In
computing system generation or sysgen is the process of creating a particular unique instance of an
operating system by combining user-specified options and parameters with manufacturer-supplied general-purpose program code to produce an operating system tailored for a particular hardware and software environment.
Some other programs have similar processes, although not usually called "sysgen." For example,
IBM's
Customer Information Control System (CICS) was installed through a process called ''CICSGEN''.
Rationale
A large general-purpose program such as an operating system has to provide support for all variations of
Central processing unit
A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, a ...
(CPU) that it might be run on, for all supported
main memory
Computer data storage is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.
The central processing unit (CPU) of a compute ...
sizes, and for all possible configurations of
input/output (I/O) equipment. No one installation requires all this support, so system generation provides a process for selecting the options and features actually required on any one system.
Sysgen produces a system that is most efficient in terms of CPU time, main memory requirements, I/O activity, and/or disk space. Often these parameters can be traded off, for example to generate a system that requires less memory at the expense of increased disk I/O operations.
See also
*
System Generation (OS)
References
{{operating-system-stub
System software