Mainframes
are the beginning of the PC’s used in homes and offices. The design of the PC
dates back to the original model of mainframe computing and management
design. The OS management design is the
model management OS design for PC’s. Many corporations are using PC’s and blade
servers to compensate for the high upfront costs of mainframe computing. Mainframes
store large amounts of data in one box. Mainframe computers are known for their reliability.
Mainframes can hold massive amounts of data more securely in a minimal amount
of space. PC based servers would have to be stored in a large space with large
cooling systems and increased use of power to be able to provide the thousands
of racks needed to compete with the storage capacity of a mainframe system. PC
based servers have a much lower upfront cost than mainframe servers but overall
when it comes to maintenance cost, mainframes win. Mainframes have the
reputation of never failing, PC based servers are almost guaranteed to fail at
some point. Mainframe systems can be more difficult to manage with data
integration. Many corporations rely on hand-coding by developers to open up
mainframe data to other systems. PC based servers are popular especially for
offering Windows, UNIX, and Linux servers that are less complex and much less
costly.
Doug
Neilson, senior consultant in IBM’s eServer group states:
“There
are some workflow types that are very suited to blades that are not at all
suited to mainframes,” he says. “Particularly numerically intensive computing –
number crunching. Also a lot of Web serving, email, and infrastructural
applications are very appropriate for shared nothing blade environments.”
Mainframes, on the other hand, are particularly good at large, real-time online
transaction processing applications and database processing.”
“Mainframes use Operating Systems like MVS/XA, MVS/ESA, OS/390,
VM/ESA and the latest being z/OS which has functionalities like System
Management, Resources Management, Memory Management, and File Management. The
characteristics of Mainframe OS are Virtual storage, Multi-programming,
Spooling, Batch processing.” In comparison the
PC’s operating system has functionalities like Memory Management, File System
Management, Process Management, and Device Management.
Mainframes systems monitor systems with programs such as
Sysplex Status. “Sysplex Status and Monitoring Desktops tasks
can provide real-time status for sysplex resources from one location. Now
there’s cross-sysplex performance monitoring from a single point of control
with a quick red-yellow-green health indicator for your systems on a single
panel. In just seconds you can see the health of all your sysplexes.” PC’s uses a similar tool called device
management that configures multiple devices within an organization such as desktop PCs,
laptops and mobile devices.
Mainframes also use virtual storage like PC’s.
Unlike PC’s the virtual memory used for the mainframe is much larger than the
PC. Mainframes such as the z/OS use a method of multiprocessing and
multiprogramming. IBM corporation states:
“The z/OS makes multiprogramming possible by
capturing and saving all the relevant information about the interrupted program
before allowing another program to execute. When the interrupted program is
ready to begin executing again, it can resume execution just where it left off.
Multiprogramming allows z/OS to run thousands of programs simultaneously for
users who might be working on different projects at different physical
locations around the world. By way of contrast, consider the operating system
that might be used for a single-user computer system. Such an operating system
would need to execute programs on behalf of one user only. In the case of a
personal computer (PC), for example, the entire resources of the machine are
often at the disposal of one user.”
Mainframes operating systems are run
much like the PC operating system in regards to the 4 management areas.
Mainframes OS are designed to manage larger amounts of data and higher levels
of security than the PC environment. Mainframes operating systems are more advanced
thus preventing system crashes of pertinent information.
References
Anuja Deedwaniya, G. G. (2010, September). Renovating
Mainframe Management. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from IBM Systems Magazine:
http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/main frame/trends/z-os/Renovating-Mainframe-Management/
IBMCorperation.
(2010). z/OS Concepts Multiprogramming. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com:
http:/ /publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zos/basi cs/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.zos.zconcepts/zconcepts_75.htm
Mr.Naveen V. MD
Maintec Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (2004, January 15). Mainframes Far From
Oblivion. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from MAINTEC Strategic Offshore IT
Solutions: http://www.maintec.com/mainframes-far-oblivion.html
Bradbury, D. "The 'Big Iron' Is
Back [Mainframe Computer]." Engineering & Technology (17509637)
3.12 (2008): 60-63. Business Source Complete. Web. 9 Jan. 2012
Thibodeau, P.
(2008, February 18). Mainframes fight to keep corporate IT crown. Computerworld,
42(8), 12.
Thibodeau, P.
(2008, February 18). Mainframes fight to keep corporate IT crown. Computerworld,
42(8), 12.
Anuja Deedwaniya, G. G. (2010, September). Renovating
Mainframe Management. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from IBM Systems
Magazine:
http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/mainframe/trend s/z-os/Renovating-Mainframe-Management/
IBM Corperation.
(2010). z/OS Concepts Multiprogramming. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zos /basics/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.zos.zconcepts/zconcepts_75.htm
Mr. Naveen V. MD
Maintec Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (2004, January 15). Mainframes Far From
Oblivion. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from MAINTEC Strategic Offshore IT
Solutions: http://www.maintec.com/mainframes-far-oblivion.html
Bradbury, D. "The 'Big Iron' Is
Back [Mainframe Computer]." Engineering & Technology (17509637)
3.12 (2008): 60-63. Business Source Complete. Web. 9 Jan. 2012
Thibodeau, P.
(2008, February 18). Mainframes fight to keep corporate IT crown. Computerworld,
42(8), 12.