One of the frequent concerns we currently hear from many of our clients is what options do they have for business continuity beyond basic tape backup. Disclaimer: IBM i is an Operating System of POWER servers. iSeries and AS400 are IBM servers. I use IBM i, iSeries and AS400 interchangeably in my title and text to make it easier for internet users to access information like this for their research. Recovering From Unexpected Down Time First, let’s consider the causes of … [Read more...]
Reliable. Redundant. Responsive. 3 Reasons Cloud Hosting Is WAY Better Than On-Premise
Sometimes bad events can lead to insight. That is what happened to me this week. Power Failure Results In 4-Day Delay To Final Repair. My company maintains older hardware that IBM no longer supports. One of my favorite client’s legacy Intel server with Windows 2003 failed on a Saturday afternoon due to power failure that affected their entire building. This server was flat non-functional. From what little information we could gather remotely, it took one of my top engineers and myself 4 … [Read more...]
Leasing’s Sneaky Tricks — Part 1 of 3
We are getting closer to that time of year when businesses are most active adding new IT hardware. Many finance these new acquisitions with lease financing. In the 1980s, I was in the leasing industry and saw first-hand many sneaky tricks that are still in use today. If you are unaware of them you may wind up paying WAY more than you ever expected and, unfortunately for you, you will have no legal recourse to get your money back. So, how do you protect yourself? Well, here’s what to look … [Read more...]
So You Have IBM i (iSeries/AS400) High Availability Replication Are You Good To Go?
The purpose of this blog is to highlight the importance of High Availability Monitoring, Problem Remediation, and Maintenance Services. Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. iSeries and AS400 are legacy IBM servers that run i5/OS and OS400 respectively. I use all 3 terms interchangeably to attract a wider audience on the web. If you are using High Availability (HA) to replicate your IBM i production environment to a secondary system – Congratulations on making a great move to protect your … [Read more...]
Is Your IBM i Server (iSeries, AS400) Nearing End Of Life?
The purpose of this blog is to identify end of life servers and factors so IBM i users can start thinking about their options. Disclaimer: “IBM i” is an operating system. “iSeries” and “AS400” are servers that IBM used to market. I use these terms interchangeably to reach a broader audience who Google for information. IBM users should be aware that many IBM i Servers (iSeries/AS400) will have hardware support withdrawn between 2019 to 2020. Most notably, these are 9406-520, 9406-525, 9407-515 … [Read more...]
How To Prepare For IBM i/iSeries/AS400 Cloud Hosting – The Basics
The purpose of this blog is to prepare you to streamline your process to determine if cloud hosting makes sense for you. My sense is that you don’t do this every day, so this checklist will help you gather the key information you will need to quickly figure out if cloud hosting can work for you. Getting A Quote When you think about the possibility of cloud hosting, you want to get an idea how much it will cost. After all, hosting has to be economically feasible if it is going to make … [Read more...]
Why IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Owners Do NOT Have to Pay for Custom Programming Every Time There’s a Hardware Change
Hint: The Simple Answer Is Technology Independent Machine Interface (TIMI) You need software to run your business…and you need hardware to run your software. Your software—or more precisely, what your software does—is the reason you spend money on information technology. Some of that money has to go toward hardware, of course, but hardware is, functionally speaking, twice-removed from the “action.” Running your business profitably and efficiently is the “action,” and that’s why you want to … [Read more...]
Where Is The ROI To Leave IBM i In Favor Of Another Platform? – Part 2
Cost Factors To Assess When Moving From IBM i To Windows I frequently hear about IBM i users that are thinking of moving to Windows because it is “more modern” or “mainstream.” We have all heard the IBM i basher point out that “character-based screens” is “old technology.” Unfortunately, those who want Windows do not really understand IBM i technology and its remarkable architecture. Those who favor IBM i struggle to explain how IBM i is superior for business critical applications. All … [Read more...]
Disaster Averted In The Nick Of Time
Not everyone is graced with the foresight to know when disaster is waiting to strike. But recently, Acme Refrigeration, a Louisiana wholesale supplier of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration products, had the wisdom to know that although predicting disaster is nearly impossible, being prepared for its inevitable appearance pays off in a big way. With their corporate office in Baton Rouge and eighteen branches serving Louisiana and Mississippi, the Acme made the decision … [Read more...]
Is It time To Review Your IT Disaster Recovery Plan?
OK, time for a reality check. You Either Have A Recovery Plan Or You Don’t. If You Do Have A Recovery Plan, Are You Sure It Will Work? IBM reports of all businesses with recovery plans 75% do not conduct regular recovery testing. But even if things go as planned, how realistic is the plan? Industry studies document that when downtime strikes, 33% of all recoveries do not go as expected. Can You Afford To Be Down For More Than 24 Hours – And Recover With Data That Is 36-48+ Hours … [Read more...]