That’s right Storage Protect users, it’s time. IBM has announced its End of Support for Storage Protect v7 by the end of 2021. If you’re still a user of version 7, this might sound like a big deal. So, let’s break it down and ensure you know what this means for you and your company.
The IBM Software Lifecycle
Firstly, IBM has a software lifecycle for each of its software products. This means that they commit to continued support for them for a certain amount of time, even after the software is updated. Their stated target is for 5 years from release but you may recall that Version 7 of Storage Protect was originally released in January 2014. This means that they’ve supported it for 7 years already!
I’m not ready to upgrade!
If you decide that you’re not quite ready to modernize your company’s backup and recovery requirements, don’t panic. The End of Support Date doesn’t mean that the older version of the software will stop working. You’re able to carry on using it if you like. And, if you do still require IBM to support you, they can give you a quote for extended support.
What happens to my support after the End of Support date if I don’t upgrade?
After this, if there’s a problem that needs a code upgrade to fix, you’ll have to upgrade to the latest version. Rather than paying extra for bespoke support, we recommend upgrading to the latest version as early as possible. This will allow you to streamline your backup environment and ensure you have airtight control over your data.
What are the benefits of upgrading to version 8?
In terms of the upgrade process, upgrade pains that were present in previous versions have now been ironed out. This has made it significantly more straightforward to upgrade from Version 7 to Version 8. However, you might have to consider whether your operating system is supported. If it isn’t, you’ll have to assess whether you can do an in-place upgrade or whether you need to move to new infrastructure. That’s where we come in. Our experts at Predatar can help you review your options, just give us a call or if you’re stuck for time, fill out our contact page here and we’ll be in touch.
On the whole, the benefits of a move are many.
- Advanced security functions in Version 8 mean that your backup data will be more secure
- Advanced cloud tiering options allow you to push your data or your database backups to more variations of public cloud than ever before.
- The closer integration with Storage Protect Plus means you can use that to back up more cloud workloads and then offload that data into Storage Protect.
If you missed it, you can watch our webinar on this topic here, where our Chief Technology Officer answers all of your burning questions.
