MVS (multiple Virtual STORAGE) was the most common operating system on the IBM large computers System/370 and System/390.

MVS is a descendant of the OS/360. With the introduction of the S/370 first OS/VS1 was delivered, which was replaced thereafter from OS/VS2. Release 1 of OS/VS2 supported an individual virtual address area (sports association = single Virtual STORAGE). Release 2 of OS/VS2 was released in July 1974. Its complete designation was OS/VS2 MVS release 2.

MVS was renamed into the 1990er years and was called thereafter OS/390. OS/390 is moves forward the modern z/OS.

MVS introduced the several times virtual storage model. Individual applications run in address areas and see the memory of other applications not.

MVS is cut to the processor architecture of the S/370. It supported first the 24-Bit addressing, which permitted address areas of 16 megabyte. When the hardware made 31-Bit addressing possible, this by MVS/XA was supported. A further step was MVS/ESA, which it made possible, Expanded MEMORY to use (Hiperspaces so mentioned).

The user interfaces of the MVS are essentially the same as those z/OS, however without the Unix system services. Apart from console instructions for the operator is this

• JCL (job control LANGUAGE) for batch processing and Started tasks (system services)
• TSO (Time sharing option). TSO is usually used with ISPF.

The typical applications of on-line under MVS ran under CIM or CICS and were based on IBM 3270-Terminals. Starting from 1983 DB2 was also already available as data base.

The file system was taken over by OS/360. Additionally to the file types existing there (sequential, Partitioniert, Direct and indexed sequential) VSAM was introduced. The individual files are called DATA sets. As indication coding EBCDIC is used, in place of the otherwise usual ASCII.

The further evolution to z/OS brought parallel Sysplex, to Unix system services, 64-Bit addressing and further improvements, whereby on compatibility importance was attached. On systems under z/OS it is to be let run quite possible at the same time modern Java Web applications apart from COBOL programs.

It is possible to operate in the meantime free of charge available MVS to and with version 3.8 on a Windows or Linuxrechner with the emulator Hercules. Newer versions are not available for this purpose.

Related links

• MVS: the operating system that keeps the world going
• MVS 3.8J to the Download

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