Re: IBM BP's that used to be ISERIES now migrating to windows ?

Barry,

I think you are confused. You are talking about many different things.

1. iSeries - not sold since 2006
2. System i - not sold since 2008
3. iSeries and pSeries - when you say they are "essentially the same system
hardware wise" - things have evolved a lot since then
4. OS/400 - renamed in 2006 to i5/OS and in 2008 to IBM i. OS/400 canNOT run
using VIOS
5. AS/400 - not sold since 2000

Since 2008, IBM only sells Power Systems - which are not "essentially the
same iSeries and pSeries", but the main hardware platform sold by IBM, and
the only one that can run IBM i and AiX. Power Systems are a merging of the
System i and System p platforms in much the same way as the S/36 and S/38
became the AS/400. When IBM announced their Power Systems servers, they
renamed the OS to IBM i.

System i may have been a complete hardware and software solution, but IBM
does not sell it any more. It sells an OS named IBM i, that runs on Power
Systems hardware. And in fact, it would seem at your government agency you
are using IBM i with VIOS on a Power Systems server. While BPs still can
configure a complete solution for a customer, the focus for applications has
now been moved to the OS. Which makes your final point moot.

If you are telling people that the iSeries has a shady future, you are
correct. Same with System i. Both are dead already.

But Power Systems has a long future. And with lots of positive noise from
IBM i customers and supporters, IBM i can, too.

Trevor


On 2/15/11 8:24 PM, "O'Callaghan, Barry" <Barry.OCallaghan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I just left IBM global services in Ireland after 5 years in a GS data centre.
There wasn't a single system i sold in Ireland in 2010, so there is a definite
decline in new business. Saying that IBM have data centres full of existing
customers with sytem i, from what I have experienced with those who use it,
they love it and will continute to maintain it as a part of their future
infrastructure.

The future is a shady one I think and we have to remember that iSeries and
pSeries are essentially the same system hardware wise, both are assembled
on the same factory line so system i has evolved. My latest contract is with
a government agency running OS400 on a pseries lpar using VIOs. Its a far
cry from where I started 12 years ago. I also just turned 30 last month, so
AS400 isn't reserved for all you seasoned experts, there is still a lot of
young
blood in there too!

I don't think its possible to replace an iseries with windows, linux or any
other intel based OS, windows/linux are operating systems, System I is
a complete hardware and software solution?. How does one replace a complete
solution with just an operating system?.