Month: May 2022

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What Are The Consequences Of Cancelling IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Software Support (SWMA)? Many Users Are Unaware Of The Pitfalls.

The purpose of this blog is to highlight several factors for IBM i users to consider before they determine not to renew their software support.

Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. iSeries and AS400 are servers. I use these terms interchangeably to make is easy for folks to find this kind of information on the web.

Background

As a certified IBM i Business Partner, I find most users know about IBM software support or SWMA (Software Maintenance Agreement).

In essence, SWMA provides you access to IBM support for IBM software issues, PDFs (software patches), updates and version upgrades. If your IBM software does not seem to be working right and you have SWMA, you call IBM at 800-IBM-SERV to get help.

I have worked with IBM users for decades. Over the years I have witnessed IBM users who do not renew their SWMA to save money. I get that. The system seems stable and there are ‘no changes” for the foreseeable future.

At best, the foreseeable future may be 1 to 3 years. Well, what about 5, 10, 15 years or more. Then what?

Clearly, this is where consequences arise.

Let me elaborate.

JD Edwards World User On IBM V5R4 Without JDE Or IBM Support. Yikes!

Recently, a JDE World user on a 9406-500 on V5R4 wanted to understand his options to move to newer IBM technology – either a new POWER server or cloud hosting.

Many uninformed JDE World users do not know that they can move to a server with a different serial number without a software transfer fee.

However, to migrate to a newer version of IBM i, the JDE World users must have both IBM and JDE software support. There are special software patches required for both IBM i OS and JDE so the software can run on the newer software. Without them in place, these users cannot upgrade their software.

In this case the fix will be VERY expensive. They will have to pay for back-level JDE (Oracle) software support as well as IBM SWMA with ALF, at a minimum. They may even need to relicense some or all of the IBM licensed program products.

Over the decades I have never seen a JDE user change once they got the total cost for the software upgrade. Instead, they stick with what they have (hoping it can still run) and move to another platform (who knows how long that can take).

IBM i V7.1 Users Without SWMA. Too Bad They Missed A Price Break

Two different IBM i V7.1 legacy POWER users reached out to me to get newer POWER servers. Both had many users.

Because they both failed to renew their SWMA several years ago they lost out on 2 price breaks.

With SWMA in place they could have transferred their IBM i and users count software entitlements for $5,000.

Instead, they had to relicense their IBM i OS for $2,245 and 40 users for $10,000 — $7,245 more without SWMA.

SWMA IBM Security Patches

Despite its well-earned reputation for reliability, IBM i has Log4j vulnerabilities where open source software has been used. In particular, Apache and WebSphere Applications Server.

If you have SWMA support for V7.3 or V7.4, you can access these patches to protect your system.

If you are not on supported IBM i software, you are vulnerable.

I recommend to search the web to learn more about your potential Log4j vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

I understand that business owners are on the hunt for “needed” expenses to be slashed.

Now that you are more aware of some of the consequences of no IBM SWMA, you may be able to advise your team why it may make sense to continue to keep IBM SWMA.

Need Help?

Call me at 714-593-0387 or email me at [email protected]. Let us know how we can help!

The post What Are The Consequences Of Cancelling IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Software Support (SWMA)? Many Users Are Unaware Of The Pitfalls. appeared first on Source Data Products.

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IBM i vs AS400 – What’s The Difference? Well, It Depends on Who You Talk To

The purpose of this blog is a light-hearted look at the difference between IBM i and AS400. Also, to underscore that IBM i is a terrific operating system. 

Disclaimed: IBM i is an operating system. AS400 and iSeries are legacy servers. I use these terms interchangeably to make it easier for folks to find this kind of information on the web.

IBM i on POWER has a long successful history and has rightly earned a solid reputation for reliability, excellent support and value.

Clearly IBM i and AS400 (or iSeries) are not the same. IBM i is an operating system that has experienced dramatic enhancement and innovation over the decades. On the other hand, AS400 and iSeries are legacy hardware servers. Even though IBM i is the grandchild of AS400, to compare the two is comparing apples to oranges. There is a BIG difference between IBM i and AS400.

Even so, its users still innocently refer to this fabulous technology as “AS400” or “iSeries”.

While IBM i purists insist we refer to it as “IBM i”, most of the folks I talk to still call it AS400.

Why?

First, I think, IBM has done a terrific job to make all of its operating systems and hardware backward compatible so that applications that were originally written for the AS/400 running OS/400 still work on today’s machines. This is a great feature and the strength of the Power Series line. But it also means that certain ways of talking about the technology persist even as the technology changes.

Second, most of the folks I talk to are 55 – 85 years old. They have worked on the platform most of their professional career. They call it what they started with – the older users say AS400, and the younger ones say iSeries.

Why should they change what they call it? They know what they are talking about…so I use their terminology.

It reminds me what Mark Twain once said, “Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.”

Key IBM i Trends

We can expect the POWER server to continue to offer extraordinary performance with a combination of faster processes (POWER10 is clocked at about 16,000 CPW per core) and high-performance, lower-priced SSD drives. We can expect to see a steady reduction in servers in data centers for a significant reduction in performance cost.

The reduction in performance cost also makes IBM i hosting more attractive for users that do not need on-premise computing or prefer to outsource IBM i expertise to manage their IBM i solutions.

IBM i back-compatibility means many applications written for older technology can be migrated forward to new IBM i versions, whether hosted in the cloud or on premise.

When Comparing IBM i to AS400 – Get Ready To Be Thrilled

Quite simply IBM i is way better, faster, and innovative.

When my clients make the leap, they are dazzled.

Need Help?

Call me at 714-593-0387 or email me at [email protected]. Let us know how we can help!

The post IBM i vs AS400 – What’s The Difference? Well, It Depends on Who You Talk To appeared first on Source Data Products.

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