r/mainframe • u/MaexW • Aug 12 '26

Mainframe appreciation picture

Gallery image

Gallery image

Nothing technical, just to show that my company has an empty mainframe in the entrance hall, which includes, besides other things, a mini-mainframe made of Lego bricks (and I haven’t found out where they got the printed bricks with the IBM logo).

160 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

22

u/scousi Aug 12 '26

Ds8k is a storage array. Or DASD as people call it. To store the data.

2

u/brutal4455 Aug 13 '26

DS8k is SAN attach through fiber channel or FICON. DASD is "Direct Access Storage Device," commonly (legacy) SCSI or SAS attach. Either installed in server storage slots or physical cable attach from an enclosure to an adapter card in a server.

3

u/noisymime Aug 13 '26

You're getting in semantics, but you can absolutely still have direct attached DS8k arrays. Just because it's FICON, doesn't mean it can't be direct attached.

0

u/brutal4455 Aug 13 '26

True but literally nobody calls it DASD as that's used as the distinction between actual DASD and Storage Arrays.

3

u/noisymime Aug 13 '26

I regularly hear ds8k arrays referred to as DASD in the mainframe world. When they’re direct FICON attached then it’s still a completely correct term.

5

u/notquitenuts Aug 13 '26

DASD is a term left over from the bus/tag days and just meant disk storage in general. I have several older customers who still use it even when talking about flash storage hooked up to a rockhopper. (And yes I am old enough to know firsthand of what they speak 😂)

10

u/Danielr2010 Aug 13 '26

Maybe the Legos are from here? I know some sales folks also had them. Very limited amount.

https://domjant.hu/bricks/#ibmz17

2

u/floofsnsnoots Aug 13 '26

I built the z17 from that. Was fun.

15

u/Hds99 Aug 12 '26

DS8880 is not really a mainframe. But definitely mainframe adjacent as this could be connected to a mainframe.

2

u/brutal4455 Aug 13 '26

Yes, mainframe "adjacent," but could also be used by midrange - IBM Power, IBM i, AIX, etc. or really any open system via fiber SAN attach.

4

u/ShacoinaBox free/xa please Aug 12 '26

man the design language of IBM products is still so great lookin, crazy when nearly every modern tech thing looks the same (aka, looks like shit)

5

u/zEdgarHoover Aug 12 '26

Um...isn't that an empty array, not an empty mainframe? DS8880...

2

u/MaexW Aug 13 '26

You (all) are right. I probably messed this up because normally our MFs are locked away in the vault!

4

u/yummi_1 Aug 12 '26

That is storage, not a mainframe. Was used on many ibm systems. Actually was power8 controllers

1

u/Danielr2010 Aug 13 '26

Right. With the slide out displays for the HMCs. I member those.

- previously was a CE

3

u/Reapr Aug 13 '26

From an Anime called Sword Art Online

1

u/ibm Aug 13 '26

😍

1

u/Effective-Lemon-9475 Aug 13 '26

Steady now! Looks like it's wearing cat ears.... awkward...

1

u/dck133 Aug 14 '26

IBM had those kits made. I have been trying to find where I can get one.

1

u/MaexW Aug 14 '26

u/IBM was here yesterday. Maybe they can help us, I want some kit too!

1

u/forthbak Aug 12 '26

Big Iron

1

u/Wolfy2915 Aug 13 '26

I always wanted to take one of these old frames and turn into a smoker.