The conversation around iSeries cloud hosting is no longer about “if” but “how soon.” As IT budgets face pressure, and CIOs aim for agility without sacrificing mission-critical reliability, cloud hosting for IBM i (formerly AS/400) has emerged as a practical modernization route. But as many organizations discover, the migration process isn’t plug-and-play.

In this blueprint, we break down the real-world architecture, recommended tools, and common migration pitfalls – so you can move your iSeries workloads to the cloud with precision and confidence.

Why iSeries Cloud Hosting Is on Every CIO’s Radar

Aging On-Prem Infrastructure: Power supply issues, storage limitations, and legacy cooling setups are making on-prem IBM i systems fragile and costly.

Staffing Concerns: Fewer RPG or IBM i admins are entering the workforce. Cloud vendors offer managed hosting with 24/7 support.

Disaster Recovery & Redundancy: Built-in failover and multi-region replication in cloud hosting offer resilience impossible to match on-prem.

Scalability & Flexibility: You no longer have to forecast hardware needs for 5 years. Scale up (or down) as your workload changes.

Security & Compliance: Reputable cloud hosting providers offer ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 readiness.

The Phased Migration Approach: A Must-Have Strategy

Phase 1 - Discovery & Assessment

Inventory AS/400 assets: LPARs, DB2 databases, user profiles, job queues, nightly jobs, and third-party applications.

Assess application dependencies: Many AS/400 apps are tightly coupled with local printers, physical tape devices, or Windows-based integrations.

Evaluate licensing constraints: Understand current licensing models for OS/400, DB2, and ISVs – some may not allow cloud-based use without amendments.

Phase 2 - Architecture Planning

Choose hosting model: Public cloud (like Skytap on Azure), private cloud (IBM Power Systems Virtual Server), or hybrid hosting.

Networking model: Plan VPNs, MPLS, or SD-WAN. Identify the latency-sensitive transactions.

Authentication & IAM: Integrate IBM i with your cloud provider’s IAM-AD federation, MFA, etc.

Phase 3 - Pilot Migration

Migrate a non-production LPAR or a development workload.

Test connectivity with on-prem systems and cloud services.

Validate nightly batch jobs, printing, spool files, and remote commands.

Phase 4 - Cutover & Go-Live

Schedule the final cutover during a low-activity period (e.g., quarter-end close complete).

Create rollback plans (snapshot backups, export images).

Test all integrations immediately post-migration (file transfers, EDI, FTP jobs).

Also read: i Series Cloud Hosting – What's in it for you?

Must-Have Tools & Technologies for a Seamless iSeries Cloud Migration

Data Replication & Sync Tools

MIMIX by Precisely: Gold standard for real-time replication and high availability.

Quick-EDD: Offers cost-effective replication with minimal overhead.

Rocket iCluster: Real-time clustering and replication for high availability and disaster recovery.

Backup & Recovery Tools

BRMS (Backup, Recovery, and Media Services): Essential for full backup automation.

VTL (Virtual Tape Libraries): Allows cloud-based tape storage to mimic on-prem tape backups.

Security Tools

Powertech by Fortra: Security suite for auditing, compliance reporting, and access management on IBM i.

SIEM Integration: Log forwarding from IBM i to cloud-based SIEM like Splunk or Azure Sentinel.

Modernization & Integration Tools

ARCAD Transformer RPG: To refactor old RPG to Free Format for better maintainability post-migration.

Profound Logic: Helps integrate iSeries with modern web UIs, APIs, or REST endpoints.

Top 6 Pitfalls That Derail iSeries Cloud Hosting Migrations

1. Underestimating Print Dependencies

Many AS/400 systems rely on local printers or 5250-based spool file printing. If print services are not migrated with virtual printer support, jobs can fail silently.

2. Missing License Audits or ISV Approvals

Some third-party vendors prohibit cloud deployment unless licenses are explicitly modified. Skipping this can create legal and operational risks.

3. Poor Network Planning

A VPN with high latency can slow down remote 5250 sessions or file transfers. Ensure you benchmark current vs cloud network speed.

4. Lack of Cutover Rollback Plan

If the go-live fails, what’s your plan? Always retain local backups or VM snapshots of on-prem systems during migration.

5. Incomplete Security Re-Configuration

Moving to cloud changes your perimeter. If IAM policies, password resets, or MFA are not implemented, you expose yourself to risk.

6. Failure to Align Operations Team Early

iSeries administrators must be involved early – especially in handling job queues, backup windows, and operational SLAs. Don't treat it like a generic cloud project.

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The Ideal Team Structure for Migration Success

Project Manager: Coordinates timelines, vendor deliverables, and budget.

iSeries Admin: Deep knowledge of LPARs, CL commands, and nightly job runs.

Cloud Architect: Designs the network, IAM, and storage setup.

Security Lead: Ensures encryption, access control, and audit trails are in place.

Business SME: Ensures critical jobs (invoicing, billing, EDI) are validated.

Final Thoughts — iSeries Cloud Hosting Is a Modernization Enabler, Not Just a Lift-and-Shift

Done right, iSeries cloud hosting is more than a cost-saving strategy—it’s the gateway to broader modernization:

Integrate with APIs and cloud-native services

Run analytics against IBM i data

Extend the life of legacy apps without overhauling the codebase

But cutting corners in planning or tooling can lead to long-term complexity, outages, or compliance failures.

Ready to Migrate Your IBM i Workloads to the Cloud?

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