What You May Not Know About IBM i (iSeries/AS400) HWMA And SWMA For Software Support

The purpose of this blog is to highlight a subtle yet important nuance that IBM HWMA and SWMA users need to know. Disclaimer: IBM AS400 and iSeries are servers. IBM […]

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

The purpose of this blog is to highlight a subtle yet important nuance that IBM HWMA and SWMA users need to know.

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

I am a big fan of IBM support to keep your server current.

As you may now be aware, IBM provides Technology Refreshes (TRs) to make it simpler and less expensive to keep your system current with new functions rather than the PTFs of the “old days”.

To learn more about TRs, check out this excellent web site:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-technology-refresh-faqs

With this in mind, an IBM i user needs BOTH hardware (HWMA) as well as software (SWMA) support to stay current.

How come?

I have many clients wonder, “If I have SWMA, is that all I need to keep my IBM i software current?”

This is a misconception. You also need HWMA so you have access to the IBM i POWER server firmware.

IBM i works hand-in-glove with the firmware (“software” that resides in the hardware) as well as the IBM i software.

This means that if you have SMWA without HWMA, you may not be able to run the latest TRs because the new IBM software is not compatible with the older firmware.

This can be VERY problematic for those IBM i users that have SWMA and non-IBM HWMA (on no HWMA at all).

This issue became apparent to me as I was talking to a prospective POWER9 user that had just upgraded his 8202-E4B. He told me that when running system commands like wrkactjob or wrksyssts, the commands would hang. He was on the phone most of the day to get his system back up.

That is when he told me that IBM explained the need for both HWMA and SWMA.

Thank goodness he had both so he was OK. (Otherwise, it could have been very expensive and taken way longer.)

Conclusion: To keep your IBM i software current you need HWMA as well as SWMA, so you have access to the firmware updates as well as the IBM i software updates.

Need help?

Email me at [email protected] or call me at 714-593-0387.

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