Scribd
Upload
36 views

Supercomputers Vs Mainframe

Uploaded by

rehan ismail
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
36 views

Supercomputers Vs Mainframe

Uploaded by

rehan ismail
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Mainframes vs.

Supercomputers
Both mainframes and supercomputers push the limits of what can be accomplished
through computing. They are both large and powerful machines, but they are not the
same thing. Because of their similarities (big black boxes hidden away in locked-up
data centers), the terms are often used interchangeably by those who don’t know any
better. However, they refer to very different kinds of hardware and types of
computing.
The biggest distinction between mainframes and supercomputers is the type of
problems they tackle. Each of these types of large computers is specially designed
and optimized to perform a particular type of task, and to do it better than any other
computer. Not only do supercomputers and mainframes do their tasks more
efficiently than other types of computers, they do things that no other computers can
do!
Supercomputers are designed to work on types of problems whose primary
constraint is calculation speed. Mainframes, on the other hand, deal with problems
constrained by input/output and which demand reliability above all else. So while
supercomputers are ideal for performing complex calculations on a large data set,
mainframes are well suited for performing thousands upon thousands of concurrent
transactions.
Supercomputers conduct large amounts of very fast and complex calculations on data
stored in memory. These computers are built to purpose to run complex simulations
or beating grand masters in chess. Mainframes process the large amounts of data
that come into them from external sources, such as credit card transactions or payroll
processing.
A supercomputer is a powerful computer which is used for processing data at fastest
possible speed. A mainframe is a large computer which is used for calculations
dealing with a huge amount of data. Thus, the primary focus of a supercomputer is
speed, whereas for a mainframe it is to deal with extensive amount of data.
Mainframe computers are not as powerful as supercomputers.
A supercomputer is a very powerful computer. It is used for carrying out calculations
at a very fast rate. It deals with huge amount of data, but still does not compromise
on speed. They are used for calculations involved in complex processes. For example
– analyses and forecasting of global weather pattern is conducted by using
supercomputers.
These computers are very expensive and consume a lot of power. They are kept in
controlled environment which offers a special cooling system and security features.
Mainframe computers fall in the category of large computers. These computers are
commonly used in large organizations. They provide access to frequently required
data, which is stored in huge databases. These computers are capable of storing
billions of records.
They are mostly used as specialized servers. They are generally priced at a range from
30,000 dollars and above. They also require a protective system which offers special
air conditioning for keeping them cool. Almost every mainframe can run multiple
operating systems, and therefore rather than operating as a single computer it acts as
a number of virtual machines.
There are several differences between the two – mainframe is used for large server or
large business applications, whereas supercomputers are used for scientific
applications. They both are large machines. Typical cost of supercomputer is much
higher than that of mainframes. Mainframes are measured in millions of instruction
per second, whereas supercomputers are measured in floating point operations per
second.
Comparison between Supercomputer and Mainframe:

 
Supercomputer Mainframe

A large computer used as


An extremely fast computer large servers and for
capable of performing intensive business
Definition
hundreds of millions of applications.
instructions per second.
 

A super computer usually


Many banks of internal
includes more than one
storage, multiple
CPU (Central Processing
Components input/output devices and
Unit), memory, I/O system,
magnetic disk and tape
storage.
and an interconnect.

Example Cray supercomputer IBM ES/9000

Nuclear weapon Used for typical bulk data


development, accurate processing like census
Application
weather forecasting, host industry and consumer
Areas
processes for a local statistics, ERP, and financial
computer transaction processing
Typically run a variant of
Operating Run many different types of
Linux as their operating
Systems operating systems
system

Floating point operations per Millions of instructions per


Measurement
second second

You might also like