| Remote Access Computing (RAX) | |
| Logo Size: | 120px |
| Screenshot Size: | 250 |
| Developer: | IBM |
| Family: | RACS |
| Working State: | Discontinued |
| Marketing Target: | IBM mainframe computers |
| Language: | English |
| Supported Platforms: | IBM System/360 |
| Preceded By: | RACS |
| Succeeded By: | MUSIC |
IBM Remote Access Computing (RAX) is a discontinued early time-sharing system for IBM System/360 introduced in 1966.[1] RAX was based on an earlier system, RACS. developed jointly by IBM and Lockheed Aircraft in Marietta, Georgia in 1965. The system influenced a number of other timesharing systems including MCGILL-RAX from McGill University,[2] McGill's MUSIC,[3] and Reactive Terminal Service (RTS) from ITT Data Services.[4] In the 1970s Boston University used RAX as the basis of its VPS system, which ran as a guest operating system running on VM/370.
RAX was available from IBM as program number 360A-CX-17X, and runs on System/360 Model 30 and above.As announced, it runs on systems with as little as 64 KB of main storage, and supports a mix of up to 63 IBM 1050 typewriter terminals and IBM 2260 display terminals. The languages supported are BASIC, FORTRAN IV, and IBM Basic assembly language.[5] In a minimal system with 64 KB memory, user programs can be up to 32 KB, with larger programs allowed on larger systems.[6]
In 1968 RAX was used by the United States Department of Agriculture for their Washington Data Processing Center.[7] It was used in a number of colleges, universities, and corporations, including McGill, Boston University, St. Andrew's in Scotland,[8] The University of Rhode Island, and Bell Aerosystems.