mainframe computer
Noun 1. a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room (synonym) mainframe (hypernym) digital computer (hyponym) supercomputer | ||||
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Mainframe computer definition was found in categories: Language, Idioms & Slang(1) Encyclopedia(1)
Mainframe computer Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
| hEnglish - advanced version |
mainframe computer
mainframe computer
n : a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room [syn: mainframe]
mainframe computer
n : a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room [syn: mainframe]
Mainframe computer Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
| Wikipedia English - The Free Encyclopedia |
Mainframe computer
Mainframes (often colloquially referred to as Big Iron) are computers used mainly by large organizations for critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, ERP, and financial transaction processing.
The term probably originated from the early mainframes, as they were housed in enormous, room-sized metal boxes or frames. Later the term was used to distinguish high-end commercial machines from less powerful units which were often contained in smaller packages.
Today in practice, the term usually refers to computers compatible with the IBM System/360 line, first introduced in 1965. (IBM System z9 is IBM's latest incarnation.) Otherwise, systems with similar functionality but not based on the IBM System/360 are referred to as "servers." However, "server" and "mainframe" are not synonymous (see client-server).
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