It is announcement day for IBM® Power®, and the next generation of the platform is here. Power11 is autonomous IT infrastructure built for the AI era we are living in today. With Power11, clients can ensure always-on IT with zero planned downtime for system maintenance, improve cyber resiliency with Power Cyber Vault, maximize system utilization and increase performance efficiently, and flex seamlessly to meet new business needs. For an overview of the announcement, read the press release here, and get an in-depth description of each new member of the Power11 family here.
It is also announcement day for IBM i as well. Today, in addition to the availability of IBM i on select Power11 processor-based servers and enhancements to IBM i Migrate While Active, we are announcing the next phase of our journey to subscription-term licensing. This journey began back in August of 2023, when we announced our intention to make IBM i a subscription-based portfolio starting with the P05 and P10 software tier. The next phase of that journey is here with the introduction of IBM i P20 Standard Edition and IBM i P30 Enterprise Edition. These are strategic subscription bundles that offer comprehensive IBM i enterprise capabilities and will allow clients to streamline adoption of new technology. Learn more about each new subscription bundle and the rest of what we are announcing today below:
IBM i on Power11 Processor-Based Servers
IBM i will be available on the new Power E1180, Power S1124, and Power S1122 servers as well as Power11 processor-based servers in the cloud on IBM Power Virtual Server. In addition to Power11 processor-based servers being available in the cloud at the same time as the on-premise hardware, we are now supporting the full range of IBM i software tiers on Power Virtual Server as well. In order to run IBM i on Power11 processor-based servers, clients will need to install either IBM i 7.6 Power11 GA PTF Group, IBM i 7.5 Hardware Technology Refresh 6, or IBM i 7.4 Hardware Technology Refresh 12. There are also several new features for IBM i that will only be made available on Power11 processor-based servers. These include NVMe Hot Spare and Secure Boot for IBM i 7.6, NX-accelerated compression for PASE programs on IBM i 7.6 and 7.5, and IBM i Common Cryptographic Architecture Cryptographic Service Provider (CCA CSP) delivered as IBM i Option 35 for 7.6, 7.5, and 7.4. Read more in detail about these new enhancements and more in the announcement letter here.
IBM i P20 Standard Edition
IBM i P20 Standard Edition is a subscription bundle that helps clients accelerate IBM i infrastructure with automation, HA/DR, and cyber resiliency capabilities. It is available to run on Power10 and Power11 processor-based servers at the P20 software tier for IBM i 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6, and is offered in subscription terms of one, two, three, four, or five years. Clients who have eligible IBM i non-expiring licenses at the P20 software tier with active Software Maintenance can convert their licenses to IBM i P20 Standard Edition at a lower price. The bundle includes IBM i, BRMS, IBM® PowerHA®, IBM i Migrate While Active, PowerSC, iDoctor, and more. Learn more about IBM i P20 Standard Edition and everything included by reading the announcement letter here.
IBM i P30 Enterprise Edition
IBM i P30 Enterprise Edition is a strategic subscription bundle that offers comprehensive IBM i enterprise capabilities. It is available for Power10 and Power11 processor-based servers running IBM i 7.4, 7.5, or 7.6, and is also available in subscription terms of one, two, three, four, or five years. Similar to IBM i P20 Standard Edition, clients who have eligible non-expiring IBM i licenses at the P30 software tier with active Software Maintenance can convert to IBM i P30 Enterprise Edition at a lower price. The bundle includes IBM i, BRMS, PowerHA, Db2 Mirror, IBM i Migrate While Active, IBM® Rational® Development Studio for i, IBM i Extensions for Visual Studio Code Enterprise Support, PowerSC, iDoctor, IBM i Advisory Connect, Red Hat Ansible, and more. Learn more about IBM i P30 Enterprise Edition and everything included by reading the announcement letter here.
IBM i Migrate While Active
In addition to announcing IBM i on Power11 processor-based servers and the next phase of our journey to subscription-term licensing, enhancements to IBM i Migrate While Active have also been made. As a reminder, IBM i Migrate While Active is a solution that allows clients to move IBM i partitions to IBM Power Virtual Server with minimal downtime. The system being migrated can continue processing transactions and supporting users during the migration process. Final downtime is limited to a short cutover window when the final synchronization is done, making it suitable for environments requiring high availability. The process can be largely automated, reducing manual work and the potential for errors.
IBM i Migrate While Active for 7.4 has been enhanced to support a new method of migrating IBM i called Partition Mirror. With a PTF update to IBM i Migrate While Active and IBM i 7.4 Hardware Technology Refresh 12, you can mirror your partition to another partition without the use of save and restore. The target partition must have a LIC level of IBM i 7.4 Hardware Technology Level 12. This can be done while the source system is up and running. When the mirroring is in sync, you can detach and test the copy or cutover to the new mirrored copy. This is applicable for side-by-side migrations or migrations over a distance. Learn more about IBM i Migrate While Active and these enhancements here
Register for the virtual announcement event happening today here if you haven’t already or catch the replay later on. For more on the new IBM i P20 Standard Edition and P30 Enterprise Edition subscription bundles, join us for a Guided Tour on July 16th with the product management team to get all your questions answered. As always, refer to the IBM i landing page and the IBM i Strategy Paper for the latest on the platform and roadmap. Join us in Pittsburgh for COMMON NAViGATE September 15th-17th for more on Power11, IBM i Migrate While Active, and all the latest enhancements and features of IBM i 7.6 and the portfolio.
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