Indian Railway Codes and Manuals-Administration and Finance Code-Chapter- 6 (VI)
CHAPTER VI
ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING—GENERAL APPLICATION
601. Introduction.—Mechanised data processing on the
Indian
Railways can be traced back to
the twenties when punched card equipment was installed, on some Government and
Company Railways for the compilation of statistical
data. Owing to phenomenal rise in traffic in
the two decades immediately after
independence, the resultant burden of documentation proved to be too heavy on
the then existing machines. In the early sixties, the Railways had, therefore,
to go in for unit-record accounting machines which made it
possible to operate an integral procedure for compilation of statistical data
together with conducting internal checks on traffic earnings. In the
course of a few years, however, the unit-record equipment proved to be tool
slow and of limited capacity. The further rise in traffic
necessitated better controls over the voluminous data, and this together with
the need for introducing better and faster Management Information Systems,
called for improved data processing
equipment. Accordingly, the Railways decided to go in
for the second generation computers which were installed during the period
between 1966-1970 (see Annexure—A).
602. Description of
a Computer System.—Any Computer System
consists of a set of programmes and equipment
designed to process data.
603. Hardware.—The physical equipment in a computer
system, also called the Hardware, consists of (a) central processing
unit, (b) storage, (c) input devices and (d) output devices.
(a) Central Processing Unit.—The Central
Processing Unit is the controlling centre of a system. It has
two parts (i) the arithmetic/logic unit, (ii) the control section . The
arithmetic/logic unit performs operation like addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division and comparing, etc. The control section monitors and
coordinates the entire system including control on input/output devices and
transferring data to and from storage.
(b) Storage.—'Storage consists of a number of
instantaneously accessible locations where instructions and data
being processed are stored.
(c) Input and Output Devices.—.The functions of
placing data into the system and recovering data from the system are performed
by input/output devices attached to
the system. Some of
the commonly used input devices (commonly known sl/O
devices) are
(i) Card Reader.—Information from source documents is
transcribed into cards by a machine called card punch. This source information
represented by presence or absence of holes in different columns of a card is
read into storage by the card reader as the
card passes through this machine.
(ii) Paper Tape Reader.—.The paper tape reader serves the
same purpose of reading data punched along the length of a paper atpe as a card
reader for punched cards. On the Indian Railways data of broad gauge wagon
movement is received presently on paper tapes from various yards over a network
of tele-communication channels
(iii) Magnetic Tape Drive.—'Magnetic tape is one of the
principal input/output medium of recording data. Information is recorded on a
magnetic tape as magnetized spots called bits. The machine that can read, or
write on , a magnetic tape is called a magnetic tape drive.
(iv) Disc Drive.—'Disc Drive can read and write data on
magnetic discs. This input/output device gives the facility of random access to
data in a computer system.
(v) Line Printer.—This machine is like an extraordinarily
fast typewriter attached to the computer Final output reports are printed
through this machine by the computer system.
604. Programme.—Each operation in
any computer system
is performed by an instruction. The
instruction defines a basic
operation to be performed and identified
the data and the device needed to carry out
the operation. The complete set of instructions to carry out a
required job is called a programme. This is also known as the Software, i.e.,
set of instructions to make the Hardware do the required job.
605. Definitions.—Some
of the common terms used in connection with the description of any computer
installation and its application, are defined below :
(I) Program.—-A series of instructions set out in sequence
which are required to be executed by or on the computer to
complete a job.
(a) Source Program.-—These are instructions as
written by the Programmer in the ' Programming language '
(b) Object Program.—These are instructions
converted into machine language from the source program.
(2.) Programming language.—These
are developed to enable the Programmer to write
his instructions in a language which corresponds closely to a
natural language or algebraic language.
To illustrate :—
(i) Fortran.—(Formula Translation) is a mathematical
language and enables the Programmer t© write his instructions in an algebraic
format.
(ii) Cobol.—(Common Business Oriented Language) used basically
for commercial purposes, enables the programmer to write his instructions in
the normal English language.
(iii) Autacoder.—A programming language to work with I. B.
M. 1401 machines.
(3) Systems
Analysis.—The examination of an
activity, procedure, method, technique or a
business to determine as to how the necessary operations may best be
accomplished to attain a given objective.
(4) Bit.—(i) An abbreviation of binary
digit, (2) A single character in a binary
number, (3) A single pulse in a group of
pulses, (4) A unit of information capacity of a storage
device.
(5) Byte.—A unit of information, 8 bits in
length.
(6) Audit Trail.—A system of providing a means
for tracing items of data from processing step to step,
particularly from , machine produced report or other machine output back
to the original source data.
(7) Validity Check.—A check based upon known
limits or upon given information or computer results ; e.g., a
calendar month will not be numbered greater than 12, and a
week will not have more than 168 hours.
(8) File.—An organised collection of information
directed toward some purpose, e. g., a deck of cards or records on a tape
organised in accordance with requirements.
(9) Access time.—Time required by a computer to
locate and transfer data to and from storage.
(10) Real time.--Computer operation simultaneous
with input of information where the desired output is obtained ' here and now
'.
(11) Digital Computer.—A computer that uses discrete numbers
to represent information.
(12) Analog Computer.—A physical or electrical
simulator which products
an analogy of mathematical problems to be solved.
(13) On-line.—-Directly connected to the
computer, e. g., where a computer is being used to control, say an automatic
machining operation in a factory.
(14) Off-line.—Not directly connected to the
computer.
(15) Time sharing.—Use of a computer for more
than one application at a time
by allocating successive time slots to active
applications.
(16) Back-up.—'A comparable hardware available in
case of failure of on-premises equipment.
THE MAIN APPLICATIONS
606. Freight Accounting and Statistics System.—This system covers revenue earning goods traffic only. The
source documents for this system are copies of the Invoices which are collected
from all goods booking stations on a railway .through couriers, for processing
on the computer centrally. The data in respect of booking and receiving
station, commodity, weight, rate, distance and whether the consignment is moving
as smalls or in wagon load, etc., are captured on punched cards- This
voluminous basic information is processed to meet almost all accounting
requirements including apportionment of earnings between railways, in respect
of traffic moving over more than one railway. In addition from the same
information multifarious statistical reports like commodity-wise movement,
leads of different types of traffic, etc., are also generated.
607. Passenger Accounting and Statistical System.—This system covers passenger traffic originating on
printed card tickets. The source documents far this system are the "
passenger classifications " received from the stations every
month. Apart from meeting the accounting requirements
connected with passenger traffic earnings the system also supplies the whole
range of passenger movement statistics like class-wise Passenger movements in
different distance legs, etc.
608. Payroll Accounting.—The
payroll application covers in its scope the regular staff (excluding running
staff and gang men) and workshop staff. For the workshop staff the system
includes preparation of incentive bonus bills. At present, the system does not
include Provident Fund and Suspense Accounting though some 'installations have
covered these aspects also to a limited extent.
609. Inventory
Control System.—As a first step all stores
stock items were brought under a Unified Ceding structure under
which each item of stores held in stock was
identified by the
same code number on all railway basis. The system
enables prompt and accurate stores
accounting, provides financial information for
control over material usage, and also produces action-oriented
exception reports including 'ABC analysis' position of surplus and
over-stock items, etc. The system helps in the planning and
control of purchases through order follow up and vendor performance
reviews and automatic information for recoupment action.
610. Operating
Statistics.—from the "Trains Reports " details of
engine and train movement, including fuel consumption during each run, are
collected on punched cards. The
system generates report about section-wise movement of trains,
fuel consumption, engine utilisation and overage speeds of trains,
etc.
611. Linking of Loco Coal dispatches with Receipts.—In this
system each Railway links all loco wagons dispatched to home loco shes of a
Railway with loco coal wagons actually received invariably throwing up some '
missing despatches 'and' unconnected receipts'. The missing dispatches and
unconnected receipts as noticed on each Railway are then linked in a
centralized ' run ' on an all-Railway basis to take care of all inter-railway
diversions of Loco coo! wagons. Claims are lodged with the Commercial
Department in respect of missing wagon, is which still remain untraced ,and
necessary particulars are furnished to enable that Department to. trace such
wagons.
612. Production
Control.—Production Control is a major
application in Railway Production Units at Chittaranjan (C. L.
W.), Varanasi (D. L. W.) and Perambur (I. C. F.). Under
this application material requirements as Well as scheduling of operations in
production shops is automatically worked
out for the various
components, sub-assemblies and major assemblies for a
given batch of locomotives/coaches. Job cards
and route cards, etc., are printed on the
computer. Material planning and capacity
planning are performed for different ranges of product-mix as
and when required.
613. Marshalling Yard
at Mughalsarai.—'Cards are punched
at Mugaalsarai in respect of all wagons arriving and leaving
the yard. The punched cards are processed on the computer at
D. L. W., Varanasi. The important outputs of the
systems are
(i) Details of mis-marshalled loads.
(ii) Report on wagon detentions including,
position of wagons in sick lines and goods sheds
; and (iii) Marshalling Yard Statistics.
614. System in the Railway Board's Computer
Centre.—In this system information if collected via tele-printer
lines of the movements of about 3,00,000 broad gauge wagons passing
through all inter-change points and certain
important selected yards. The information is
incorporated into a voluminous computer file to show the latest status and
recent movements of each wagon. Using this file reports
are produced daily on wagon holdings and special fleet
holdings (e.g. P.O.L tanks) At the end of the
month, a list of monthly movements is printed and sent to
railways. (The system does not as yet cover
the movement of metre gauge wagons).
What was one of the first forms of
mechanized data processing used on Indian Railways in the twenties?
A) Magnetic Tape Drive
B) Punch Card Equipment
C) Disc Drive
D) Line Printer
Answer: B) Punch Card Equipment
2. What prompted Indian Railways to
upgrade to unit-record accounting machines in the early sixties?
A) Introduction of new trains
B) Increased traffic and the need for better data control
C) Development of new accounting software
D) The availability of new hardware
Answer: B) Increased traffic and the
need for better data control
3. What are the main components of
the hardware in a computer system as described in the text?
A) Software, Input Devices, Output
Devices
B) Central Processing Unit, Storage, Input Devices, Output Devices
C) Input Devices, Storage, Software
D) Output Devices, Storage, Programming Languages
Answer: B) Central Processing Unit,
Storage, Input Devices, Output Devices
4. What does the Central Processing
Unit (CPU) consist of?
A) Input and Output Devices
B) Arithmetic/Logic Unit and Control Section
C) Magnetic Tape Drive and Disc Drive
D) Line Printer and Card Reader
Answer: B) Arithmetic/Logic Unit and
Control Section
5. What is the primary purpose of a
Card Reader in a computer system?
A) Writing data on magnetic tapes
B) Printing final output reports
C) Reading data punched in cards and transferring it to storage
D) Writing instructions in programming languages
Answer: C) Reading data punched in
cards and transferring it to storage
6. Which programming language
mentioned is used primarily for commercial purposes?
A) Fortran
B) Autacoder
C) Cobol
D) C++
Answer: C) Cobol
7. What does the term
"Byte" refer to?
A) A single character in a binary
number
B) A unit of information, 8 bits in length
C) A system of providing a means for tracing data
D) Time required to transfer data to and from storage
Answer: B) A unit of information, 8
bits in length
8. What does the "Freight
Accounting and Statistics System" primarily handle?
A) Passenger traffic statistics
B) Revenue earning goods traffic
C) Payroll accounting
D) Inventory control
Answer: B) Revenue earning goods
traffic
9. What type of information does the
"Passenger Accounting and Statistical System" process?
A) Inventory control data
B) Engine and train movement details
C) Passenger traffic earnings and movement statistics
D) Production control for locomotives
Answer: C) Passenger traffic
earnings and movement statistics
10. What is the purpose of the
"Inventory Control System" mentioned in the text?
A) To generate reports on train fuel
consumption
B) To monitor passenger traffic movements
C) To manage stores stock items and provide financial information for material
usage control
D) To handle payroll accounting and incentive bonus bills
Answer: C) To manage stores stock
items and provide financial information for material usage control
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