The Legacy of Tandem Computers and NonStop Systems
Redefining Computing Through Reliability In an era when downtime could spell disaster for businesses, Tandem Computers Inc. introduced a groundbreaking solution: the NonStop system. Designed for unparalleled reliability, these systems ensured continuous operation, setting a new standard in computing. Tandem’s NonStop Systems Founded in 1974, Tandem Computers shipped its first system, the Tandem/16, to Citibank in 1976, marking the beginning of fault-tolerant computing. The NonStop systems were built on a unique architecture that allowed them to operate continuously, even in the event of component failures. This was achieved through a sophisticated setup of up to 16 CPUs in a fault-tolerant cluster, each with its own memory, I/O processor, and I/O bus, ensuring data availability through mirrored disks and redundant paths. ...