Our approach to IBM i version upgrades is different. Our Clients know it to be WAY BETTER 1. Way Less Time: This approach does not require 1 or more weekends of downtime to upgrade OS400 to the latest release. Restricted downtime is dramatically limited – in most cases, it’s about 2x – 3x your save time depending on the amount of data, or about 2 to 4 hours for most of our clients. 2. No Surprises The unexpected surprises are discovered before anyone comes onsite to go live. If … [Read more...]
5 Methods To Secure Your Cloud Hosted IBM i Applications
Every user I speak to about hosting is concerned about the security of their applications and their critical data. This post discusses 5 methods to secure hosted IBM i applications and data. 1) IBM i Secure Foundation The IBM i operating system is proprietary and unique in its design. I have attached a summary of the IBM i Secure Foundation from a very helpful website: http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/i/security/integrity.html Quite simply, unlike other operating … [Read more...]
9 Ways IBM i Cloud Hosting Disaster Recovery Saves Money
1) With IBM i Cloud Hosting You Never Overbuy Or Overpay For Capacity You Don’t Use. With IBM i Cloud Hosting you never overbuy or overpay for capacity you don’t use, which is commonly the case with a physical target server or CBU. That’s because replicating to IBM i Cloud Hosting Logical Partition (LPAR) only needs a subset of the production capacity. With replication, you don’t need as much memory or core performance (CPW) compared to running a production environment. If you need more … [Read more...]
10 Surprising Benefits From IBM i (OS400) Cloud Hosting
No IBM i core activation fees, no user fees – We pay IBM these fees when we buy our IBM POWER servers. And we don’t rebill you. No IBM HWMA, SWMA or Service Extension Fees - Leave annual escalating IBM support fees behind. Our IBM POWER servers include IBM HWMA and SWMA so you don’t have to pay. It’s already included in our monthly fee. Pay only for what you need – Today’s IBM POWER servers are way bigger than most IBM i users need. Most IBM i users can be more than satisfied with 1000-2000 … [Read more...]
IBM i Applications and Cloud Portability – The Benefits Of Single-Level Architecture
I recently read a LinkedIn article, “The Real Costs of Cloud Application Portability”. Simply put, the article highlights trade-offs with workload portability and the use of low-cost native services unique to one cloud provider compared to the delay and extra cost to make your applications portable to a broader range of cloud providers. For applications that use Windows, UNIX and Linux, workload portability and cloud hosting can be a major evaluation factor, especially when planning for … [Read more...]
43 Aspects Of IBM i (AS400, iSeries) Cloud Hosting To Check Out Before You Proceed
If you are thinking about moving to the cloud, here are 43 aspects of hosting that are good to investigate. I don't pretend to know them all. If you can think of more please add your comments. Hosting Solutions 1) What servers and resource are provided by the hosting data center? What technology is offered (server, firewall, networking, backup, security, etc.)? How many servers? What are the server capacities, in terms of cores, CPW, memory and storage? What versions of OS400 … [Read more...]
A Co-Location Data Center Is A Smart Buy…Or Is It?
Let’s first look at the features and benefits of Co-Location and then share the hidden costs that make it 194% more expensive than a new, superior alternative that is one of the fastest growing hosting solutions out there for mid-sized companies. Co-location Data Centers are popular with mid-sized companies for many reasons. The benefits include: Risk mitigation, Greater security, Better roadmap for disaster recovery, … [Read more...]
Raising Demand For Skilled IBM i (OS400) Talent Fuels Cloud Hosting Growth
Frequently what we hear from prospective clients interested in IBM i Cloud Hosting is their need for IBM i (OS400) expertise. Many have aging IBM i talent planning on retirement and want to make plans for subsequent support for the years to come. Many have a background in other technologies (such as Windows or UNIX) with the responsibility to manage IBM i technology without the needed skills. Others are consolidating and looking to outsource their IBM i support. While cost savings … [Read more...]
6 Misconceptions About IBM i (OS400) Cloud Hosting
With scary headlines about cloud computing, misconceptions are bound to occur. Here are 6 Common Myths: Myth 1 – Cloud computing is more expensive. Fact: It all depends. If you have an old AS400 that is paid for (may not even have maintenance or software support), are years behind in IBM i/OS400 upgrades, backup tapes go home in your car and you are just looking at your current costs (not including the time you may spend managing the server), cloud hosting will never be cheaper than … [Read more...]
What The Heck Does It Mean To “Colocate Your Server” At A Data Center…And Why Should I Care (A Lot)?
If you are an experienced IT executive, you probably already know that a colocation (colo) is a data center facility in which a business can rent space for servers and other computer hardware. Generally, the colo provides the building, cooling, power, bandwidth and security while the customer provides the servers and storage. Nevertheless, every day I talk to IT executives of small-to-medium sized businesses that are unfamiliar with colocation and why a data center makes sense; even those … [Read more...]