Right-Sized IBM i Cloud Hosting With Cloud400
Cloud400 provides IBM i/AS400 cloud hosting designed around what your applications and business actually require, not simply the specifications of the server you are replacing.
Source-Data evaluates your applications, users, workload, storage, connectivity, performance requirements and future plans before recommending an IBM i environment.
Understand First. Propose Second.
Why Pay for IBM i Infrastructure Your Applications Don’t Need?
Cloud400 starts by understanding what your applications actually require, then recommends an environment sized around those needs, not simply the specifications of your existing server.
Why conventional sizing can miss the mark
Moving to the Cloud Should Not Mean Recreating the Server You Already Own
Existing systems may have been sized years ago, expanded for requirements that no longer exist, or configured around assumptions that do not reflect current application usage.
Source-Data starts by understanding what is actually running and what the business needs today.
- Which applications are running, and are they custom or third-party?
- How many users, and what workloads do they create?
- What processing, memory and storage are actually required?
- What performance expectations must be maintained?
- What other systems, interfaces and connectivity does IBM i depend on?
- What backup, disaster recovery and availability requirements exist?
- Is IBM i a long-term platform or part of a transition plan?
The Objective Is Not the Biggest IBM i Environment. It Is the Right One.
Right-sizing is not about making the environment smaller. It is about configuring the environment to fit the workload, applications, risk requirements and business plan.
Charles Bowman & Company
What Right-Sizing Can Look Like
Charles Bowman & Company had 10 users running Infor Application Plus on an IBM Power8 at IBM i V7.3. Existing disk utilization was approximately 14%, or about 120 GB.
The Cloud400 technical team manages the IBM i environment, so the client does not need to maintain in-house IBM i expertise.
“Overall, the migration process was very smooth. The Cloud400 technical team was responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful every step of the way… We are very happy with our migration to Cloud400.”Cara Larsen, Chief Financial Officer, Charles Bowman & Company
| Specification | Existing environment | Cloud400 recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | 9,350 CPW | 2,600 CPW |
| Memory | 32 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 853 GB (about 120 GB in use) | 300 GB |
| Disaster recovery | SAN-to-SAN replication |
Right-sized around the application’s actual requirements, not simply the server being replaced.
Before we propose
What We Evaluate Before We Recommend Anything
- Applications and application heritage
- IBM i version
- Processing requirements
- Memory
- Storage and growth
- Users and workload patterns
- Connectivity and dependent systems
- Backup and recovery
- Disaster recovery requirements
- Security and access
- Supporting systems
- Future business and technology plans
How Cloud400 works
The Cloud400 Process
-
Talk
Begin with a brief conversation about what is driving the decision.
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Assess
Review the current IBM i configuration and environment.
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Discover
Understand applications, users, workload, performance, storage, connectivity and business requirements.
-
Propose
Recommend an environment and pricing only after discovery.
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Validate
Test the proposed Cloud400 environment before final commitment.
Validation
60-Day Cloud400 Validation
Validate Before You Commit.
The proposed Cloud400 environment can be validated with your applications, users, connectivity and configuration, so you can identify issues, learn and refine before making the final decision.
We do not ask you to take our word for it. We give you the opportunity to validate the proposal for yourself.
What Cloud400 covers
No charge for Cloud400 engineering services or hosting fees during the 60-day validation.
What stays on your side
The cost to create two SAVE21 backups and send them to Cloud400, plus any consulting fees at your end to set up VPN connectivity to Cloud400.
What is not included
Disaster recovery, which generally requires billable engineering and software setup, and services such as version upgrades for testing. Any billable item is explained in advance, during discovery, before the validation begins.
Cloud vs. on-premises
Weigh the Decision Factors, Not a Slogan
Cloud is not always the cheaper answer, and we will not tell you it is. But as IBM continues to raise its pricing, Cloud400 continues to look far more attractive. These are the factors that usually decide it.
| Decision factor | Cloud400 / hosted | On-premises |
|---|---|---|
| Capital purchase | Typically shifts infrastructure away from a new server purchase | May require new IBM Power capital investment |
| IBM expertise | Can include access to IBM i technical expertise | Requires internal or contracted expertise |
| Sizing | Can be configured around assessed requirements | Often sized for the purchase cycle and future headroom |
| DR / resilience | Can be incorporated into hosted architecture | Must be designed, funded and maintained |
| Control | Provider-managed infrastructure model | Direct ownership and control of hardware |
How managed services work with Cloud400
Managed services cover a range of options, explained after discovery. Basic hosting may include limited support. Organizations that want more, such as monitoring and remediation, annual DR testing, and scheduled software patches and version upgrades, can add them as billable services beyond basic hosting.
Who it fits
Who Cloud400 May Be Right For
- Your IBM i expert is retiring or increasingly difficult to replace. See your options
- You suspect your current IBM i environment is larger or more expensive than necessary.
- You need IBM i for several more years but do not want to purchase another server.
- You are transitioning applications away from IBM i but still need reliable access.
- Your IBM applications remain mission-critical and need stable infrastructure and expertise.
- You need a practical disaster recovery or continuity approach. Cloud400 disaster recovery
Questions
Cloud400 Answers
What is IBM i cloud hosting?
IBM i cloud hosting runs an organization’s IBM i workloads on hosted IBM Power infrastructure rather than hardware owned and maintained at the customer’s location.
Will Source-Data simply duplicate my current server in the cloud?
No. The Cloud400 approach begins with assessment and discovery, so the proposed environment reflects actual applications, workload and business requirements.
What if we are planning to leave IBM i?
Cloud400 can also be considered as a bridge when an organization still needs IBM i applications or data during a transition period. Transitioning off IBM i
How do we know the proposed configuration will work?
Source-Data uses a validation stage, so the proposed environment can be tested with the customer’s applications, users, connectivity and configuration before final commitment.
Not Sure if IBM i Cloud Hosting Is Right for You?
Find Out in Just 7 Minutes. No Cost, No Obligation.
No proposal. No sales presentation. Just an experienced initial assessment of whether Cloud400 appears to fit your situation.
- Cloud hosting looks like a good fit.
- Cloud hosting may be worth investigating.
- Or staying where you are may make more sense.