Spooling
In computing, SPOOL is a type of buffering. It is used to cater for the speed mismatch between a device and a processor. The most common spooling application is print spooling, which places a task (or 'print job') into a queue for extended or later processing.
Origin of the term
According to Tanenbaum, "SPOOL" is an acronym for simultaneous peripheral operations on-line; for printers: simultaneous peripheral output on line. Possibly the term is influenced by the reel (or spool) of a magnetic tape, the part on which tape is wound for later use. A more modern interpretation of SPOOL comes from the flowchart drawing icon of a spool of thread, which, in IBM terminology, represents the (perhaps) temporary storage of data on a magnetic disk drive, under the control of an operating system task.
History
In a computer system peripheral equipment such as printers and punched card readers and punches are very slow relative to the performance of the rest of the system. Getting input into and output from the system was quickly seen to be a bottleneck. For example a job which read punched cards or generated printed output directly was forced to run at the speed of the slow mechanical devices.
The Spooler
The Spooler was a systems software operating system package that provided spooling facilities for the IBM System/370 running DOS/VS, DOS/VSE environment, and IBM System/360 running DOS/360 or retrofitted with modified DOS/360, such as TCSC's EDOS. Other venders offering The Spooler as part of their OS were Amdahl, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Magnuson, and RCA.
The product
The Spooler was an operating system enhancement available for DOS, DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, and came packaged with some third party DOS-based operating systems.
It 'spooled' (queued) printer and card data, freeing programs from being dependent upon the speed of printers or punched card equipment.
The Spooler competed with IBM's POWER and SDI's GRASP. Like GRASP, The Spooler could reside in an independent 'Fn' partition.
Platforms
Software
The product ran under several DOS-related platforms:
Hardware
Hardware platforms included:
Podcasts:
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by Spiller
Groovejet (if This Ain't Love)
by: SpillerHolding you closer
It's time that I told you
Everything's going to be fine
Know that you're leaving
And try to belive it
Take me one step at a time
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?
Think of tomorrow
We beg, steal or borrow
To make all we can in the sun
While we are moving
The music is soothing
Troubles we all have begun
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?
Will you remember me boy?
Remember me
Boy will ya?
Just for this lifetime
You can be my past time
Here are the rules of our play
In it together
Till I know you better
Darling, Darling
What do you say?
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?
If this ain't love
Why does it feel so good?