Chapter 1. Introduction to the new mainframe 13
repairs). And, if the system is brought down by an error condition, it must be
serviceable (that is, easy to fix within a relatively short period of time).
Mean time between failure (MTBF) refers to the availability of a computer
system. The new mainframe and its associated software have evolved to the
point that customers often experience months or even
years of system
availability between system downtimes. Moreover, when the system is
unavailable because of an unplanned failure or a scheduled upgrade, this period
is typically very short. The remarkable availability of the system in processing the
organization’s mission-critical applications is vital in today’s 24-hour, global
economy. Along ...