big iron
Enterprise computing hardware
Big iron refers to large, powerful mainframe computers—the massive, expensive machines that handle critical operations for corporations and governments.
The term arose in contrast to smaller personal computers and servers.
It carries a mix of respect for raw computing power and gentle mockery of institutional technology: The bank still runs its core systems on big iron.
The phrase sometimes extends to other heavy industrial equipment.
Multinational technology corporation
- COBOLElderly business-oriented programming language
- data centerFacility housing networked computers
- serverOne who attends tables
- batch processingRunning queued jobs automatically
supercomputer · timesharing · system administrator · terminal · legacy system · punch card · tape drive · green screen
Pistol with rotating chamber
- ColtYoung male equine
- MagnumHigh-powered firearm caliber
- six-shooterRevolver holding six rounds
- holsterSidearm carrying case
gunslinger · cowboy · western · sidearm · pistol · handgun · frontier · shootout
Bladed vehicle pushing earth
- excavatorMachine that digs earth
- craneLifter or wader
- backhoeHinged-arm excavating machine
- loaderOne who fills containers
dump truck · earthmover · grader · compactor · scraper · caterpillar · digger · mining equipment
IBM
Multinational technology corporation
- COBOLElderly business-oriented programming language
- data centerFacility housing networked computers
- serverOne who attends tables
batch processing · supercomputer · timesharing · system administrator · terminal · legacy system · punch card · tape drive · green screen · VM
revolver
Pistol with rotating chamber
- ColtYoung male equine
- MagnumHigh-powered firearm caliber
- six-shooterRevolver holding six rounds
holster · gunslinger · cowboy · western · sidearm · pistol · handgun · frontier · shootout · quickdraw
bulldozer
Bladed vehicle pushing earth
loader · dump truck · earthmover · grader · compactor · scraper · caterpillar · digger · mining equipment · dragline
big ironpersonal computer
Individual-use computing machine
PC · microcomputer · desktop computer · laptop · home computer
big ironcloud computing
Internet-delivered digital infrastructure
serverless · microservices · white box · bare metal · peer-to-peer
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