Nearly every week I get asked the same question about IBM i (AS/400) upgrades by our current Alliance AES/400 and Alliance FTP customers who are in the process of updating their operating system:

Q: “I am running Alliance FTP Manager with Commercial PGP.  Do I need to upgrade this to your latest version before I upgrade my IBM i to V7R1?”

A: Always upgrade the software you are currently running to the latest version first, then upgrade your operating system second.  IBM made changes in V6R1 and V7R1 and we have builds specific to these Operating Systems.  If you upgrade your software first to the most recent release, you will avoid larger issues around transferring your data when you upgrade to one of the newer IBM i versions.

Another related question I’m often asked is:

Q: “Should we do a system backup before a major OS update?” 

A: Yes, you should always do a full system backup before making changes to your system. System upgrades and other changes to your OS are often a challenge and can result in data loss, system crashes, and other major issues if you’re not careful. You never know what could happen, and you don’t want to be left piecing your system back together while your customers are waiting. Because it’s such a critical component we always remind our customers to backup their current application library. If something does go wrong during the upgrade, you’ll want the option to revert to the backup.

To help with these sorts of issues we provide a customer service portal with an extensive list of solutions and frequently asked questions. 24/7 support is often an important need for many customers upgrading their IBM i or other operating system, and we provide that as well. We know that planning a move like this takes lots of time and if we can help, we are happy to assist.

To learn more about IBM i security, check out our recent webinar, TOP 3 IBM i SECURITY TIPS FOR 2013, featuring data privacy experts Patrick Townsend and Patrick Botz.