IBM i / AS400 / iSeries / System i Users
Fortunately, We Handle ALL Of Them For You –
So You Can Shorten Your Research And Focus On Your Evaluation
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 are supported?
- How are PTFs, Technology Refreshes and Version Upgrades handled?
- Is Migration or Version Upgrade assistance available?
- What kind of redundant power is in place?
- What bandwidth is offered?
- What redundant internet connectivity is in place?
- How adaptable are their resources to current and future needs? Can they scale up or down to fit your changing needs?
- How do they handle backups and recovery in the event of system downtime?
- What performance can you expect?
- What other capabilities does the hosting server offer?
- How are backups handled?
- How can you test the levels of performance and support promised?
- How long is the backup retention? Can the end-user able to restore a file from the backup themselves?
2) Where is the data center located?
3) Are there other data centers geographically well-separated with live failover?
4) What security is in place?
5) What does their technical expertise cover?
- IBM OS400 and Technology Refreshes
- What OS400 Versions can the technical team work with or support?
- IBM Infrastructure, Policies and Pricing
- IBM OS400 Virtualization (PowerHA, VIOS, etc.)
- How does the hosting team handle setup?
- How do you access your system?
- High Availability replication
- How does the hosting team handle resilience and recovery?
- Virtual Tape Library and backup strategies
- Networking, Firewall, VPN
- Security
- Your application expertise and support
6) How close is the technical team to the data center?
- What resources are readily accessible to augment data center support (i.e. extra servers, parts, etc.)?
7) What IBM support is included, such as Hardware and Software Support?
8) What IBM Licensed Program Products are included?
9) What is their track record for up time and their Service Level Agreement (SLA)? In the event of downtime, has the hosting service explained how quickly they can recover?
10) Does the hosting service readily offer references for you to call?
Do you have a clear understanding how the hosting service works
11) When you speak to your hosting team, do they clearly and understandably explain how things work in a way that makes sense for what you are trying to do? Or, do they use too much geek-speak, use confusing or arrogant terms, or need to “get back to you after they get their tech involved” because they don’t have a broad or deep understanding of what software and technology you have and what you want to do?
12) Does your hosting team respond to your issues promptly and clearly?
13) Has the hosting team explained your choices for security, encryption, resiliency and, if needed, recovery?
14) How accessible are the project team members you need to speak with?
15) How quickly do the project team members return your inquiries?
16) How are your applications managed?
17) Do you understand how your data is backed up and protected?
18) How do you get your system and data back if you terminate?
19) How does the hosting team handle scheduled maintenance? How does the hosting team provide you advance notice and coordinate schedule maintenance so as not to impact your operation?
20) Are there charges for bandwidth or using the firewalls?
Proof of Concept, Performance Guarantee and References
21) How does the hosting service prove to you that they can deliver on their promise to you?
22) Do they provide a free proof of concept or 60-day trial period without obligation?
23) Do you have to pay technical fees for an assessment and a setup to prove your system will work if you decide you don’t want to go with the cloud hosting service?
24) What range of clients does the hosting service support?
25) Do you have access to the hosting service clients to interview to learn what to expect should you decide to become a client?
26) Can you tour the data center where your data and application reside?
What is covered in the hosting agreement
27) Is the complete hosting agreement available to review during the evaluation process?
28) Are the responsibilities of both parties clear, understandable and fair?
29) What is the length of the agreement? Is the minimum term for 3 years or can you request a term for less than a year? Is support term length negotiable?
30) When something goes wrong, does the agreement explain who to call?
31) Is the Service Level Agreement (SLA) clear?
32) If you want out, how does that work?
33) Are the fees for setup, upgrades and ongoing monthly fees clearly defined?
34) Are there predefined limits how much the service fee may be increase for each term renewal?
35) Are there any openings for “hidden fees”?
36) Is the agreement negotiable or are you locked into a minimum term length you do not like?
Price and cost of hosting versus on premise computing
37) Cost for setup of virtual server
38) Cost for setup of Firewall and VPN
39) Monthly service fee
40) OS400 Version Upgrade cost, as needed
41) Special project fees, as needed
42) Your software providers cost for software transfer to move your application to a server with a new serial number, Disaster Recovery copy of your software on a new server with a new serial number
43) Determine your on premise server costs:
- Cost to acquire new server
- Cost for hardware and software support
- Cost for server management – daily backups, software patches, version upgrade
- Consulting and support fees related to your on premise server
- Related services, such as service to take backups off site, Disaster Recovery hot site, etc.
- Cost of environment – power, security, redundant power
- Other costs related to your on premise server