
38 Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/VSE Basics
In this text, we hope that the meanings of system and processor are clear from
the context. We normally use
system to indicate the hardware box, a complete
hardware environment (with I/O devices), or an operating environment (with
software), depending on the context. We normally use
processor to mean a
single processor (CP) within the CPC.
2.2 Early system design
The central processor box contains the processors, memory,
1
control circuits, and
interfaces for
channels
. A channel provides an independent data and control path
between I/O devices and memory. Early systems had up to 16 channels. The ...