MVS is a mainframe operating system developed by IBM in 1974 as an upgrade to MVT. It is still commonly used and fully backwards compatible with previous versions and UNIX. MVS/SP contained support for UNIX, making it one of the largest mainframe systems in use. IBM also has other operating systems on the market, including TPF, VM, and UNIX extensions.
Multiple Virtual Storage, more commonly known as MVS, is a mainframe operating system (OS) developed by International Business Machines (IBM) in 1974. It was a direct upgrade of the Multiprogramming with a Variable Number of Tasks (MVT) operating system that it hit the market in 1967. Both MVT and MVS are still commonly used terms for the current system, even though the official name has moved away from abbreviations. The current version of the Multiple Virtual Storage system is fully backwards compatible with previous operating system versions and with the UNIX operating system.
The history of Multiple Virtual Storage begins with the development of MVT. This operating system was to be the system of choice for large IBM mainframes. Subsequent delays and problems with the initial release kept people from fully adopting the system, and many people were stuck with the current multiprogramming operating system with a fixed number of tasks (MFT).
The release of Multiple Virtual Storage was supposed to be the start that would get people to the new system. It was released as an update to current IBM operating systems, specifically MVT. The differences in programming were so great that it was widely seen as a completely new system. As a result, users almost immediately started calling it MVS and soon IBM as well.
The abbreviation MVS was included in the proper name of every release from 1978 with MVS/Special Edition (MVS/SE) to 1988 with MVS/Enterprise System Architecture (MVS/ESA). In 1995, IBM released OS/390. While this system did not include MVS in its name, it was the direct successor to the system. Since the OS/390 release, MVS has not been put back into the name of system updates.
While most releases of Multiple Virtual Storage were simply basic enhancements to the core system, the MVS/Systems Program (MVS/SP) contained support for UNIX systems. Since its release in 1980, the availability of UNIX programs, coupled with the backwards compatibility of the IBM operating system, has created a wide variety of programs for the MVS system. This solidified the operating system as one of the largest mainframe systems in use.
In addition to Multiple Virtual Storage, IBM has many other operating systems on the market. The Online Transaction Processing Facility (TPF) works primarily with airlines and other mass processing organizations to keep records organized and secure. The Virtual Machine (VM) line emulates mainframe operations on non-mainframe computers, the best-known version being the Hercules system. Finally, IBM maintains several UNIX and UNIX-like operating system extensions that allow popular operating systems made by other companies to run on their mainframes as a standalone operating system.
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