The Raised Floor - IBM Mainframe Computer Ops in the 1980s

A photo album documenting the roles of, and equipment run by printer operators, console operators, tape librarians and IMS MTOs working with IBM MVS/370 and MVS/XA systems in large data centers during the 1980s.

Equipment shown includes IBM 3033 and 3081 mainframes, 3211 and 3800 printers, 029 card punch and 3505 card reader, 3420 and 3480 tape drives, 2305, 3330, 3350 and 3380 disk drives, lots of 3278 consoles, STC 3670 and 3450 tape drives, and a lone IBM 3088 Multisystem Channel Communication Unit (MCCU).

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• IBM
• mainframe
• impact
• laser
• printer
• tape
• reel
• card
• punch
• reader
• console
• DASD
• drum
• IMS
• MTO
• 370
• S/370
• 029
• 3505
• 3211
• 3800
• 3420
• 3480
• 2305
• 3330
• 3350
• 3380
• 3278
• 3088
• 3033
• 3081

[sm1else]

Oh wow. What memories. My mom worked in an IBM shop for years and would drag me into work with her on weekends. I was there for the upgrade of a 4341 to a 4381, then to a 3090. I think they're running a Z-series to this day. In violation of all sorts of company policy, she would let me pull and mount 9-track tapes when jobs called for them. The vacuum sound and the sliding door were hours of amusement for a 7-year-old.

[GrnScrn]

@sm1else Not to mention all the interesting sounds that they made. The long brrrrrrrrrrrr of a checkpoint being written, or the soft but steady bup, bup, buping of tape logging. You could always tell when something was wrong because the noises either stopped or suddenly all the tapes were rewinding and the tape doors snapping open!

[tww56]

ahh the good ole days, 12 hours on, 12 hours off, 3 days on, 4 days off this week, next week, 4 days on, 3 days off. Every 3 months swap between day and night shift...ABEND ABEND ABEND....

Oddly enough, I really do miss those days...

[GrnScrn]

@tww56 Me too. If only we realized it then...

[Piddlepaddler]

Those are 029 card punches, not 129's...

[GrnScrn]

@Piddlepaddler Yes, Cannopa also pointed out the error a few months ago. I wish I could replace this video with one with corrected titles, (I also misidentified the 3880 MCCU as a GRS control unit) but I can't without losing all the posted comments, view count, etc. So I've tried to correct it by revising the comments for the video.

[raymangold22]

And this is when computers actually looked nice.

[fishcomputer33]

Err... can it run crysis?

[TealFog]

Wow! What memories. Some things have changed while others not so much. The IBM 3800 printers were real work horses. I have seen and worked with newer faster printers, but argueably faster in that those printers required more PMs and experienced more falures/repairs. As a young operator I was told to always remember, "no ringy no writey", with regards to the tape reels. I still remember... too funny.

[TheSyriaFreedom2011]

Every time i see this old stuff i get this weird feeling like i wish i lived in those old times

people there seems to be really happy

[1961tinkerbell]

Thanks for the memories:) We had some of this equipment at GSFC/NASA. We also had the IBM 360 series. I forgot about those write rings! Thanks for posting!

[ExSTCer]

@Ricambio1 SPAR tape!! I haven't thought about that in years. I still have a red card with the vacuum and pressure settings used for PMs. I still install storage stuff and I hear people complain about running fibre channel cables. Little do they know what it was like to run a 100ft bus & tag pair (Grey Away!).

[Ryckster1]

@secret00agent00man

So I meant P5 Quad, dim wit! 

[gio048]

Geezzee,the old days never looked so good,that 3800 printer brings back alot of good times at Magraw Hill in 1982.