BeginnerFAQs
Why does everyone talk about CPU cost?
Because on this platform, consumption maps directly to a bill.
Mainframe software is commonly licensed on capacity or measured consumption. A job that uses more CPU can therefore increase what the organisation pays for software, not just how long it runs. This is unlike most cloud or distributed environments, where the software cost is fixed and only infrastructure varies.
What this means for you
- Reducing CPU in a hot job is genuinely valuable work with a measurable financial result.
- Peak consumption in a measured interval can matter more than total consumption, so moving work outside the peak can save money without making anything faster.
- 'It runs fine' is not the same as 'it is efficient' here.
- MIPS and MSUs are the units you will hear; treat them as capacity measures, not precise performance figures.
Stuck on something else?
Ask the community or search the full course.