Seamless transitions across infrastructures without the operational pauses

With today’s evolving IT demands, system migrations need to be both seamless and resilient. IBM has addressed this challenge with IBM i Migrate While Active for IBM i versions 7.4 and 7.5. This innovative solution allows users to migrate IBM i logical partitions (LPARs) between locations, including on-premises systems, data centers, or even cloud environments like IBM Power Virtual Server, with minimal downtime. Let’s dive into how this tool differentiates itself, its operational stages, and the business benefits it provides.

IBM i Migrate While Active is a cutting-edge solution designed for enterprises using IBM i systems to seamlessly manage data migrations across environments without significant downtime. Unlike traditional migration methods that require system shutdowns, IBM i Migrate While Active uses a phased approach to ensure that production environments remain accessible throughout the migration process. This tool is particularly valuable as businesses increasingly rely on 24/7 availability to meet modern operational demands and compliance standards. By leveraging asynchronous replication and data synchronization, IBM i Migrate While Active helps companies move from on-premises to cloud infrastructures, upgrade hardware, or create system clones for testing—all with minimal impact on users. This capability is essential for businesses needing flexibility in infrastructure management while ensuring data integrity and reducing service interruptions.

Key Differences: IBM i Migrate While Active vs. IBM Db2 Mirror

IBM i Migrate While Active builds upon the continuous availability foundation of IBM Db2 Mirror for i but is distinctly designed for one-way migrations rather than bi-directional replication. Here’s a quick comparison:

• Replication Protocol: While Db2 Mirror relies on Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) adapters for synchronous replication between nodes, Migrate While Active uses TCP/IP for communication, making it more accessible and flexible.
• Data Scope: Db2 Mirror is limited to replication-eligible object types within Db2, whereas Migrate While Active encompasses all save-eligible objects in *SYSBAS (including libraries and integrated file system files). For independent ASPs (IASPs), users can leverage PowerHA SystemMirror for i.
• Replication Type: Db2 Mirror uses synchronous replication for real-time data consistency. In contrast, Migrate While Active is asynchronous, continuously syncing changes to the copy node while allowing production workloads on the source node.

Migrate While Active: Key Stages in Migration

IBM i Migrate While Active simplifies migration by breaking it into three distinct phases:

1. System Migration: During this phase, a copy node is created, including the operating system and user data from the source node. This process involves a system save in a restricted state, followed by a unique install media creation to prepare the copy node.
2. Data Synchronization: Following system migration, the tool enters an asynchronous data synchronization stage. Here, changes on the source node are tracked and replicated to the copy node, ensuring that the environments remain aligned without disrupting ongoing production workloads.
3. Cutover: The final phase involves completing the migration and transitioning operations to the copy node. At this point, the source node enters a restricted state for a final sync, after which the copy node is fully prepared to take over operations.

Business Use Cases for Migrate While Active

IBM i Migrate While Active supports a wide range of business scenarios, allowing organizations to adapt their infrastructure to current needs without significant disruption. Some key use cases include:

• Data Center Migration to Cloud: Seamlessly move on-premises IBM i environments to IBM Power Virtual Server or other cloud providers, maintaining data integrity during the transition.
• Hardware Upgrades: Transition to new IBM Power hardware within the same data center, enabling hardware updates while keeping data intact.
• System Cloning: Create clones of existing IBM i systems for testing or short-term projects, providing flexibility without compromising production data.

Monitoring Migration Status

The Work with Migration Status (WRKMIGSTS) command is used to display and to work with the migration process. IBM i: IBM i Migrate While Active

provides a menu-driven interface to interact with Migrate While Active. The WRKMIGSTS command must be used when the source or copy node is in restricted state since it is not possible to use the Db2 Mirror GUI during this time. This command-driven interface allows users to initiate synchronization, display migration details, and manage synchronization jobs, ensuring smooth control over the entire migration lifecycle.

Why Consider IBM i Migrate While Active?

The launch of IBM i Migrate While Active offers organizations a practical, efficient approach to managing migrations with minimal impact on operational continuity. With the ability to migrate across various environments, including cloud and on-premises infrastructures, this tool is designed to meet the demands of modern businesses seeking seamless migration options.

Take the Next Step

If your organization is exploring infrastructure migration or cloud integration strategies, consider how IBM i Migrate While Active could streamline the process. Reach out to us for more detailed information or for a proof of experience.