06
Fri, Dec
6 New Articles

Know Where Your Maintenance Stands

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Don’t be caught in a blizzard with all-season tires.

This wasn’t the article I was going to write this week. But I’m covering this topic instead as a warning to everyone in the IBM i community to ensure you’re fully aware of the implications of not having the right kind of support.

The company I work for got a call Saturday night from an IBM i customer with a major “system down” issue. Their old IBM Business Partner has nobody local anymore, so my company and the customer started talking a few weeks ago about starting a new Business Partner relationship. We haven’t had a formal meeting or even a quick cup of coffee. The only things I really knew were that they’re running a POWER7 720 Express and that we were to renew their maintenance for them in about six weeks.

The customer had purchased their yearly software maintenance and hardware maintenance on their POWER7 720 last year. It’s due to expire this year at the end of July. Everything appeared in order, according to the customer.

Unfortunately, when they purchased their software maintenance in July of 2018, they did not purchase the extended maintenance component because they’re still on IBM i 7.1. In order to have software support from IBM on an unsupported release, you need to purchase extended maintenance, which costs double the regular software maintenance fee.

So when they called IBM for support, they were notified that, although they purchased software maintenance, IBM was not going to help them unless they committed to purchasing extended support. That’s pretty reasonable. IBM agreed to help them in good faith that they’d get their maintenance contracts in good order.

That’s when they called me.

Without getting into the details of exactly what their software problem was, I’ll just say I worked with the customer for about an hour and got their system up and running again. The customer is happy, and they agreed to get on extended maintenance for 7.1 first thing on Monday morning. They’re in a situation that’s keeping them from going to a supported release currently; however, that should change in the next year or so. In the interim, we’ll get their contracts in order.

A couple of things are bugging me about this whole scenario.

For starters, the customer was unaware that they were running an operating system that was IBM End of Service. But that happens. I was a customer for close to 20 years, and I know you tend to get busy doing your actual job rather than being aware of all the dates you should pay attention to.

The thing that should not have happened is the customer’s old Business Partner ordered them software maintenance without extended support. The customer renewed it in July…three months after 7.1 went End of Service. The Business Partner should’ve known better.

Ordering software maintenance without extended support for 7.1 is basically the equivalent of putting all-season tires on your car where I live. I’m Canadian. I wouldn’t ever risk driving with all-season tires in February. Sure, they’re going to work when you get a little bit of snow, but you haven’t got a prayer when there’s a foot of it on the roads. And that’s where the customer was: stuck on the road in a blizzard. They paid money for standard software maintenance, but good luck getting service from IBM while still on 7.1.

And this is where you separate the good Business Partners from the not so good. There’s a line in the sand, and I’m drawing it because it’s not the first time I’ve seen this.

There are a couple of things you need to be aware of.

If you simply just pay your software maintenance bill directly to IBM, then IBM is assuming you’ve done the homework and are either on a supported release or you’re about to be. They’re not going to hold your hand with licensing. That’s what IBM Business Partners are for.

If you go through your IBM Business Partner to renew your maintenance, then here’s what they should be doing: attention to detail and rule adherence.

A good partner will work with licensed info (WRKLICINF) and review your processor cores and peak users. They’re going to ensure you’re compliant. If you are licensed to use one processor core and you’re using three, then they’ll advise you to turn two off or quote you the cost of increasing to three and then adjust your software maintenance as such. If you’re licensed for 10 users and you have 100 interactive users on the system, then they need to make you aware of that and provide pricing on adding users. Good partners want to ensure that you’re compliant, or at least notify you in writing that you’re not. If your company is subject to an audit, then you need to be aware of the risks of failing that audit.

A good partner is going to review your OS level to make sure you’re on a supported version. If you’re on 7.1, they need to at least advise you that you need to upgrade ASAP if you’re going to just renew your maintenance. Then they’re going to bug you to upgrade because they know you’d better. If you don’t plan on an ASAP upgrade, they’re going to have to sell you an extended maintenance contract. And it is expensive. But IBM can support only so many versions of the operating system concurrently. If IBM is moving ahead and you’re not, then you have to pay for the privilege of support.

Knowing where you stand is so important. And it’s much easier to figure that out on a Wednesday morning than on a Saturday night with your system being down, your PMR call going to IBM entitlement, and your CFO calling you wondering when things are going to be back in business.

Steve Pitcher
Steve Pitcher works with iTech Solutions, an IBM Premier Business Partner. He is a specialist in IBM i and IBM Power Systems solutions since 2001. Feel free to contact him directly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: