The purpose of this blog is to highlight important factors to consider when evaluating IBM i cloud hosting providers. Hosting IBM i is very different than hosting other technologies. This type of evaluation is unique and it is an activity that most IBM i users rarely have done because it is relatively new. My intent is to share aspects that will give you a better idea of what to look for when you are in the hunt for a successful IBM i hosting solution.
Disclaimer: AS400 and iSeries are servers. IBM i is an operating system. I use these terms interchangeably to make it easier for folks to find what they want when searching on the web.
During the last several months, I have been working with several IBM i users that are exploring the option of hosting their IBM i applications as an alternative to buying a new on premise IBM POWER server.
Hosting makes the most sense for IBM i users that prefer to outsource their IBM i administration, host an archive system or need a flexible approach until the time comes to sunset their IBM i applications completely.
While some prospective clients have a pretty good understanding of what to look for, others are uncertain how to evaluate a hosting provider beyond price.
Clearly, price is an important selection consideration. But not the only one.
And, it is not like folks know how to scrutinize IBM i cloud providers, because they don’t do this task every day.
Also, hosting IBM i applications is very different than hosting other technologies.
Here are suggestions to get a better sense of the caliber of the cloud provider you may want.
How did they get into the business?
When you learn how the cloud provider got in the business, you can get a sense for the provider’s true IBM i skill set. You will learn if IBM i is a focused expertise or if it was added to accommodate a complex system with multiple technologies.
You may want to ask yourself if you favor a provider with deep IBM i skills instead of IBM i support as an “add on.”
How did they get their IBM i expertise?
When you explore how the provider got their IBM i expertise, you get a sense for the depth and field experience of their IBM i support team. In my opinion, the more variety and field experience the better. You are looking for technical expertise that was learned the hard way over the years with a multitude of projects…not just as an IBM i administrator for a few companies.
What background do they have with the evolution of IBM i OS, firmware, hardware, and IBM?
While many users currently run on IBM i V7.1 and higher, there are still many users on back-level versions. (Over the years, we have had some clients running on OS400, V3R2, V6R1, and SSP).
If you are on an older version of IBM OS400, i5OS, or IBM i, what is the provider’s skill set to host you? Do they have access to versions of OS400, i5OS, or IBM i to help you?
How many engineers do they have?
While this may seem like a pretty basic question, you may be surprised at the number of providers that may only have 1 IBM i expert on staff.
You may be surprised to find they have NO IBM i experts on staff because their IBM i support comes from remote contractors instead of onsite employees. (There is a difference in response time and attentiveness.)
How many IBM i certifications do they have?
This is also a pretty basic question. Even so, it shows the providers commitment to IBM i and the intent to be certified as technically current.
Where are the engineers in relation to the production data center?
This may be an important factor for you to explore because many hosting providers do not have local IBM i expertise. Often, IBM i hosting providers have remote contractors do the work.
While these remote contractors may be competent, we know from first-hand experience the significance of having onsite engineers that need to “touch” the server to get specific jobs done.
If they offer replication, what are the solutions they use? Who makes the solutions and what is their support like…really?
I have spoken to many when evaluating hosting providers who are initially satisfied with the various provider’s explanation of their backup options in the event of downtime. I commonly hear “the others have a backup plan” and these prospective clients seem OK with that.
Well, there is a whole lot more to backup, replication, and recovery, which is generally not explained or vetted.
Some providers rely on software that is poorly supported or will be going away. You just don’t know it because you have not spent the time vetting the various disaster recovery solutions on the market.
Further, many of these providers that offer High Availability (HA) Replication do not explain how they monitor and remediate out of sync conditions and errors that are inherent in ALL HA solutions. Nor do they explain how you will conduct annual or semi-annual DR testing.
The last thing you want is a DR solution that you find does not work when you have a disaster.
So, if the provider offers HA, have them explain how they monitor and remediate. Also, have they articulated regular DR testing and any related cost associated with it.
What do they host besides IBM i? If so, is IBM i their primary focus or a smaller portion of their hosting operation?
I touched on this a little earlier.
Do you want an IBM i expert (and that is their primary focus), or do you want a hosting provider that can support a multitude of technologies in addition to IBM i?
How long have they been hosting IBM i?
Length of time will give you a sense of their skills.
There are some exceptions. Some providers may claim to have been hosting since 2000 when in fact they are outsourcing their hosting to a hosting provider that started in 2000.
Or, they may say they have been hosting since 2000, but their first IBM i client may not have come on board until 2010.
So, ask how long they have been in the hosting business. Also, is this really their business or do they outsource the hosting to another company with hosting expertise.
These questions may help you determine what you are really getting.
How many IBM i clients do they have? How does this compare to all of their clients (Linux, UNIX, Window, other OS’s)?
This may be an important factor to understand.
A few year ago we were competing with several hosting providers for a state government that wanted to host 7 IBM i servers. While we were all asked to provide at least 3 IBM i client references, all of our competitors offered references that ran on Windows, UNIX or Linux — NOT IBM i. We were the only ones with IBM i references … and we offered the state 7 references instead of the minimum of 3.
Does the hosting agreement clearly state your terms and conditions?
Too often I have encountered folks who just look at the hosting price without looking more closely at the hosting agreement.
As I have seen other hosting agreements, many have language that can lock a client in for 3 or more years.
I think an important factor to determine is how can you terminate if you need to get out for any reason? Are you locked in for a length of term, say 3 years, or can you get out with a 30-day notice?
Also, do you have a clear idea of the hosting providers service level (SLA)?
Need Help?
Email me at blosey@source-data.com or call me at 714-593-0387.
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