When you're coming from hardware that old be sure that:
A - The model you are upgrading from will support 7.2
B - There are not particular cards and features within that model which
are not compatible with 7.2
For (A) check out
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssm1platformibmi
For (B) we were killed by that. Our model supported 7.2 but none of the
disk drives and cards within it would. That's when we got all new Power
8's.
So this is not just "an unlikely possibility".
http://www-947.ibm.com/systems/support/i/planning/upgrade/v7r2/hardware.html
<snip>
Hardware considerations before upgrading to IBM i 7.2 on POWER6, May 2014
IBM i 7.2 will not support RIO/HSL loops or drawers on POWER6
IBM i 7.2 on POWER6 does not support IOPs or IOP based adapters
IOPless (Smart IOA) options are available for all I/O attachments (except
Twinax and IXS) and provide more efficient attachment of I/O. Customers
using IOP based I/O must move off IOPs to enable upgrading to IBM i 7.2.
Go to IBM i 7.2 Memo to users for additional details.
</snip>
If you can't figure out what "IBM i 7.2 will not support RIO/HSL loops or
drawers on POWER6" means then the Memo to Users tries to explain that with
things like:
IBM i 7.2 will not support RIO/HSL loops or drawers on POWER6
RIO/HSL I/O drawer feature codes include:
v #0595/5095/7311-D20
v #0694
v #0696
v #5790/7311-D11
v #5094/5294/5096/5296
v #5088/0588
v #5791/5794/7040-61D
...
...
...
If you still can't figure this out, then you probably should contract this
upgrade out.
<snip>
A partial list of adapters supported on POWER6 servers which require an
IOP includes:
v #4746 Twinax Workstation Controller (which means no twinax
displays/printers unless an OEM
conversion device is used)
</snip>
Apparently the loss of twinax sends some into a curled up fetal position.
Rob Berendt
midrange.com
