An IBM i (OS400, i5OS) version upgrade generally takes 10-20 hours (depending on server spend and number files) though unexpected surprises can extend that, sometimes even forcing you to start all over again on some future weekend.
During this time, the server is in a restricted state. This means all users must have any access shut off, no jobs can run and the entire server is dedicated to the version upgrade process.
For users running two or three shifts a day, a 20-hour restricted state is a hardship and impractical. Even for those who only run 8 hours per day Monday through Friday, a 20-hour restricted state during the weekend is a huge inconvenience because someone has to come in for that time to “baby-sit” the system.
That’s why we made the whole version upgrade process better — only four hours of restricted state, an 80% reduction!
Here’s How To Reduce Downtime 80% During Upgrades
For starters, we analyze your needs up front to give you a fixed price to perform the version upgrade. We take the time to understand your environment because sometimes there are hardware features that are not supported with a new release, or software license key issues that need to be researched before you go to a new release.
During this software version analysis step, we also analyze and recommend hardware configuration changes that may enhance your system performance (e.g., faster disk IOA, memory, more disk arms, and faster I/O processors). These recommendations are incorporated in our proposal to you and can be pre-configured with little additional time impacting your workload during the software upgrade process.
We cover these points — in writing — along with our fixed price.
Once you give us the approval, we go to work.
We’ll Do ALL The Work For You…So You Save Tons Of Time
You send us a complete copy of your current system — the complete IBM i version you have now, your libraries and data — and we copy it onto the secure IBM i server in our lab. We perform the upgrade on our server. It still takes us 10-20+ hours – but it does not interfere with your production.
When we complete the upgrade, you can VPN (securely access your system over the Web) into our system to test and validate that everything works fine with the new IBM i version.
Once you give us the “thumbs up,” we come onsite at your convenience (at night or over the weekend) and do a simple restore of your new — and already-tested version upgrade. This restore and validation step takes about four hours — 16+ hours less than a typical version upgrade.
Remote Back Up Means You Don’t Have to Worry
Not only do you save all that time but if we hit any “speed bumps” along the way, it happens in our lab — a controlled, secure environment surrounded by our techs and their tools, and with access to IBM support. This happens on our dime, not yours.
This approach generally costs you less — a lot less. Most other consultants perform this work onsite and bill you by the hour, however long it takes. We know that even with the best planning, a version upgrade may take 25–35+ hours and cost more at the hourly rate.
Because we quote a fixed price, you pay no more than our quote. Generally, you can expect to save $700–$6000 or more when you have us upgrade your IBM i version this way.
100% Tested And Validated BEFORE You Go Back Live
Most of our clients have never done a restore and probably wonder if they could truly recover from a disaster using their full system save and daily backup strategy. They are terrified of putting it to the test in a “fire drill” that somehow goes awry, yet always worried that an undiscovered glitch might prevent recovery in the event of a real disaster. Our software upgrade process tests and validates both the full system restore and daily backup strategies. And it does this on our system, not yours.
In The Event Of A Disaster…You Are Back Up
In Less Than 1 Hour!
Our software upgrade procedure has a fail-safe process in the unlikely event of a problem. We can bring the production server back to its original software state in less than one hour. Almost a risk-free software upgrade.
Want to Slash Upgrade Time Up To 80%, Save Money
And Be Ensured Of Rapid Recovery?
Simple. Here’s what we need to figure out what you can save:
- a current rack configuration,
- a list of licensed software (both IBM and non-IBM),
- your current IBM i version and the version you want to go to.
Call with this information and in less than 7 minutes we can show you how to upgrade your OS version.
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