30 Jun
2016
30 Jun
'16
8:11 p.m.
On 30 June 2016 at 06:30, Andrew Warkentin <andreww591(a)gmail.com> wrote:
On 6/30/16, arnold(a)skeeve.com
<arnold(a)skeeve.com> wrote:
AFAIK the later ESS switches include a 3B machine but it only handles
some administrative functions, with most of the the actual call
processing being performed in dedicated hardware.
I feel dated: 2ESS was just coming in and offices had Strowger
switches when I left that field. Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5ESS_Switching_System) claims that 5ESS
ran under UNIX-RTR.
N.
For
example, I thought Unix was used at some point as the OS for some
of the ESS switches in AT&T, but now I think I was mistaken.
I think that your initial statement is correct. At Georgia Tech AT&T gave
us some 3B20s - vax size and larger, running System V, and I remember some
discussion that they were used inside AT&T as switches.
This, of course, is second hand information; perhaps some of the Bell Labs
alumni can verify for real.
Arnold