What an IBM Power migration timeline looks like
A cloud-Power lift-and-shift typically runs 3–6 months from decision to cutover. Application-heavy programs take longer. Here are the phases.
A cloud-Power lift-and-shift typically runs 3–6 months from decision to cutover. An IBM i modernization or AIX-to-Linux replatform is a longer program, 9–18 months or more, because application work, not infrastructure, sets the pace. For a detailed phase-by-phase view of AIX specifically, see the AIX migration timeline.
The four phases
Discovery & assessment · weeks 1–4
LPAR and workload inventory, OS and hardware support dates, software/ISV licensing, RTO/RPO, and destination shortlist.
Design & pilot · weeks 4–10
Target sizing, network and connectivity design, a pilot LPAR migration, backup/DR approach, and go/no-go criteria.
Migrate & validate · weeks 10–22
Move non-production first, then production LPARs in waves, validating performance and integrations at each gate.
Optimize & close · weeks 22–26
Right-size capacity, confirm HA/DR, update runbooks, train the team, and decommission the old hardware.
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