IBM i / AS400 / iSeries / System i Users
14 Little-Known Important Questions To Ask When Looking For An IBM i/OS400 Cloud Hosting Provider
You have made the decision that you don’t want to be in the “server” business and you are searching for the right cloud hosting provider for you.
The IBM i/OS400 operating system requires specialized skills and equipment that are very different than what most Managed Server Providers (MSPs) or hosting companies have…and the answers are critical to understand when assessing your options.
That is why it is so important to ask key questions like these so you have a clear understanding of the capabilities of your IBM i/OS400 cloud hosting provider. After all, you want a cloud hosting provider who will reliably partner with you, not just “rent you space.”
- How long have they been working on IBM i/iSeries/AS400?
Many hosting providers have popped up over the last several years with the growing interest in cloud computing. Yet, most focus on Windows or UNIX and have limited IBM i skills, if any at all.
Look for a provider that has been around for a while and has a proven track record hosting IBM i with no major outages, extensive experience managing environments similar to yours and has plenty of references.
- Is the cloud hosting provider an IBM MSP Business Partner?
An IBM MSP Business Partner has been certified by IBM. In addition to passing a rigorous IBM audit to validate their IBM i and POWER capabilities, they also have easy access to IBM support to help you in key situations.
- How much experience does the IBM i/OS400 team have?
- How many IBM i/OS400 specialists do they have on staff?
- What percentage of their business comes of IBM i/OS400 compared to other servers?
- How many IBM i/OS400 POWER certifications do they have?
While many cloud hosting providers claim to have IBM i/OS400 skill, you can easily determine their capabilities by the number of specialists on staff, years on the job, and the number of IBM POWER certifications they have earned.
Does most of their business come from IBM i/OS400, or is this really a modest fraction of their business.
- How knowledgeable are they of IBM i/OS400, IBM Licensed Program Products, and IBM Policies that govern IBM i products and pricing?
Clearly, you want a cloud hosting partner that knows IBM i.
Actually, to get your best support and value, your cloud hosting provider needs a clear understanding and excellent working relation with IBM to stay current on IBM software, have access to IBM support, and understand IBM policies, products and pricing to give you the best advice and the lowest cost.
- How knowledgeable are they of specialized IBM software, such as Job Scheduler, BRMS, MQ Series, and IBM License Internal Code?
While little-known specialized IBM software and License Internal Code may seem obscure, we have found this expertise is essential with successful rollouts of cloud hosting.
Do your applications use specialized software? How well do the hosting providers understand IBM Licensed Internal Code?
- What experience do they have with version upgrades, PTFs, technology refreshes and IBM i virtualization?
IBM i/OS400 version upgrade virtualization is the “nuts and bolts” of cloud hosting. You want to understand how many years your IBM i team has been working with IBM i and LPARs.
How can you assess how many version upgrades they have completed? How do they handle PTFs and technology refreshes?
- What IBM i/OS400 version levels do they offer?
IBM i cloud hosting providers commonly offer V6 or V7…currently supported IBM i versions.
What if your applications are back-level? Can you get help on V5R3? What if you are on V3R7 through V4R4?
IBM i experts with decades of expertise can help even with non-supported IBM i/OS400.
- Are they willing to demonstrate the feasibility of their solution before you make a commitment, such as a free 60 day trial?
Even with your due diligence, you may still be skeptical about moving to the cloud.
We know first-hand that despite all the modeling before setup we can still encounter the unexpected.
To avoid any surprises and earn your trust, does the cloud hosting provider offer a free, no cost trial without any financial or contractual obligation to prove to you everything will work OK?
- How scalable is your IBM i/iSeries/AS400 environment going to be?
Whether your needs are gradual overtime or quick spurt, how well can your cloud hosting provider scale your solution?
- What security measures do they offer?
Security should be a key criterion for selecting a hosting provider.
Look for a range of security services including managed firewall services, network intrusion prevention, server intrusion prevention, vulnerability scanning, advanced server hardening, server integrity monitoring, Data Encryption, among others.
- What hardware are they using?
Make sure the hosting provider is using IBM POWER servers with authorized IBM licensed software and support. This can help reduce problems in the future with replacement parts, software patches and support keys as needed.
- Are they financially stable?
The last thing you want is for your cloud hosting provider to go out of business, effectively shutting down your operations. Choose a company that not only has been around for some time but has a proven track record of being financially sound.
- Are they able to manage their own in-house IBM POWER systems or do they sub it out to someone else?
There is a big difference between in-house expertise managing their own POWER servers compared to a hosting company that outsources this skill.
Make sure your IBM i cloud hosting provider has engineers on-hand to build and support your environment and complete their assignments in a timely manner. The alternative requires significant lead time resulting in project delays, long turnaround and lots of frustration.
- Do they support relevant industry compliance (if required by your business)?
You may be in an industry that requires compliance in accordance with federal regulation or industry compliance. While a cloud hosting provider cannot ensure you are 100% compliance, it can still provide the support you need on the IT side of things to help you get there. Look for a couple of key features such as data encryption for both data in transit and data at rest, managed firewall protection, VPN access and two-factor authentication support.
The Cloud400 Team has been working on IBM i/OS400 since the AS400 was first introduced in 1988. In fact, since 1980 we have worked with the AS400 predecessors – the System/34/36/38. We can clearly answer these questions in a 7-minute phone call.
Other qualified IBM i/OS400 cloud hosting providers should be able to answer these questions as quickly.