Would you pile your family into a 20-year-old jalopy with half a million miles on it and head across country, knowing there’s a very strong possibility the vehicle will break down irreparably at some point along the journey? Likewise, would you run your critical applications on an end-of-life system that was long past its prime and, and presented a significant risk of data loss or failure? Now more than ever, it’s time to consider these risks, with IBM’s discontinued hardware maintenance on all IBM POWER7 systems on September 30, 2019.
Beyond the very real risk of losing data, running applications and storing important business information on an end-of-life system poses a host of risks that can put a company or organization in real peril. There are legal and compliance risks including failing to meet regulatory requirements such as PCI, HIPAA, and SOX, in addition to meeting SLA requirements. Failure to comply with these mandates can be costly for any business. In short, opting to host critical data on hardware with accompanying software that is out of date can put your business in considerable jeopardy. In addition, choosing not to invest in new hardware can result in significant maintenance costs and personnel costs. It takes qualified people to keep older systems up and running and to keep associated software viable. Upgrades and maintenance can prove expensive and financially taxing over the long haul.
Security & Operating Risk with IBM i, Linux, and AIX OS
- IBM i operating systems support issues with EOL/EOS, including i 7.1
- IBM Linux operating system support issues with EOL/EOS
- IBM AIX operating system support issues with EOL/EOS
- Increased expenses for SWMA maintenance
Hardware Support & Maintenance Risk with POWER hardware
- IBM POWER systems that have EOL/EOS No longer able to get maintenance from IBM.
- Need to contract with third-party for maintenance & problems that occur, including cost of maintenance and availability of parts & expertise.
- Older IBM POWER hardware is unable to upgrade to latest IBM i OS level
- Hardware firmware vulnerabilities for older hardware
More and more IT managers are acknowledging the risks and heavy costs of maintaining valuable data on aging and outdated systems. They’re also realizing the advantages — both practical and financial — of migrating their IBM POWER hardware and operating system to the cloud. When hardware and operating systems reach the end-of-life and end-of-support stage, migrating to the cloud simply makes sense. There are many reasons to migrate your IBM Power System to the cloud including, Cost Savings, Availability and Security.
Watch for our upcoming blogs, where we’ll cover the main options available when your hardware and operating systems reach end of life stage — including the benefits of migrating to the cloud with a qualified provider such as CloudFirst.
CloudFirst’s cloud hosting solution (ezHost) is built on enterprise-class IBM hardware and software and managed by IBM certified professionals. Want to learn more about migrating your IBM i, AIX or Linux workload to the cloud? Get a Free Assessment
