Article

Power 9 Application Compatibility Workshop for IBM i

A next-step compatibility workshop for IBM i teams planning Power 9 to Power 10 or Power 11 moves.

August 6, 2026 8 min read
Table of Contents

Jump to the exact AS400 software question you want answered.

Section 1

Move From Reassurance To Proof

It is true that most RPG and COBOL applications carry forward across IBM Power generations when the IBM i release path is supported. Experienced buyers already know that. The next level is proving the surrounding application environment is ready.

A compatibility workshop turns the broad statement into evidence. It shows what runs, what needs testing, and what blocks the move.

Section 2

Compatibility Workshop Scorecard

Use this section as the tangible workshop takeaway. Mark each checkpoint yes, no, or owner needed. After all 10 answers are complete, the tool calculates readiness and can email the scored result with the PDF workshop guide.

The scorecard should produce an application readiness map, not a meeting summary.

Supported IBM i release path The target Power 10 or Power 11 hardware supports the planned IBM i release.
Current PTF and firmware baseline The team knows the current PTF groups, HMC level, and firmware state.
ISV support confirmation Each packaged application vendor has confirmed support for the target release and hardware path.
Custom code smoke test RPG and COBOL workflows have named test cases. CL, SQL, and Java jobs have owners too.
Interface inventory EDI and FTP paths have owners. API, ODBC, and JDBC access has test evidence.
Reporting path test Power BI and spreadsheet extracts have refresh tests. Scheduled reports and dashboards have validation steps.
Output workflow test Printers and labels have validation steps. Output queues, forms, and document workflows are covered too.
Backup and rollback proof The cutover has a tested backup state, rollback deadline, and stop decision owner.
License and entitlement review IBM i and third-party licenses are checked against the target processor group and partition plan.
Business sign-off A business owner signs off on the workflows that must pass before quote approval.
Yes0
No0
Owner Needed0
StatusIncomplete

Answer all checkpoints to calculate readiness and unlock the send step.

Send Your Score And PDF Guide

The email includes your readiness score, selected checkpoint results, recommended next step, and the Power 9 workshop PDF guide.

Section 3

Start With The IBM i Release Path

The hardware move should be tied to a supported IBM i release path. If the current Power 9 partition runs an older release, the project may need an OS upgrade before or during the move.

That release decision then affects the technical baseline.

  • PTF groups
  • Firmware
  • HMC level
  • Third-party software
  • Rollback planning
Section 4

Map Application Dependencies

The workshop should list each application dependency, then give every dependency an owner and a readiness state.

Use the same three states throughout the session: go, fix first, or defer. The result should be a migration readiness map, not a discussion summary.

  • Packaged ERP
  • Custom RPG and COBOL programs
  • Java jobs
  • ODBC and JDBC paths
  • EDI
  • Document management
  • Barcode and warehouse flows
  • Web services
  • Reports and job schedulers
  • Monitoring, security software, and backup tooling
Section 5

Test The Interfaces That People Forget

Interface risk often hides outside the core application. These workflows deserve test cases because they create business friction quickly when missed.

  • Printers and output queues
  • Label formatting
  • FTP jobs
  • Spreadsheet extracts
  • Power BI refreshes
  • Bank files
  • Customer EDI
  • Vendor portals
Section 6

Use The Workshop To Remove Buying Friction

A buyer who can show compatibility status moves faster from interest to quote approval. The workshop reduces the fear that a hardware purchase will become an application outage.

That is the authority layer beyond basic Power 9 end-of-life education.

  • Named owners
  • Required fixes
  • Test evidence
  • Vendor confirmations
  • License implications
  • Rollback requirements
FAQ

Common questions about this Power 9 Migration topic.

Do RPG and COBOL applications need to be rewritten for Power 10 or Power 11?

Usually no. The practical risk is more often the IBM i release path and surrounding dependencies.

  • ISV software
  • Java
  • ODBC
  • Reports
  • EDI
  • Printers
  • Security tools
  • Backup tools

What should a Power 9 compatibility workshop produce?

It should produce a readiness map with each dependency marked go, fix first, or defer.

  • Owners
  • Test evidence
  • Vendor confirmations
  • License implications
  • Rollback requirements

Sources

Bottom Index

All sections, listed like article footnotes.

  1. [1] Move From Reassurance To Proof
  2. [2] Compatibility Workshop Scorecard
  3. [3] Start With The IBM i Release Path
  4. [4] Map Application Dependencies
  5. [5] Test The Interfaces That People Forget
  6. [6] Use The Workshop To Remove Buying Friction
  7. [7] Sources and Official References
Software Directory

Software catalog pages tied to this Power 9 Migration topic.

IBM i OS Management

IBM i Operating System Upgrade Planning

A software planning and services category for IBM i release upgrades, PTF strategy, compatibility checks, and version migration readiness.

Reporting and Development

RPG and Web Development Tools

An IBM i software group for IBM i RPG, web-development, and application-extension work where buyers are trying to modernize delivery without abandoning core IBM i logic.

Related Categories

Use this Power 9 Migration article inside the larger software map.

IBM i Modernization Software IBM i Operating System and Version Management IBM i Database Tools
Keep Reading

More Power 9 Migration research.