Desktop

Ask something
Discussion Locked

what is a AS/400

0 helpful
4 replies

by courtney

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
Real quit, probably dumb question. Is an AS/400 a mainframe by IBM? Are they still being used/made?

4 replies

by kweiser

Sidniecat,
first of all: there is no such thing like a "dumb question".
A AS/400 is a midsize computer: bigger than a PC, smaller than a mainframe. There are several models of them, the largest of them have the power of small mainframes.
Yes, there are still made and used. The technologial features are similar to those of mainframes (Batch-, Online- Processing, Databases), but less complex, more "integrated", e.g. instead of the many dataset-organizations of a mainframe(BDAM, VSAM, PDS etc.) they have one file-structure, than can be accessed in several ways, e.g. by RPG (a AS400-programming-language) and by SQL as well.
Hope that helps.

by jazzbo54

?field technitian?job ,wit h AS /400

I am applying or a ?field technitian?job in a government institution.
Although I have a CompTIA A+ certification, with 2 years experience.I do not have an associates degree, or know anything about AS/400 series are IBM servers. what they are asking for.
Iv seen the long list of AS/400 certifications on IBM site.

Should I admit its over my head,or can you suggest URLS,to read up for interview.

by generalist

The AS/400 started life in 1988 as a midrange computer that was the replacement for such things as the System 36 and System 38. Call it a small scale mainframe that had little to do with personal computers.

In recent years is has gained new lifeas a web server and enterprise server.

If you are looking at certifications, determine which ones are for programming and which ones are for operations. If it mentions RPG or COBOL or other programming languages, you don't really need to focus on them. But if it covers interconnectivity or web serving, you might want to look further.

by generalist

The AS/400 is a midrange machine made by IBM. Over the years the high end versions of the machine have overlapped the low end mainframes.

The machine is still being made and used all over the world, although it has been renamed the iSeries. Youmight want to check the IBM site for more information.

This discussion is closed to new replies.