Stop gambling with your mission-critical IBM i systems. Traditional “big bang” cloud migrations are a recipe for sleepless nights, budget overruns, and potential career-limiting incidents. The smarter path? A DR-first approach that transforms disaster recovery from a cost center into your strategic on-ramp to cloud adoption.
This 12-month roadmap provides a battle-tested methodology for migrating IBM i environments to the cloud with minimal disruption and maximum value. By leveraging DR infrastructure as your foundation, you’ll create a safety net for innovation, optimize costs through multi-purpose utilization, address the increasingly alarming IBM i skills gap, and build cloud expertise at a sustainable pace.
The days of “lift and hope” migrations are over. Today’s successful IBM i modernization journeys start with disaster recovery as the beachhead for your cloud strategy. This article shows you exactly how to execute this approach, month by month, with practical insights from organizations that have successfully made the transition.
Ready to explore how DR-first cloud adoption can transform your IBM i environment? Schedule a consultation to discuss your specific migration roadmap.
Modernizing IBM i Without the Risk
For mid-market organizations running mission-critical applications on IBM i systems, cloud migration presents a complex challenge. These systems often support core business operations that have evolved over decades, with customized applications, complex integrations, and unique configurations that make traditional “lift and shift” approaches look like a high-wire act without a safety net.
Yet the pressure to modernize continues to mount. Many organizations face aging hardware reaching end-of-support, a dwindling pool of skilled IBM i administrators (with many eyeing retirement), and increasing security requirements that expose the limitations of on-premise environments.
Let’s be honest: the “big bang” migration approach is a disaster waiting to happen for IBM i environments. The DR-first approach offers a more intelligent pathway that addresses these challenges head-on. By establishing managed disaster recovery infrastructure in the cloud before migrating production workloads, you create a low-risk foundation for transformation that provides both an evolutionary path to cloud and an escape hatch if needed.
This article outlines a proven 12-month roadmap for IBM i shops to adopt cloud technologies using disaster recovery as the cornerstone. Drawing on real-world implementations, we’ll examine how each phase builds upon the previous one to create a comprehensive migration strategy that minimizes risk, optimizes investment, addresses skills gaps, and builds organizational confidence without requiring superhuman efforts from your team.
Benefit 1: Creating a Safety Net for Innovation
The Security of a Proven Fallback
The most significant barrier to cloud adoption for IBM i environments is the fear—often justified—of disruption to business-critical operations. A DR-first approach creates an actual safety net by maintaining the on-premise environment while building managed cloud hosting capabilities in parallel. This dual-environment strategy provides immediate fallback options if (or when) issues arise during migration.
During Phase 1 (Months 1-3), organizations focus on thorough assessment of their current environment, including:
- Environment assessment: Documenting IBM i hosting requirements, hardware specifications, OS versions, PTF levels, and capacity requirements—including all those undocumented customizations
- Application inventory: Cataloging all applications, integrations, and dependencies (yes, even the ones only Bob knows about, and he’s retiring next year)
- Network evaluation: Assessing bandwidth, latency, and connectivity requirements for reliable IBM i hosting without the rose-colored glasses
- Cloud provider selection: Identifying a disaster recovery provider with proven IBM i expertise, not just someone who added “IBM i” to their services webpage last week
This initial phase establishes the foundation for success by creating a comprehensive understanding of the current environment and requirements. It also provides an opportunity to validate that IBM i hosting environments can actually meet the unique performance needs of your workloads before significant investment.
As one manufacturing client discovered, their initial concerns about cloud performance for transaction-heavy ERP workloads weren’t just paranoia—they required specific configurations to achieve acceptable performance. Discovering this in the DR environment rather than during production migration saved them from what would have been a catastrophic cutover failure.
Benefit 2: Optimizing Costs Through DR Infrastructure
Maximizing Return on Investment
Let’s face it: traditional disaster recovery infrastructure is the definition of a cost center—significant investment that sits idle 99.9% of the time, waiting for a disaster that you hope never happens. The DR-first approach flips this script by transforming idle capacity into a multi-purpose asset delivering continuous value through strategic managed cloud hosting utilization.
During Phase 2 (Months 4-6), organizations implement the initial DR environment and begin to leverage it for additional purposes:
- Initial replication setup: Establishing data replication between on-premise and managed cloud hosting environments that actually works
- Validation testing: Conducting initial DR tests to confirm your recovery processes aren’t just theoretical
- Development and testing: Beginning to utilize the DR environment for non-production workloads that create daily value
- Cost baseline: Establishing metrics to track ROI and utilization rates beyond “it’s insurance”
By repurposing disaster recovery managed services infrastructure for development, testing, and reporting workloads, you can justify the investment with actual numbers rather than fear-based arguments. This multi-purpose approach typically delivers 30-40% better return on investment compared to traditional DR implementations that collect dust until needed.
The shift from capital expenditure (hardware purchases) to operational expenditure (managed cloud hosting services) provides financial flexibility that CFOs appreciate. Rather than major hardware refresh cycles every 3-5 years that require six-figure capital requests, organizations can scale cloud resources incrementally as needed, aligning costs more closely with actual usage patterns.
An insurance client leveraging this approach was able to decommission their development environment hardware, shifting those workloads to their cloud DR infrastructure and saving approximately $120,000 in planned capital expenditure—enough to fund their entire cloud migration initiative.
Benefit 3: Addressing the IBM i Skills Gap
Leveraging Provider Expertise
The IBM i skills crisis isn’t coming—it’s here. The shrinking pool of IBM i expertise represents an existential challenge for many organizations. Experienced RPG programmers and IBM i administrators are increasingly difficult to find, retain, and replace as they retire, and younger IT professionals rarely choose green-screen technologies as their career path.
During Phase 3 (Months 7-9), organizations begin to address this skills gap through managed disaster recovery partnerships:
- Staff training: Developing internal expertise in cloud management without requiring BRMS certification
- Process documentation: Capturing tribal knowledge before it walks out the door to retirement
- Managed services evaluation: Identifying areas where disaster recovery providers can supplement internal capabilities (or replace them entirely)
- Expanded DR testing: Conducting more comprehensive DR drills with broader participation to spread knowledge
Disaster recovery providers with genuine IBM i expertise can handle routine system administration, monitoring, PTF application, and hardware maintenance, allowing internal teams to focus on application knowledge and business processes that actually differentiate your company. This division of responsibilities maximizes the value of specialized internal knowledge while addressing the maintenance skills gap.
A healthcare client with a retiring IBM i administrator (and zero qualified candidates after six months of searching) used the DR-first migration as an opportunity to document systems and processes, then transitioned system management responsibilities to their managed disaster recovery provider while maintaining application support internally. This strategy enabled knowledge retention and service continuity despite the skills shortage that shows no signs of improving.
Benefit 4: Building Cloud Expertise Incrementally
Progressive Skill Development
Traditional migration approaches often require teams to develop cloud expertise through baptism by fire, creating stress and potential knowledge gaps that can haunt you for years. The DR-first methodology allows progressive skill development through graduated exposure to cloud technologies without the pressure of production outages.
During Phase 4 (Months 10-12), organizations formalize this knowledge transfer:
- Operational refinement: Fine-tuning managed cloud hosting operations processes beyond the initial “just make it work” phase
- Performance optimization: Adjusting cloud resources to match workload requirements and control costs
- Completion of training: Ensuring all team members have necessary cloud management skills before production cutover
- Final validation: Comprehensive testing of all systems and procedures under realistic load conditions
This incremental approach allows staff to build confidence progressively rather than requiring immediate mastery during high-pressure production migrations. Internal cloud champions emerge naturally during this process, creating peer-to-peer knowledge transfer opportunities that complement formal training and provide career growth opportunities.
A financial services organization used this phased approach to identify and develop two internal cloud champions who subsequently led training sessions for their peers, creating a multiplier effect for knowledge transfer without the need for expensive external consultants to hold their hands through every step.
The 12-Month Migration Timeline: Pulling It All Together
The following roadmap provides a month-by-month overview of the complete DR-first cloud adoption journey:
Phase 1: Assessment & Planning (Months 1-3)
Month 1:
- Conduct IBM i environment assessment
- Document application inventory and dependencies
- Evaluate network requirements for IBM i hosting capabilities
- Begin disaster recovery provider evaluation
Month 2:
- Complete disaster recovery provider selection
- Develop initial IBM cloud migration plan and timeline
- Secure executive sponsorship and funding
- Establish success metrics and KPIs
Month 3:
- Finalize contractual agreements
- Complete network readiness assessment
- Begin staff awareness and initial training
- Develop communication plan for stakeholders
Phase 2: Initial DR Setup & Testing (Months 4-6)
Month 4:
- Provision managed cloud hosting DR environment
- Establish network connectivity
- Configure initial security controls
- Begin data replication setup
Month 5:
- Complete initial data replication
- Validate data integrity and synchronization
- Document DR procedures and processes
- Begin utilizing DR for simple non-production workloads
Month 6:
- Conduct first DR test (limited scope)
- Evaluate and optimize network performance
- Refine backup and recovery procedures
- Establish DR testing schedule and objectives
Phase 3: Expanded DR Utilization (Months 7-9)
Month 7:
- Begin transitioning development workloads to DR environment
- Expand DR testing scope and participation
- Initiate comprehensive staff training program
- Implement monitoring and management tools
Month 8:
- Conduct comprehensive DR test
- Begin testing application functionality in cloud environment
- Evaluate additional cloud services opportunities
- Document operational procedures for hybrid management
Month 9:
- Complete initial staff training
- Optimize resource allocation based on workload patterns
- Refine security and compliance controls
- Begin planning for production migration
Phase 4: Production Migration Preparation (Months 10-12)
Month 10:
- Finalize production migration plan
- Conduct full-scale DR test with expanded scope
- Complete security and compliance validation
- Develop detailed cutover procedures
Month 11:
- Perform pre-migration validation and testing
- Refine cutover plan and communications
- Conduct final staff training and readiness assessment
- Prepare rollback procedures and contingency plans
Month 12:
- Execute final DR test simulating production workloads
- Complete readiness assessment for production migration
- Finalize documentation and operational procedures
- Prepare for production cutover
This timeline provides a structured approach that maximizes success probability while minimizing risk. Each phase builds upon the previous one, with clear milestones and validation points to ensure readiness before proceeding.
Need help developing your specific 12-month timeline? Schedule a planning session to create a customized roadmap for your environment.
Overcoming Common Obstacles
Network Bandwidth and Latency
IBM i applications often assume low-latency connections, making network performance critical for IBM i hosting success. Addressing this challenge requires:
- Comprehensive network assessment during planning phase
- Potential bandwidth upgrades or dedicated connections
- Application analysis to identify chatty interfaces that require optimization
- Leveraging managed cloud hosting infrastructure with proven IBM i performance
Security and Compliance
IBM i shops in regulated industries must maintain compliance throughout the migration journey. Key considerations include:
- Documenting compliance requirements during assessment phase
- Validating disaster recovery provider security certifications and capabilities
- Implementing encryption for data in transit and at rest
- Establishing clear security responsibility boundaries with the cloud provider
Balancing Workloads During Transition
Determining which workloads to transition first requires careful planning:
- Begin with development and test environments
- Prioritize workloads with fewer external dependencies
- Consider batch processing before interactive applications
- Test thoroughly before transitioning mission-critical systems
Managing Organizational Change
Technical challenges are often easier to solve than people challenges. Successful migrations require:
- Clear communication about migration objectives and benefits
- Early involvement of key stakeholders in planning process
- Regular updates on progress and milestone achievements
- Celebration of early wins to build momentum and support
Industry-Specific Considerations
Manufacturing Disaster Recovery
Manufacturing organizations face unique challenges with IBM i systems supporting production planning, inventory management, and just-in-time processes. Manufacturing disaster recovery requires:
- Minimal downtime tolerance due to production dependencies
- Integration with shop floor systems and real-time data requirements
- Compliance with industry-specific regulations and quality standards
- Coordination with supply chain partners and external systems
Financial Services Disaster Recovery
Financial institutions must balance operational continuity with stringent regulatory requirements. Financial services disaster recovery considerations include:
- Compliance with banking regulations (FFIEC, GLBA, SOX)
- Real-time transaction processing requirements
- Data residency and sovereignty requirements
- Audit trail maintenance and regulatory reporting
Healthcare and Insurance
Healthcare organizations and insurance companies handling sensitive data require specialized approaches:
- HIPAA compliance and data protection requirements
- Integration with electronic health records and claims systems
- Patient data security and privacy considerations
- Regulatory audit preparation and documentation
Conclusion: Your Pathway to Cloud Success
The DR-first approach to IBM i cloud adoption isn’t just another methodology—it’s the difference between a controlled, strategic transformation and a chaotic migration that puts your business at risk. By leveraging disaster recovery infrastructure as the foundation for migration, this 12-month roadmap provides:
- A safety net for innovation without betting your career on a single weekend cutover
- Optimized costs through multi-purpose infrastructure that delivers daily value
- A solution to the IBM i skills crisis that’s only getting worse
- Incremental cloud expertise development that doesn’t require superhuman efforts
The key to success lies in thorough planning, selecting a disaster recovery provider with actual IBM i expertise (not just marketing claims), and maintaining a disciplined approach through each phase of the journey. Organizations that follow this methodology consistently report smoother transitions, lower stress levels, and better long-term outcomes than those attempting more aggressive migration timelines.
Your IBM i systems have faithfully served your business for years or even decades. They deserve a migration approach that honors their importance while enabling your organization to embrace the benefits of cloud technologies without unnecessary risk.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
The first step is understanding your unique starting point and requirements. Schedule a personalized migration roadmap assessment to receive a customized plan tailored to your specific IBM i environment and business objectives.
Our IBM i cloud migration experts will analyze your current environment, identify potential challenges, and develop a detailed roadmap that aligns with your business goals and timelines. This comprehensive assessment provides the foundation you need to begin your DR-first cloud adoption journey with confidence.
Don’t let another hardware refresh cycle pass without exploring your cloud migration options. Contact our team today to start your transformation.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a DR-first cloud migration approach for IBM i systems?
A DR-first cloud migration approach uses disaster recovery infrastructure as the initial pathway to cloud adoption, allowing organizations to establish, test, and validate cloud environments before moving production workloads. This minimizes risk by maintaining on-premise systems while building cloud capabilities.
How long does an IBM i cloud migration take using the DR-first approach?
A comprehensive DR-first IBM i cloud migration typically spans 12 months across four phases: assessment and planning (months 1-3), initial DR setup (months 4-6), expanded DR utilization (months 7-9), and production migration preparation (months 10-12).
What are the benefits of using disaster recovery as a pathway to cloud for IBM i?
The primary benefits include risk mitigation through a proven fallback option, cost optimization by utilizing DR infrastructure for multiple purposes, addressing the IBM i skills gap through cloud provider expertise, and building cloud capabilities incrementally.
Why is a DR-first approach better than direct production migration for IBM i systems?
IBM i systems often run mission-critical applications with complex customizations. A DR-first approach allows organizations to validate performance, refine processes, and build expertise before production migration, dramatically reducing the risk of business disruption.
How does DR-first migration help with the IBM i skills shortage?
The DR-first approach enables gradual knowledge transfer and leverages disaster recovery provider expertise to supplement internal capabilities. This addresses the shortage of IBM i administrators and developers while providing time to document tribal knowledge.
What are the cost advantages of a DR-first cloud migration for IBM i?
This approach transforms DR from a pure cost center to a multi-purpose asset by utilizing cloud infrastructure for development, testing, and reporting when not needed for DR. It also shifts from capital expenditure (hardware refreshes) to operational expenditure (cloud services).
What common challenges occur during IBM i cloud migrations?
Common challenges include network bandwidth and latency issues, security and compliance concerns, balancing workloads during transition, and managing organizational change. The DR-first approach addresses these by providing time to identify and resolve issues before production migration.
Which IBM i applications should migrate to the cloud first?
Non-production workloads like development and test environments should migrate first, followed by applications with fewer external dependencies. Critical production applications should migrate only after thorough validation in the DR environment.
How do you measure success in a DR-first IBM i cloud migration?
Key success metrics include reduced recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO), decreased capital expenditure, infrastructure utilization rates, improved staff productivity, and enhanced security posture.
Is IBM i disaster recovery in the cloud more reliable than on-premise?
Cloud-based IBM i disaster recovery often provides superior reliability through enterprise-grade infrastructure, geographic redundancy, and 24/7 monitoring and management by specialized teams. This typically exceeds what mid-market organizations can achieve on-premise.
