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Getting Ready for upgrade - Maximo 7.6.1.3 to MAS

By Prashant Bavane posted 8 days ago

  

High-Level Migration Plan: From Maximo 7.6.1.3 to Maximo Application Suite 8/9

1. Initial Assessment and Detailed Inventory

  • Objective: Establish a full understanding of your current Maximo 7.6.1.3 environment.

  • Actions:

    • Inventorize all Java customizations by type (Java classes extensions for various type of events Mbo, MboSet , Conditions ,Field Classes , Workflows , Integration etc).
    • Extract all Automation Scripts, including launch points and event triggers.
    • Document all current integrations, identifying protocols (JMS, REST, SOAP) and endpoints.
    • Engage business stakeholders to identify critical features and obsolete components.
    • Catalog all configurations (workflows, Database components , conditions , escalations , UI changes etc.).

  • Outcome Focus: Clear knowledge base to prioritize migration scope and refactoring needs.

2. Licensing Transition Planning

  • Objective: Convert current Maximo licenses into MAS's flexible AppPoints licensing model.

  • Actions:

    • Use IBM’s AppPoints calculator with detailed user role analysis (authorized, concurrent, administrative).
    • Map legacy license types to AppPoints, incorporating mobile and add-on usage.
    • Plan license conversions early to enable phased migration and uninterrupted user access.

  • Outcome Focus: Cost-efficient, accurate licensing setup aligned with MAS usage.

3. Architecture and Infrastructure Preparation

  • Objective: Prepare MAS environment for deployment, focusing on cloud and containerization.

  • Actions:

    • Select deployment architecture: public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid (IBM Cloud, AWS, Azure).
    • Provision Red Hat OpenShift clusters with appropriate sizing—master and worker nodes.
    • Define networking, storage, monitoring, and security policies for the container environment.
    • Set up DevOps pipelines for automated deployment, configuration, and customization delivery.

  • Outcome Focus: Robust, scalable, and manageable MAS infrastructure foundation.

4. Customization Analysis and Modernization

  • Objective: Rationalize and modernize custom business logic and UI customizations for MAS compatibility.

  • Actions:

    • Review Java classes and recompile/refactor for Java 17 (MAS 9.1 compatibility).
    • Convert suitable Java logic to MAS automation scripts for easier maintenance.
    • Refactor or remove legacy automation scripts, update syntax and error handling.
    • Rebuild UI customizations using MAS real-time CSS and layout tools to avoid downtime.

Package all artifacts into MAS customization archives for version-controlled deployment.

  • Outcome Focus: Clean, maintainable, future-proof customizations optimized for MAS.

5. Integration Reengineering

  • Objective: Ensure all external integrations are compatible, secure, and scalable in MAS.

  • Actions:

    • Identify legacy JMS and SOAP based interfaces; plan migration to Kafka events and REST APIs.
    • Update integration security by replacing maxauth tokens with MAS API keys and OAuth where applicable.
    • Conduct thorough end-to-end integration testing, simulating production workflows.

  • Outcome Focus: Reliable, secure, and scalable integration architecture aligned with MAS standards.

6. Authentication and Security Setup

  • Objective: Implement modern, secure user authentication aligned with enterprise policies.

  • Actions:

    • Choose authentication strategy: Local MAS credentials, LDAP integration, and/or SAML SSO.
    • Configure role mappings and access controls based on authenticated user attributes.
    • Secure APIs with token-based authentication and enforce encryption standards.

  • Outcome Focus: Seamless, secure user access management integrated with corporate identity services.

7. Rigorous Testing and Validation

  • Objective: Verify full functionality, integration, performance, and user acceptance before go-live.

  • Actions:

    • Develop automated functional and regression test scripts for customizations and core features.

    • Perform parallel runs of legacy Maximo and MAS environments to ensure data and process consistency.

    • Conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) engaging business users and power users.

    • Establish rollback plans and backups to mitigate risk during cutover.

  • Outcome Focus: High confidence in migration readiness and minimal business disruption.

8. Documentation, Training, and Governance

  • Objective: Support long-term MAS stability and evolving needs through documentation and governance.

  • Actions:

    • Maintain detailed technical, functional, and business documentation on customizations, integrations, infrastructure, and security configurations.

    • Implement version control and change management processes for customization and configuration updates.

    • Train IT support, developers, and end-users on MAS functionality, architecture, and operational best practices.

    • Establish governance frameworks for ongoing customization approvals, testing, and compliance.

  • Outcome Focus: Sustainable MAS operations with controlled evolution and enhanced support capabilities.

3 comments
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https://community.ibm.com/community/user/blogs/prashant-bavane/2025/10/23/getting-ready-for-upgrade-maximo-7613-to-mas

Comments

Khairi Chmengui
3 days ago

I appreciate your reply.

Given the project's lengthy history and the substantial number of adaptations involved, we are currently moving our Java customizations to Automation Scripts.

Resource allocation and compatibility with legacy programming are major obstacles, but we're dealing with these by:

  • Dividing up adjustments into smaller, more manageable parts for more comprehensive testing and seamless transitions.
  • Working closely with the development team to anticipate obstacles and take proactive measures to overcome them.

Prashant Bavane
3 days ago

@Khairi Chmengui This is very high level in terms of approach of dealing with Java customizations while upgrades in general :
1. Audit all your java customizations in terms of their functional use case , dependent libraries (External / Java versions specific ) if any. 

2. Based on details in step -1 , analyze if any of the java customizations will now be mapped to OOB features in upgraded version(MAS 9.1 etc) if yes you may simply remove the customizations and train the users.

3. If there are no OOB features and custom functionality is still necessary you may check if any possiblity of converting those Java customizations to Automation Scripts or redesign it using configurations with possibility of added tech capabilities in upgraded version/ 9.1.

4. If there are no possiblity of converting to automation scripts or configurations and custom built java solution is still necessary , you may need to rework on java customization so that it should be compatible with upgraded /9.1 and follow customization archive deployment path to migrate it 9.1 using pod/block storage architectural aspects.

Khairi Chmengui
3 days ago

When migrating from Maximo 7.6.1.3 to Maximo Application Suite (MAS) 9.1, how should Java classes and custom business logic be examined, redesigned, and updated for compatibility?