RE: New redpaper: i5/OS Program Conversion: Getting readyfor i5/OSV6R1

From: David Gibbs

This is exactly how it works on other platforms - and those don't
have 8 year old servers running critical business infrastructure.

Really? What ever happened to the old adage ... 'if it ain't broke,
don't fix it'? I think you'll find a larger number of critical business
functions using on old applications running on old servers. As long as
the system works, and there's no driving business need to replace it,
I've found most business will let it carry on it's merry way.

I understand all the points of this particular argument, and I don't have a
good answer, but let me toss this in:

Folks like MKS have to continue to write their tools to support customers
who write software for THEIR customers who haven't upgraded yet. So, while
the customers refuse to upgrade to a new release, they expect their software
packages (and thus pushing up to the tools) to be upgraded.

This doesn't make a ton of sense to me -- UNLESS the software vendors are
charging ongoing maintenance for those old installations. That's one of the
problems with the ongoing maintenance model: if you don't have a "stay
current on the OS" clause in the contract, you have clients who can hold
your feet to the fire for new versions of your software on old versions of
the OS.

It's indeed a conundrum.

Joe