RE: Long term storage of iSeries

Or, save the data to save files and copy them to an external drive on your PC.


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Buck
Sent: Friday, June 17, 2011 11:43 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Long term storage of iSeries

On 6/9/2011 2:20 PM, rob wrote:

Why keep the old machine for a case like this?

Only a few reasons that I would ignore.

- If they just really want to use the software to query the data and not
utilities then the software key may be tied to serial number and whatnot.
- If the backup media is a 120GB 1/4" cartridge you may play heck finding
a newer machine to load that up on and use it. I recently disposed of
some 1/2" reels

Being the most mechanical thing in the rack, the odds are greatest for a
tape drive failure. Belts do deteriorate even if not used. I wouldn't
trust that I could use a SAVE 21 tape 5 years from now.

I'd be strongly tempted to dump that database onto Excel spreadsheets.
If not the whole thing, at least the main master files and transaction
files. Dump the source code into text files (WDSC makes this easier) so
you can decode how the files were interconnected.

Not in lieu of keeping the i, but in addition to.
--buck