly unique opportunity, which will

otherwise be lost, NBS could consider solicitation

of NSF for sponsorship.

f. NBS might propose to NSF the funding of in-service

retraining programs at post-doctoral or other professional levels where there is a mutual interest,

especially in specialized applied skills where U.S.

capabilities are weak. Special emphasis should be

given to this program of retraining professionals.

NBS has a number of programs for which there is a shortage of skills, and its facilities can be made

available for retraining while NSF could provide

support for the trainees

.

NBS and NSF senior managements have held preliminary discussions to explore interest in joint efforts. The NSF has

been sufficiently receptive, especially on RANN programs,

that NBS is preparing a more detailed document to be used

in further discussions. The RANN program is particularly

interested in program management and several areas, especially

fire research and earthquake engineering, for which RANN is

requesting funds are areas in which NBS has on-going programs.

In fire research, NBS has statutory responsibilities and the

NBS programs can form the base for an enlarged national effort.

Congressman John Davis, Chairman of the Subcommittee on

Science, Research and Development of the Committee on Science

and Astronautics, House of Representatives, invited the

Director of NBS to testify on RANN during the authorization

hearings for that program. This invitation was issued because

of the acknowledged complementarity of NBS and RANN programs.

A copy of the testimony was mailed to the members of the

Visiting Committee.