A mainframe is a high-performance computer used for large-scale, compute-intensive purposes and tasks that require greater availability and reliability. It is the central data repository in a corporations data processing center, linked to users through less powerful devices such as PCs or midrange computers. Mainframes are designed to handle very high volume input and output (I/O) and emphasize throughput computing. They are often used for high-volume transaction processing, batch processing, data warehousing, and analytics. Modern mainframes can run multiple operating systems simultaneously and support cloud computing and virtual environments.
Mainframes are critical to commercial databases, transaction servers, and applications that require high resiliency, security, and agility. They are uniquely engineered to process up to 1 trillion web transactions daily with the highest levels of security and reliability. Most mainframes can run multiple operating systems, handle high-volume input and output (I/O), and add or hot swap system capacity without disruption to the business.
Mainframes are deeply embedded into the organizational IT that extracting and replacing these core systems, often written in COBOL, carries more risk than potential reward. Therefore, mainframe modernization is a broad term that includes a range of potential activities, all ultimately aiming at improving business results by improving existing mainframe-based IT services.
Industries where mainframes continue to have a significant role include banking and financial companies, healthcare providers, government agencies, transportation providers, and more.
