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Test Your Knowledge About Mainframe Computers

Prabhakar Pillai
Mainframes are still existing and relevant today. Test your knowledge about them by this short quiz.
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Interesting Fact
Z/OS and Z/VSE are respectively operating systems for IBM mainframe computers. Z/VM was released in October 2000 and belongs to IBM's family of virtual machine operating systems.
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Did You Know?
IBM ended PC production in 2005, and stopped making servers in 2014. However, it looks like the technology giant will keep its mainframe production line open.
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Amazing Fact
Interestingly, all 25 of world's top banks employ mainframes for their operations. Also, 9 of the top 10 global health insurance providers are mainframe users.
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For your information
Mainframe computers and PCs have different operating systems. Note that the former can't be used for personal use.
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Know This
Hardware and software of mainframes are expensive. Other drawbacks include space occupied and the need of high-end skills to properly work with mainframes.
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Fact
IBM RACF is a time-tested feature to protect confidential customer data. Additionally it supplies important audit records for compliance purposes.
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Do You know?
A mainframe is the central data repository, or hub in an organization's data processing center, connected to users via less powerful devices such as workstations or terminals.
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Interesting Tidbit
The P/390 is an IBM mainframe system adapted to function on a personal computer. A P/390 comes on a single card with a System/390 instruction set.
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Quick Bite
These cards came with 80 columns and rectangular holes were punched in up to 6 of the twelve rows of each of the initial 72 columns. Columns 73 through 80 were allocated for optional sequence numbers.
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Useful Fact
The main architect of System/360 was Gene Amdahl, and the venture was managed by Fred Brooks. Gene Amdahl went on to exit IBM and fashion a competing mainframe company (AMDAHL).
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Awesome Fact
The IBM System/360 was revealed to public in 1964. It leveraged IBM's Solid Logic Technology (SLT), a new technology that led to more powerful but smaller computers.
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