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The IBM 3090 system represents the highest level of system performance offered by IBM to date. To realize the full performance potential of this system, it is essential to maintain a balance among its various components. The major components of the system are the processor(s), storage, 110, and the software that manages the system resources. Their performance attributes are discussed and their effect on system performance illustrated by laboratory benchmark measurements for the MVS and VM operating systems.T he demand for processing performance has grown greatly during the last decade. In the middle 1970s, processing performance requirements were following an annual compound growth rate (CGR) of about 20 percent; during the late 1970s and early 1980s the CGR was about 40 percent; and during the middle 1980s the CGR is expected to be even higher. This growth reflects both the addition of new areas of computer applications and the proliferation of the use of existing applications.The accelerating growth in performance requirements corresponds to a shift from predominantly batch applications to Data Base/Data Communications and, more recently, to end-user applications. This evolution is a result of the compounding effects of new applications, made economically feasible by continuing improvement in the price/ performance of data processing equipment and by expanding terminal networks that provide a larger number of people with access to the applications.The growth in customer demand for computing power presents both an opportunity and a challenge to the industry. Systems must be designed to allow for a rapid growth in processing power and the other resources required to put it to productive use. Processor performance must support the growth in customer requirements with minimal disruption to operations. The operating system must support and manage growing levels of system performance, using fundamental design algorithms that span a wide range of performance. A system's structural and algorithmic limitations have to be identified early so that solutions can be designed, developed, and delivered to the customers before the effects of these limitations interfere with the customers' ability to satisfy their growth requirements.©Copyright 1986 by International Business Machines Corporation. Copying in printed form for private use is permitted without payment of royalty provided that (1) each reproduction is done without alteration and (2) the Journal reference and IBM copyright are included on the first page. The title and abstract, but no other portions, of this paper may becopied or distributed royalty free without further permission by computer-based and other information-service systems. Permission to republish any other portion of this paper must be obtained from the Editor.

A virtual machine monitor allows several different operating systems to run concurrently on the same machine.This paper presents the description of a virtual machine monitor and its support structure which can be implemented on a microprogrammable minicomputer or a distributed network of such machines.In our approach, all storage, transformational, input, and output resources of the system are accessed through a mapping mechanism.The design and implementation mehhodolgy for an actual realization of the vlttual machine monitor is discussed.

The four papers in this tutorial session discuss the design, implementation, and comprehension of minicomputer operating systems. A cross section of vendor and user developed operating systems will be presented. Insights into why vendors include some features and not others, or why it is necessary to write your own, will be offered.