Make up your mind, is it Tandem or is it mainframe? :-P

Post #153,976 by drewk 5/6/04 1:50:30 AM Reply	Make up your mind, is it Tandem or is it mainframe? :-P === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
Post #154,005 by jbrabeck 5/6/04 9:21:49 AM Reply	Come on Drew, no baiting... You know that some people even call NT boxen "Midrange" computers... Maybe the criteria is based on weight: If I can carry it - Personal Computer If I need a hand truck -- Midrange If I need a forklift -- Mainframe Sounds about right to me. ;-j
Post #154,018 by lincoln 5/6/04 10:17:34 AM Reply	Your criteria has to be modified to take into account the reduction in size for hardware over the past decades. Many brands of mainframe are now small enough to be moved by hand cart. We really could get into quite a discussion just trying to define a midrange computer, if any company classifies their equipment as such nowadays. lincoln "Windows XP has so many holes in its security that any reasonable user will conclude it was designed by the same German officer who created the prison compound in "Hogan's Heroes." - Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times [link\|mailto:bconnors@ev1.net\|contact me]
Post #154,025 by jbrabeck 5/6/04 10:37:52 AM Reply	Didja miss the ;-j I remember the infinite thread discussion on what was a mainframe and don't want to go there again. Call it what you want. Everyone (personal and corporate) has a definition of what is "mainframe", "midrange" and "personal". Here, in just this data center, we have a IBM 3090 (?) mainframe with 36tb of data. And a "midrange" (over 500 Sun boxes) with 98tb of SAN data. And over 1400 NT (2003, 2000, NT) boxes with and unknown amount of storage. How do I know what's a mainframe? The boss told me. ;-)
Post #154,102 by lincoln 5/6/04 2:53:46 PM Reply	I did miss the ;-j but you're stretching definitions to fit your own opinions. "over 500 Sun boxes" does not equal a "midrange"; they're 500 INDIVIDUAL machines networked together to equal or beat a "midrange's" overall capabilities. And "1400 NT (2003, 2000, NT) boxes with and unknown amount of storage" are nothing more than just that - INDIVIDUAL units networked together. Cumulatively, their computing capacity easily tops one individual "midrange" computer, but that's understood. So when you call up IBM and say, "Please send me a midrange computer" do you expect 200 units delivered to your door, or do you expect just ONE computer to be delivered? lincoln "Windows XP has so many holes in its security that any reasonable user will conclude it was designed by the same German officer who created the prison compound in "Hogan's Heroes." - Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times [link\|mailto:bconnors@ev1.net\|contact me]
Post #154,104 by jbrabeck 5/6/04 3:04:04 PM Reply	Correction The "over 500 Sun boxes" was not meant to imply one midrange. Each, loosely termed, application may have anywhere from 1 to 25 Sun boxes. Each Sun box cluster (even if only 1 box) is considered a midrange system. The 1400 NT boxes are again either stand-alone or clustered to support applications. None of which are considered midrange. The USPS email system runs on NT boxes. (Special application prints out the email, puts a stamp on it and delivers in to your desktop ;-j ) If I were to call IBM for a midrange, I'd expect an iSeries (a.k.a. AS400).
Post #154,035 by bbronson 5/6/04 11:07:30 AM Reply	How about basing it on the crash test? If it doesn't crash, even if you set off a grenade in its innards; it's a mainframe. If it does crash, but infrequently, it's midrange. If crashes are common, it's personal. And if crashes are routine, it's Windows. Brian Bronson
Post #154,036 by jbrabeck 5/6/04 11:11:46 AM Reply	Dunno about that I've known people who've caused the mainframe to crash, requiring an IPL. It does take practice to get that "good" ;-j
Post #154,044 by admin 5/6/04 11:34:07 AM Reply	I've only seen a midrange crash once. Once, in 6 years, with an AS/400 - someone tried out a dodgy, seldom-used serial line debug program. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #154,015 by lincoln 5/6/04 10:11:53 AM Reply	I've already made up my mind and so did the company 13 years ago. I won't comment any further. lincoln "Windows XP has so many holes in its security that any reasonable user will conclude it was designed by the same German officer who created the prison compound in "Hogan's Heroes." - Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times [link\|mailto:bconnors@ev1.net\|contact me]
Post #154,016 by drewk 5/6/04 10:14:53 AM Reply	I don't have a horse in this race jbrabeck's description above makes about as much sense as any other distinction I've heard. === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.

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