A process for starting a data processing installation, and associated components,
wherein program commands of a bootstrap program are stored in a bootstrap memory
unit and, when executing the bootstrap program, a processor controls the transfer
of program commands from a reload memory unit to a main memory unit and, after
the transfer operation, execution of the program commands stored in the main memory
unit during the transfer operation is started, the bootstrap memory unit and/or
the reload memory unit being serial-access memory units which are less expensive
than memory units used previously.