difference between personal computer os and mainframe os
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They’re both basically operating systems. The main difference is the hardware and how they utilize it. And don’t forget the generic server software like Linux/Unix and Windows Server.
For a personal computer, the hardware is generally optimized to provide quick answers to the user. These are build for a lot of user interaction and are generally graphical interfaces or console interfaces on top of the kernel of an operating system. This kernel is generally a bunch of drivers that are connected together through the main kernel.
Servers are generally used to serve multiple users all at the same time. User one needs some file, user 2 is browsing web pages and user 3 is using some application remotely. (E.g. through a remote desktop application.) These too are basically a kernel with user interfaces on top but they support a few more user interfaces. Not only a GUI through remote desktop but also web pages or even just some communication protocol over FTP.
Mainframes are generally less user-centered and are mode used to process data. For example, they are processing financial transactions of millions of people if the mainframe is used by a bank. Or they get a lot of input to calculate the weather or other stuff. These are the real workhorses with only one main purpose, which is to process data as fast as possible. They are the huge data factories while a PC is more a simple one-man workshop and a server is more like an office. But they too are basically a kernel with some user interface layer on top.
Now, there is an enormous overlap in functionality between these three systems which explains why you can use the Linux kernel for all three systems as long as you can adjust this kernel to the specific hardware that’s used. Windows has been more optimized for a specific platform and is only focusing on a small amount of users like the one-man workplace or the small office. They’re not building factories.
Linux was created as a Unix clone and was more server-based and thus it can have multiple roles. It’s not as good for a single user nor is it that good for a complete factory but it’s popular and generally works good enough for most.
Most mainframes use operating systems that are created by the same company that build the mainframe. IBM has their System z with z/OS, Oracle has Solaris, HP has HP-UX and many other mainframe manufacturers use their own operating systems, that are all generally based on UNIX.
The main difference between all three is the architecture. It’s like when you build a house. Will there be just one or two people living in it? Or will there be 50 to 500 people inside? Or will it need to handle huge amounts of visitors, similar to a supermarket with thousands of customers every day. The hardware is adjusted to these needs in the form of processing power, memory and disk space and the kernel is optimized to support the specific hardware configuration for it’s main purpose.
So, it is possible to get some mainframe hardware and install Windows 10 on it, as long as the mainframe has the right processor and Windows can recognize the hardware. Windows has several limitations in the hardware it can support, especially things like the maximum amount of RAM and a maximum number of processors but it isn’t impossible. It’s just not optimal.
For smaller organisations you can also get the Linux kernel and compile it for the specific hardware. You would still have very powerful hardware but as the source code of Linux is freely available it can be adjusted to support the specific hardware you have. Thus the operating system is more optimized but still far from perfect.
The real mainframe operating systems will allow you to run virtual environments and each environment can run it’s own operating system. This would allow you to take a single mainframe and divide it into 20 different virtual devices with most of them running Linux while it’s also possible to run some other operating systems (like Windows) within these virtual environments.
People tend to think a mainframe is just a big computer but that’s not really the case. Mainframes are generally large racks with many motherboards and every motherboard has some processors, memory and other hardware plus connections to the other motherboards. They’re collections of computers, basically. All combined together in one big rack. And the mainframe operating system is managing all of these while the PC operating systems generally run per board.
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For a personal computer, the hardware is generally optimized to provide quick answers to the user. These are build for a lot of user interaction and are generally graphical interfaces or console interfaces on top of the kernel of an operating system. This kernel is generally a bunch of drivers that are connected together through the main kernel.
Servers are generally used to serve multiple users all at the same time. User one needs some file, user 2 is browsing web pages and user 3 is using some application remotely. (E.g. through a remote desktop application.) These too are basically a kernel with user interfaces on top but they support a few more user interfaces. Not only a GUI through remote desktop but also web pages or even just some communication protocol over FTP.
Mainframes are generally less user-centered and are mode used to process data. For example, they are processing financial transactions of millions of people if the mainframe is used by a bank. Or they get a lot of input to calculate the weather or other stuff. These are the real workhorses with only one main purpose, which is to process data as fast as possible. They are the huge data factories while a PC is more a simple one-man workshop and a server is more like an office. But they too are basically a kernel with some user interface layer on top.
Now, there is an enormous overlap in functionality between these three systems which explains why you can use the Linux kernel for all three systems as long as you can adjust this kernel to the specific hardware that’s used. Windows has been more optimized for a specific platform and is only focusing on a small amount of users like the one-man workplace or the small office. They’re not building factories.
Linux was created as a Unix clone and was more server-based and thus it can have multiple roles. It’s not as good for a single user nor is it that good for a complete factory but it’s popular and generally works good enough for most.
Most mainframes use operating systems that are created by the same company that build the mainframe. IBM has their System z with z/OS, Oracle has Solaris, HP has HP-UX and many other mainframe manufacturers use their own operating systems, that are all generally based on UNIX.
The main difference between all three is the architecture. It’s like when you build a house. Will there be just one or two people living in it? Or will there be 50 to 500 people inside? Or will it need to handle huge amounts of visitors, similar to a supermarket with thousands of customers every day. The hardware is adjusted to these needs in the form of processing power, memory and disk space and the kernel is optimized to support the specific hardware configuration for it’s main purpose.
So, it is possible to get some mainframe hardware and install Windows 10 on it, as long as the mainframe has the right processor and Windows can recognize the hardware. Windows has several limitations in the hardware it can support, especially things like the maximum amount of RAM and a maximum number of processors but it isn’t impossible. It’s just not optimal.
For smaller organisations you can also get the Linux kernel and compile it for the specific hardware. You would still have very powerful hardware but as the source code of Linux is freely available it can be adjusted to support the specific hardware you have. Thus the operating system is more optimized but still far from perfect.
The real mainframe operating systems will allow you to run virtual environments and each environment can run it’s own operating system. This would allow you to take a single mainframe and divide it into 20 different virtual devices with most of them running Linux while it’s also possible to run some other operating systems (like Windows) within these virtual environments.
People tend to think a mainframe is just a big computer but that’s not really the case. Mainframes are generally large racks with many motherboards and every motherboard has some processors, memory and other hardware plus connections to the other motherboards. They’re collections of computers, basically. All combined together in one big rack. And the mainframe operating system is managing all of these while the PC operating systems generally run per board.
it's helpful for you
if you are satisfied my answer.
to add me as brain list
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