On November 15, 2022, IBM formally announced End of Service Life (EOSL) dates for select Power8 scale-out and scale-up systems. Depending on the machine type and model, the effective EOSL date may fall between March and October 2024.
What does EOSL mean?
In simple terms, EOSL for Power8 means IBM will no longer offer hardware upgrades, firmware updates or maintenance services for the designated models.
The IBM announcement states, “Selected machine types, models, and features will be discontinued from maintenance services. IBM will send no further correspondence of this nature for these machine types, models, features, or RPQs. After the effective date, IBM will no longer offer full hardware maintenance service for the listed machine types. If available, clients will continue to receive limited hardware maintenance service.”
Recently, we’ve seen a significant price increase in IBM’s extended hardware maintenance costs. So once your Power8 model approaches its EOSL date, anticipate additional price increases and limited response times based on parts availability.
What are your options?
According to an IBM i marketplace survey, 60% of the total IBM i installed is on Power8 or later generations (that’s a substantial number of customers). On the bright side, IBM has given organisations the time to plan, strategise and budget for their next hardware refresh. Now’s the time to begin planning your hardware refresh from Power8 to the newer technologies IBM has heavily invested in over the years. Below are several options to help you move forward and understand what’s next for your Power8 hardware.
- Refresh to Power10
- Migrate to Cloud
- Continue running your Power8 hardware with IBM third-party maintenance (TPM)
If you’re unsure of the right option for your business, we’re here to provide your team with recommendations based on your unique needs.
If your organisation has a Power8 or older system and would like to discuss your migration, maintenance, or refresh options, we’re here to help you understand the next steps for your hardware. For expert guidance, contact us here.
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