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Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 1980's, Volume 2 Reports of the Panels (1983) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix 5.A: The Canonical System
Pages 330-333

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From page 330...
... For the same reasons as stated in Recommendation 3 of Section IV on theoretical computing, mutual benefits accrue when astronomers are allowed access to nonastro nomical computational facilities. - ~ mus, any new facili ties that are developed should be open (consistent with the objectives of the facility)
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From page 331...
... Facilities to be deployed at major observatories and intended for image processing as well as analysis may be several times the size of the canonical system depending on the number of users that must be served. Our proposed implementation strategy calls for the funding agencies to provide for the purchase of systems equivalent to five canonical systems per year, which allows systems to be replaced every 6 years as they become obsolete (see below for a discussion of the need for periodic replacement)
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From page 332...
... We arrive at the following formulas for the steadystate costs of the systems that we have proposed: ~ _ Cm where Cc' ~m' = i2/T, NPM, = NS, and C~ are the annual costs for capitaL~equ~pment, -maintenance, and software support, respectively; N is the number of systems; P is the purchase price of an average system; T is the system ~ _ _ , _ _ _ lifetime in years; M is the annual service contract cost as a fraction of the Purchase price; and S is the salary, benefits, and indirect costs required for a computer professional. With N = 30, P = $300,000, T = 6 years, M - 0.08 per year and S = $50,000 per year, the steadystate annual costs are
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From page 333...
... With the model that we are recommending, the average computational capability available to the majority of the astronomical community advances with the state of the art, remaining approximately 3 years behind the very latest in new technology. This will be a substantial improvement over the situation today in which computers of the 1960's remain the workhorses of several major observatories.
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Key Terms

  • cost sharing
  • purchase price
  • array processor
  • computational capability
  • theoretical computing

  • national astronomy
  • astronomy centers
  • virtual memory
  • basic software
  • expenses include

  • tape transport
  • image analysis
  • basic applications
  • nomical computational
  • simple task

  • costs required
  • computer professional
  • support includes
  • annual costs
  • purchase capital

  • average computational
  • array processors
  • final advantage
  • memory architecture
  • community advances

  • sophisticated display
  • steadystate costs
  • strategy calls
  • operations expenses
  • address space


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