10 Introduction to the New Maineframe: z/VSE Basics
Clearly, the term mainframe has expanded beyond merely describing the
physical characteristics of a system. Instead, the word typically applies to some
combination of the following attributes:
Compatibility with mainframe operating systems, applications, and data
Centralized control of resources
Hardware and operating systems that can share access to disk drives with
other systems, with automatic locking and protection against destructive
simultaneous use of disk data
A
style of operation, often involving dedicated operations staff who use
detailed
operations procedure books and highly organized procedures for
backups, recovery, training, and disaster recovery at an alternative location ...