YES! Especially If You Want The Job Done Correctly And Quickly The First Time.
And, You Like To Avoid Headaches.
The purpose of this blog is to explain the common reasons why more IBM i users want professional services for version upgrades and migrations. Quite simply, this work is not as straight-forward as the documentation suggests.
Disclaimer: IBM iSeries and AS400 are servers. IBM I is an IBM operating system. I use these terms interchangeably to make is easier to find this information with web search engines.
Honestly, this is not a trick question.
Definite Benefits To Experts
The answer is you probably WANT and can DEFINITELY benefit by hiring an expert to migrate your IBM i system from a legacy server to new server.
You will also be way better off hiring an expert to upgrade your IBM i to a newer version.
Actual Documentation Lags
As many of you may know, while the IBM i technology is straight-forward and forgiving, my engineers always remind me that the actual documentation that explains how to do these migration or upgrade steps are 3-6 months behind how it really works.
Say it ain’t so!
Well, I am afraid the way one really does this work is generally not currently documented. Ever.
PTF’s – Always!
That’s because after the technology gets announced, there are improvements. These are known as PTF’s, or software patches, that fix software “bugs”.
As these patches are introduced, there can be changes in the sequence of steps … or in some cases, new steps or commands are added.
Guys that do this work all the time, like my senior IBM i engineers, find out the “hard way” and call IBM software support to learn how to deal with it. Thereafter, they document (or remember) the “new tricks” they just learned so the next migration or version upgrade goes without disruptions and surprises.
“Tricks” Are Not Documented
And my senior IBM i engineers always tell me how the “tricks” are not documented.
They also tell me that by the time the documentation catches up, new PTF software patches get added. This means there are more new tricks that are not documented.
No More Do-It-Yourself Weekends
I recall over 10 years ago, most of my clients would do the migration or version upgrades themselves. They felt technically competent to do the work and wanted to save money. It would take the whole weekend to do. Even so, sometimes they would have to do it again on another weekend because it did not go right.
Nowadays, my clients’ technical teams are stretched so thin they eagerly request us to do this work for them. Others want us to do the work because they no longer have this skill set on premise. And when we do this work, we also do skills transfer so they have a sense of tasks and maintenance they can do to make the most of the work we do on their behalf.
Do You Really Want An Expert?
So, do you want an expert to migrate you to your new server or handle your version upgrade?
You bet.
Shop For Your Expert Carefully
I would suggest you shop around.
Some experts are fair and reasonably priced.
And, I have encountered cases where IBM i users have been charged $10,000 to $20,000 or more for work that could have been completed for $1,500-$3,500.
Granted, the scope of work ranges depending on the size and complexity of the project.
Even so, shop around to get a fair and reasonable price.
Need Help?
Email me at blosey@source-data.com or call me at 714-593-0387.
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