As the end of IBM V7R3 standard support is only just around the corner, it is critical to ensure that you have a roadmap to move to V7R4 or V7R5 if you have not already done so.
Applications running on these IBM Power Systems are business critical as they are operating at the heart of the business and by staying or V7R3 you run the risk of being exposed to security issues and falling behind in technical debt, which in turn will cost more to maintain / modernise over time if they left alone.
As IDC and Alex Woodle say https://www.itjungle.com/2023/03/22/ibm-i-has-a-future-if-kept-up-to-date-idc-says/ – IBM I has a future, but it must be kept up to date. Therefore, it is imperative that these systems are considered like any other system and not just the legacy system that looks out of date.
The applications running on these systems if kept up to date might be already compatible however, more often than not I am finding these core applications that are using Java on IBM power for I, such as IBM WebSphere application, in house-built applications or even third party are still using Java 7. One the critical items in getting to V7R4 is that Java 7 is not an installable option and therefore, this often requires upgrades to existing applications or middleware before upgrading to later versions, not to mention the testing effort required.
As Alex Woodle writes https://www.itjungle.com/2022/07/18/support-for-java-7-ending-was-8-5-on-ibm-i/ IBM has ended support for Java 7 for WAS 8.5 on IBMi and with Java 7 no longer publicly supported, now is the time to ensure your Java applications are running on at least Java 8 or later.
Typically, most third-party software has a compatible version with V7R4, as it has been available for several years already. If your hardware is unable to support newer releases, you have two options: upgrade your system to one that supports V7R4 or move to a cloud service that supports V7R4 or above.
Whether you are running on premise, cloud or hybrid cloud at Meridian IT, we have over decades of application experience on IBM Power for I, as well as providing application health checks workshops to assess your readiness for V7R4 and beyond. This combined with an experienced technical services team to aid in any upgrades and ongoing consultancy. Additionally, MITUK provides the option of our private cloud, which runs the latest Power 10 and Intel servers, with the option for 24/7 remote management and monitoring. This service can be integrated with our 24/7 security operations centre, so you can have complete confidence in the security of your critical infrastructure and business applications. For more information, please contact [email protected], and one of our experts will promptly respond to your inquiry.
