Integrating graphics services in metropolitan area network

This paper presents the key issues and the results which have been stressed during a prototype implementation of a distributed graphics system suitable for use in a scientific and technical environment. The primary objective of the system is to provide the user with flexible tools to develop graphics applications on interactive bases with minimal programming. This goal is achieved through a greatly improved computing environment implemented over a metropolitan area network and integrating professional workstations, graphics server machines, and large mainframes. The professional workstations, which run the Unix operating system, provide powerful user interfaces and object-oriented graphics.The server machines allow for the sharing of graphical resources, while the mainframes perform the heavy computational tasks. The system allows for the dynamic acquisition and release of any resource in the network through interactive, menu-driven commands.