Linux® on the Mainframe

2.3. Distinguishing features of the mainframe

Let us go deeper into the structure of three main resources defined by the S/360 architecture.^[4] It is this structure and implementation that distinguishes the mainframe from other vendors' computer implementations and that can give some significant value to your business opportunity.

^[4] In this book, we will use mainframe architecture to mean any of these architectures: S/360, S/370, S/390, or z/Architecture. If we refer specifically to the 64-bit architecture of the zSeries 900, we will use the term z/Architecture.

The mainframe is based on the von Neumann computer model (see Figure 2-3), with these main parts:

• The CPU is the processing unit, responsible for executing instructions.

• The memory^{[5] ...}