When you are an IBM user, you should be aware that by 2019 to 2020, many of the IBM i Servers like the iSeries and AS400 will have their hardware support withdrawn. To be more specific, these are the 9406-520, 9406-525, 9407-515 as well as the 9408-M25. In short, you will have less than 3 years before it cannot be used anymore.
Three years would seem like a long time, and you might think that in this 3 years, a lot of things will change, but it will not hurt that as early as now, you start searching for solutions and other options before the end is near. You can never turn your back from this possibility, you have to make sure that you are prepared in case this will really happen.
The Solution
Never take this possibility for granted. It is best if you can start searching for your options as soon as possible for you to be able to develop a contingency plan. It would also be best if you can make written recommendations for your management and provide them with options so they know what to expect.
Consider This When Moving From Legacy System
First, you need to know if how long should you need to before moving to a new system. If for example your new system will not be able to support the key subsystems, or maybe you would need to have access to history, you should still be able to use your IBM i legacy applications for years.
Then you need to consider if this application modernization will be able to meet the needs of the new system. There are instances that it can take up to 3 years to deploy a new system. In total, with the research and the selection of the new system, it can be up to 7 years to have the new system back up and running. Because of this, it will be better to just modernize what you currently have.
The Choices For End-Of-Life IBM Servers
- Keep What You Have. There is a possibility that you will be down for a couple of days up to 2 weeks.
- A New Power Server Upgrade. A new server would be able to pay for itself in less than 3 years. This will also depend on your existing hardware as well as software support. If you have not considered this option, you should.
- The Use of Cloud Hosting. For your interim needs, Cloud hosting is the easiest option. This will let you host for a couple of months and will let you terminate after 2 to 3 years.
The Time Frame To Prepare For A Change
Before you make the change, you should be aware of how much time you have to do this. Remember that it can take 6 to 18 months, or maybe longer for the change to be made. The research options including the gathering of proposals can take 3 to 6 months. Budget approval, on the other hand, can take 3 to 18 months. Final selection may be for 3 to 6 months. By then, you can start preparing for the transition and testing right after the selection has been made.
