mainframe
Centralized processing giant
A mainframe is a large, powerful computer capable of processing vast amounts of data and supporting many simultaneous users—the workhorses of banks, airlines, and government agencies.
Before personal computers, mainframes dominated computing; users accessed them through terminals.
The term now often distinguishes centralized institutional computing from distributed systems: The company still runs its payroll on a mainframe.
Multinational technology corporation
- COBOLElderly business-oriented programming language
- batch processingRunning queued jobs automatically
- timesharingShared computational resource allocation
- multiprogrammingRunning multiple programs concurrently
Legally separate business entity
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- infrastructureBasic physical systems
- ERPIntegrated business management software
- integrationCombining into a whole
mission-critical · banking · insurance · data center · uptime · reliability · backend · batch jobs
Main computing chip
- consoleComfort in distress
- chassisStructural support base
- tape driveMagnetic strip reader/writer
- channelPassage for transmission
water-cooled · card reader · core memory · peripheral · controller · front panel · rack · power supply
Processing rate over time
- MIPSProcessor speed measure
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- robustnessResistance to failure
- high-capacityAble to store much
workhorse · scalability · parallelism · virtualization · availability · fault-tolerant · redundancy · nines
Quality from past eras
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- outdatedNo longer in use
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- classicOf lasting excellence
archaic · relic · retro · old-school · migration · modernization · emulation · dinosaur
IBM
Multinational technology corporation
- COBOLElderly business-oriented programming language
- batch processingRunning queued jobs automatically
- timesharingShared computational resource allocation
multiprogramming · big iron · green screen · terminal · punch card
corporation
Legally separate business entity
- scalabilityCapacity for growth
- infrastructureBasic physical systems
- ERPIntegrated business management software
integration · mission-critical · banking · insurance · data center · uptime · reliability · backend · batch jobs · workload
CPU
Main computing chip
- consoleComfort in distress
- chassisStructural support base
- tape driveMagnetic strip reader/writer
channel · water-cooled · card reader · core memory · peripheral · controller · front panel · rack · power supply
throughput
Processing rate over time
- MIPSProcessor speed measure
- reliabilityConsistent, predictable performance
- robustnessResistance to failure
high-capacity · workhorse · scalability · parallelism · virtualization · availability · fault-tolerant · redundancy · nines
vintage
Quality from past eras
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- outdatedNo longer in use
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
classic · archaic · relic · retro · old-school · migration · modernization · emulation · dinosaur · greenfield
- computerscomputer, computers, desktop, desktops, laptop
- electronicscomputer, resistors, capacitors, TVs, TV
- Informaticacomputadora, hardware, software, mouse, CPU
- processingprocessing, batch processing, data processing, parallel processing, real-time processing
- tech termsinternet, code, emoji, wireless, email
- American InnovationEdison, Thomas Edison, Bell Labs, Silicon Valley, Wright brothers
mainframepersonal computer
Individual-use computing machine
PC · microcomputer · desktop computer · laptop · workstation
mainframecloud computing
Internet-delivered digital infrastructure
edge computing · serverless · virtual machine · microservices · terminal
- mainframe computerLarge organizational computing system