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IBM 870

What is IBM 870?

The IBM 870 is an earlier generation of mainframe computers produced by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). It was designed for large-scale computing tasks and was widely used in various industries because of its high processing power and reliability.

What were some key industries where the IBM 870 was commonly used?

The IBM 870 was commonly used in industries such as banking, insurance, telecommunications, aerospace, and government which required high computing power and data management.


What are the key features of the IBM 870?

The IBM 870 had a multi-processor system, fault-tolerant design, and vast storage capability. It also supported various operating systems including IBM's own OS/360.

What does a fault-tolerant design entail in the context of the IBM 870?

A fault-tolerant design in the context of IBM 870 means that the system is designed to continue operation even if some of its components fail. Redundant components within the computer can take over and prevent a complete system shutdown.


What kind of power supply did the IBM 870 use?

The IBM 870 used a high-efficiency power supply to provide stable and reliable performance for large-scale computing tasks.

Why is the efficiency of a power supply important for mainframe computers like the IBM 870?

Efficiency is important because mainframe computers like the IBM 870 require a large amount of power to function. A high-efficiency power supply reduces power consumption and heat generation, leading to more sustainable operation and longer component life.


What types of processing tasks is the IBM 870 designed for?

The IBM 870 was designed for a wide range of large-scale processing tasks such as data mining, transaction processing, batch processing, and intricate computational tasks.

Can you provide examples of what these processing tasks might look like in a real-world context?

In a real-world context, data mining might involve analyzing customer data for trends, batch processing could involve running end-of-day reports for a bank, transaction processing could manage all the transactions happening in an ecommerce platform, and intricate computational tasks might involve simulations in aerospace engineering.


What operating systems were compatible with the IBM 870?

The IBM 870 was compatible with a variety of operating systems including IBM's proprietary OS/360, DOS/360, and TSS/360. They were specially designed for mainframe environments.

What advantages do these operating systems provide in a mainframe environment?

These operating systems were specifically designed to effectively manage large-scale data processing tasks. They offered robustness, reliability, and high levels of performance, critical in handling large and sophisticated data workloads that are common in mainframe environments.