RE: AIX - i5/OS feature comparison was the notorious Steve's soapbox

The advanced job scheduler is needed on the i5. 

In 15 years of managing AS/400 systems, including one shop with over 200
machines, I've never once had the advanced job scheduler.  Never needed
it.

So is a change management system.  

In most cases a paper based system has been adequate.  Nowadays, if you
have any compliance needs, a change management system, paper or
electronic, is pretty much mandatory.

If your i5 is being accessed by clients using ODBC you need a support

staff. 

I do that.  Takes about 7 hours a year.  Set it and forget it.

If the i5 is hosting a web site you need a support staff.  

I do that.  Maybe 25 hours a year.  Multiple Apache instances + multiple
WebSphere App Server instances + Net.Data + maintaining DCM.  Most of
the time is spent setting things up.  After that, it just runs.

Based on the recent discussion here, if you are running a lot of SQL,

esp from client apps, you need to support the system. 

I do that.  Crystal Reports, SQL Server, client data feeds both incoming
and outgoing, etc.  Takes maybe 120 hours a year.

I am also the sole sysadmin who manages backup policy, OS issues,
contract management, BC/DR, security reviews, audits, HMC management,
etc.  I even install iSeries hardware.  Overall it takes about 1/2 my
time.  For perspective, the system is up nearly 24x7 and the main
applications have hundreds of concurrent users and are currently
deployed in 43 countries.

How many machines and how much staff does this take in a comparable AIX
shop?

John A. Jones, CISSP
Americas Information Security Officer
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.
V: +1-630-455-2787 F: +1-312-601-1782
john.jones@xxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steve Richter
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 8:52 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: AIX - i5/OS feature comparison was the notorious Steve's
soapbox

On 9/7/06, qsrvbas@xxxxxxxxxxxx <qsrvbas@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Mike Cunningham wrote:

   4. Re: AIX - i5/OS feature comparison was the notorious Steve's
      soapbox (Mike Cunningham)

And IBM isn't in the hardware business, they're in the 
consulting/support/services business. And IBM can sell a lot more 
AIX services than they can sell OS/400 services.

IMO, out of everything ever said on this subject, the above paragraph 
says about all that's needed.

Think about it. If IBM can't find significant revenue from services 
for our platform, what does that say about what the platform 
capabilities are? IBM could choose to reduce price _if_ services could

pick up the difference.

What services are we specifically talking about? Tivoli? DB2?
Consulting services? In each instance IBM has competition which means
the service is market priced. ( dont laugh )   IBM does sell the wdsc
language bundle on the i5.  It gives away the open source language
toolset on the p5 [1].  The advanced job scheduler is needed on the i5.
So is a change management system.  Keep in mind that the p5 marketplace
is many times larger than the i5. And the p5 can do a lot more work. So
sure there is a lot more demand for consulting services
and application packages on the p5.   If your i5 is being accessed by
clients using ODBC you need a support staff. If the i5 is hosting a web
site you need a support staff.  Based on the recent discussion here, if
you are running a lot of SQL, esp from client apps, you need to support
the system. I dont think the "system is so great IBM can make any
aftermarket profit on it" argument flies.

[1] http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/aix/products/aixos/linux/
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