Re: IBM i 7.4 is the last release to support IBM POWER8 processor-based systems.

["Larry \"DrFranken\" Bolhuis" <midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

That is one way to look at it of course. BUT you need to consider what 
all it takes to maintain support for older hardware. Every different 
chip, every different bus, every different I/O feature, RAID cards, disk 
unit etc. And not just maintaining support in the O/S but testing every 
update and PTF to assure it all works with every fix as well.

And then there is hardware maintenance. As the machines get older there 
are fewer of them. The fewer there are the cost to IBM to maintain the 
needed parts inventory goes up. And the knowledge to maintain them goes 
down.

I for one am OK with IBM keeping the cadence moving forward, both the 
O/S and the hardware!

	- DrF


On 11/22/2021 1:19 PM, Brad Stone wrote:
> That's great that they take perfectly capable machines and make them almost
> worthless.  Shoot... my old 515 could run V7R4 I bet.  I know my 41A isn't
> even touching it's capability at V7R4.
>
> The one positive is it can at least be used for OSS... unless they break
> that too.
>
> Guess I'll be buying a new power 11 in a couple years.  :)
>
>
> --
IBM Champion for Power Systems

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