Don’t wait for a failure to remind you why this matters. Complacency is quiet—until it isn’t.

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 information on the web.

When we’re young, we feel sharp, energized, and nearly invincible. But as we age, that vitality begins to fade. So, what do we do? We learn to maintain our health with better habits:

1. Regular exercise
2. A nutritious diet
3. Mental and emotional wellness
4. Support from friends and family
5. Adequate sleep
6. Proper hydration
7. Time to rest
8. Routine health checkups

We listen to experts. We learn from real-life examples. And even if we don’t love the process (confession: I’d rather eat See’s candy and drink fine wine), we know the payoff is worth it. I’d much rather be the oldest guy at the gym than the youngest guy in the nursing home.

Now… what does any of this have to do with your legacy AS400 system?

Plenty.

If you saw what I see, you’d be shocked at how many aging IBM i (AS400/iSeries) systems are neglected—left running on outdated hardware and unsupported software. Why? Because these systems are just that reliable. And that reliability leads to dangerous complacency.

Here’s what many AS400 users are skipping:

• IBM software maintenance
• Hardware support (IBM or otherwise)
• Regular Save21 system saves
• Verified daily backups
• Up-to-date documentation
• Easy access to critical files like lease agreements and service contracts

Why?

• “To save money.”
• “It never fails.”
• “Our AS400 expert always takes care of it.” (Until they retire or disappear.)
• “Parts are easy to get.” (Spoiler: they’re not—especially for older models.)

Let me tell you about a recent call I received.

Disaster Strikes a Neglected Power8

A consultant called me on a Monday morning in a panic. His client’s IBM Power8 8286 had crashed over the weekend. For over 5 years, the client had ignored advice to stay on IBM support and update their OS. Now, their luck had run out.

Here’s what happened next:

1. Our senior IBM i engineer tried to remote in—no luck.
2. He went onsite and found the load source drive had failed (this is the drive the system boots from).
3. We located a replacement disk and overnighted it.
4. But the user had no current backup. (Yes, really.)
5. Fortunately, they found an old Save21 RDX cartridge… from January 2021.

Two days later:

• We rebuilt the disk unit and got the system running.
• Then found more issues: A second failing disk in the array Damaged objects on the system Missing PTFs (IBM i software patches) No recent Save21 possible until these were fixed The system was still on V7.2, no longer supported

Another disk was replaced. The system limped back into service.

The result? Three full days of downtime. Two more days of reduced functionality. And weeks of technical debt to clean up.

Bottom Line: Your AS400 may be rock-solid, but it’s not immortal. And neglecting it is like skipping your own doctor’s checkups for 5 years—until the day you collapse.

Don’t wait for failure. Stay proactive. Stay supported, stay backed up, stay documented—and stay ready.

Need Help?

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

To learn more about us, and view our customer testimonials, please visit our website: www.Source-Data.com and see our other links:

1)     IBM I on POWER (iSeries/AS400)

https://www.source-data.com/ibm-i-on-power-server/

2)     IBM I (iSeries/AS400) Cloud Hosting

https://www.source-data.com/cloud-400/

3)     IBM I (iSeries/AS400) Disaster Recovery Options

https://www.source-data.com/cloud400-disaster-recovery/

4)     IBM I (iSeries/AS400) Version Upgrade

https://www.source-data.com/4-hour-version-upgrade/