8 Common Misconceptions About IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Hosting — And the Truth Behind Them
As commonplace as online business, banking and other applications are, I find it surprising that many IBM i/AS400 users still have misconceptions about hosting.
If you’re running your business on IBM i (AS400, iSeries, System i), you’ve probably heard a lot of opinions about “the cloud.” Unfortunately, many of them are wrong — and those misconceptions can hold businesses back from reducing costs, improving uptime, and simplifying IT.
Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. AS400 and iSeries are legacy servers. I use these terms interchangeably to make it easier for folks to find this kind of information on the web.
Here are the most common myths about IBM i hosting — and what you really need to know:
1. “IBM i is obsolete.”
Myth: AS/400 is a legacy platform on “life support”. Reality: This myth is BUNK! IBM i is alive and well, with new Power Systems hardware (Power10, Power11) and OS releases (now at V7R6). Thousands of businesses still rely on IBM i for their mission-critical workloads — and IBM is committed to supporting the platform for years to come.
2. “Hosting is just public cloud on AWS or Azure.”
Myth: Hosting is just spinning up a virtual server in a big cloud. Reality: This misconception is clearly false. IBM i hosting operates on enterprise-class IBM i Power hardware. You get dedicated or shared partitions, enterprise backups, high availability options, and IBM i expertise.
3. “We’ll lose control of our system.”
Myth: Moving to the cloud means losing system console access and admin control. Reality: You keep the same level of access you have today — 5250 sessions, system console, and admin authority — with the option to let your provider manage backups, software patches (PTFs), and monitoring for you.
4. “Hosting costs more than on-prem.”
Myth: Renting a system must be more expensive than owning one. Reality: When you factor costs related to hardware refreshes, IBM software subscription, hardware support, power, cooling, disaster recovery, and IT staff time, hosting often costs less over 3–5 years — and it comes with predictable monthly billing.
5. “Performance will be worse.”
Myth: Cloud hosting will slow everything down. Reality: Hosted IBM i environments typically run on the latest IBM i Power Systems with blazing-fast NVMe storage and redundant networks. In many cases, applications run faster than they did on older on-prem machines.
6. “Migration is too complicated.”
Myth: Moving to the cloud requires rewriting applications or downtime. Reality: Migration is usually a simple save/restore or replication process. Most customers cut over in a single weekend with minimal disruption.
7. “We’ll be locked in and can’t get our data back.”
Myth: Once we move, we’re stuck forever. Reality: Reputable hosting providers will return your data quickly and securely if you decide to leave — typically via save/restore media or secure transfer. This should be spelled out in your SLA.
8. “It’s all or nothing.”
Myth: We have to move everything to the cloud. Reality: Hybrid hosting is common — run IBM i production in the cloud while keeping dev/test on-prem, or move just your disaster recovery system first. You have options.
Conclusion: Hosting your IBM i doesn’t mean giving up control, performance, or flexibility. Done right, it saves money, boosts reliability, and frees your IT team to focus on what matters — running the business.
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