A mainframe computer is a large, powerful, and expensive computer used primarily in businesses that need to process large amounts of data or support large numbers of users. It contrasts with the concept of microcomputer (or microcomputer). Sometimes called mainframes.
In English: mainframe and macrocomputer.
For more information see: Mainframe
What is a mainframe or macrocomputer?
A large and powerful computer capable of handling a large number of simultaneous tasks and communicating with a large number of connected terminals; used by large and complex organizations (such as banks and supermarkets) where continuous operation is vital.
Characteristics of mainframes
Mainframe computers are a type of computer that are generally known for their large size, amount of storage, processing power, and high level of reliability. They are primarily used by large organizations for mission critical applications that require large volumes of data processing. In general, there are some characteristics of mainframe computers that are common among all mainframe vendors:
– Almost all mainframe computers have the ability to run (or host) multiple operating systems.
– Mainframes can hot-add or hot-change system capacity without interruption.
– Mainframes are designed to handle very high volumes of input and output (I/O) and emphasize performance computing.
A single mainframe can replace dozens or even hundreds of smaller servers.
Brief history of macrocomputers or mainframes
Mainframes first appeared in the early 1940s. The most popular vendors were IBM, Hitachi, and Amdahl. Mainframes have recently been considered by some to be an obsolete technology that is no longer really used. Yet today, as in every decade since their inception, mainframe computers and mainframe-style computing dominate the landscape of large-scale enterprise computing. Mainframes today play a central role in the daily operations of many of the world’s largest Fortune 1000 companies. Although other forms of computing are widely used in various business capacities, the mainframe has a coveted place in today’s e-commerce environment. In banking, finance, health care, insurance, utilities, government, and a host of other public and private enterprises, the mainframe remains the foundation of modern business.
Difference between mainframes/macrocomputers and supercomputers
The main difference between mainframes and supercomputers is their typical application domain – mainframes excel at reliable volume computing in domains that require integer operations (eg financial, indexing, comparisons, etc.).
Supercomputers are designed to excel in their ability to perform floating-point operations: addition, subtraction, and multiplication with enough digits of precision to model continuous phenomena such as the weather.
Despite the continual changes in information technology, mainframe computers are considered by many to be the most stable, secure, and compatible of all computing platforms. The latest models can handle the most advanced and demanding customer workloads, yet still run applications that were written decades earlier.
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