Date:         Tue, 25 Oct 2005 13:16:46 -0500
Reply-To:     PuddingDotManAtGmailDotCom@listserv.cc.uga.edu
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Pudding Man <pudding.man@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Is mainframe an operating system or database server??
Comments: To: strutsng@gmail.com
In-Reply-To:  <1130221414.142218.3000@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On 10/25/05, strutsng@gmail.com <strutsng@gmail.com> wrote:
> I want to know if mainframe is an operating system or database server?
> I want to make it clear.
>
> Please advise. thanks!!

Depends on who you converse with.

For some folks with no MF experience, a "mainframe" *can* be
any multi-user system.

The short answer is that a mainframe is, for the most part,
a hardware/software platform identifiable as a descendant or
clone of IBM System 360. It can be used as a database
server, but has traditionally been used for many other
purposes.

For folks with lots of MF experience, a "mainframe" is likely
a platform that is a descendent of System 360 and which
supports arcane stuff such as ebcdic text, AMODE24 and AMODE31
(24 and 31 bit addressing). Nowadays such platforms run mostly
OS's with names like MVS, OS/390, z/OS, which are IBM software
products, and support Job Control Language (JCL).

Yes, wiki is good:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System/360
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS/360

The innovative concepts implemented in System 360 (and later
S370, S390, etc) made mass-scale data processing practical,
particularly as implemented in the 70's and 80's or so.

  Cheers,
  Puddin'

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