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From: adam@its63b.ed.ac.uk (ERCF02 Adam Hamilton)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: OS co-processor ??
Message-ID: <686@its63b.ed.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 14-Oct-87 09:07:25 EST
Article-I.D.: its63b.686
Posted: Wed Oct 14 09:07:25 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Oct-87 21:00:26 EST
References: <2272@umn-cs.UUCP> <3300010@uiucdcsm>
Reply-To: adam@its63b.ed.ac.uk (ERCF02 Adam Hamilton)
Organization: I.T. School, Univ. of Edinburgh, U.K.
Lines: 19
Keywords: Database assist

ICL, the British manufacturer, sells a highly specialised co-processor
with most of its database machine sales.
	The device is called CAFS (Content Addressable File Store).
It is a special disc controller containing purpose built micro-
processor devices, which can scan data AS IT COMES OFF THE DISC for
particular values.  Only those records which meet the current criteria
are passed on to the main processor.
	The idea is that a program requests all records from a database
which match certain values (fuzzy matching is also supported).  The
CAFS controller scans the whole database/disc and passes on appropriate
records.
	The CAFS device is fully compatible with normal format discs
and database records.
	The device was first invented in the early 70s and hung around
waiting to be used.  It is now very successful to the point that it is
standard for most ICL database installations to have one or more as
part of the configuration.
	Sorry I can't give references.  It also doesn't do sorting,
which was the original query.