Computer Architecture

Reviewer: Allan Louis Lucke

This ten-page article is an excellent summary of the evolution and status of digital computer architecture. The author defines computer architecture as “structure, organization, implementation, and performance. Structure is the interconnection of the various hardware components of a computer system; organization, the dynamic interactions and management of the components; implementation, the design of specific building blocks; and performance, the behavior of the system.” He then goes on to treat each of these in its proper historical context from first through fourth generation architectures. Of particular interest is the section on high performance systems. This is definitely not an article for the computer novice. The author uses acronyms freely and without detailed explanations. He expects the reader to be familiar with such standard architectures as the IBM 360/370 series, DEC's 32 bit VAX series, CDC's 6600 through CYBER 205 genera, and others. There is no mention of research currently underway on more esoteric systems, such as optical computers, but the article does not suffer from this, probably deliberate, deficiency. The tables and illustrations are carefully thought out and well presented. The article could be used as the basis for a course or series of seminars. It is recommended reading for any computer professional who is interested in a well done summary of computer architecture.