AIX Migration Q&A

 

Who should use Singularity Partners / Skytap Cloud for their AIX applications?

Skytap Cloud should be used by enterprises who will benefit from migrating AIX workloads to the cloud and the ability to test blended workloads from end-to-end. Enterprises who rely on AIX applications for critical business functions and have struggled to move these workloads into the cloud can benefit immediately from the ability to lift and shift AIX workloads directly into the cloud using Skytap Cloud.

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What types of AIX applications or workloads are best suited to Skytap Cloud?

Typical on-premises AIX workloads include mission critical applications and systems of record. These applications may include:

• ERP: Traditional SAP with the exception of Hana, which only runs on Power Linux.

• Database: Oracle, DB2, SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (Sybase), etc.

• Messaging: MQ

• Web: WebSphere

• Big Data and Analytics: Hadoop (Power Linux only)

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How does Skytap Cloud work?

Skytap Cloud will provide a script that enables customers to export AIX LPARs from their current environments. Customers can then import AIX LPARs directly into Skytap Cloud and then create environments and environment templates using these workloads

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Does Skytap Cloud run IBM Power Systems in its datacenters?

Skytap Cloud is the first and only public cloud that supports AIX workloads in blended environments, while hosting providers offer simple access to AIX instances. Unlike other AIX hosting providers, Skytap Cloud allows businesses to develop and deploy POWER/AIX workloads side by side with both traditional x86 applications and modern technologies like containers.

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How is Skytap Cloud for AIX different from POWER8 hardware on IBM SoftLayer?

IBM Bluemix POWER8 bare metal servers are built on IBM OpenPOWER and only support Linux workloads. Skytap Cloud runs on IBM POWER8 scale-out servers.

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How many Skytap Cloud datacenters or regions support AIX?

Skytap Cloud has seven global datacenters throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Skytap Cloud also partners with IBM to make any Softlayer datacenter available to Skytap Cloud customers. AIX will be available in all Skytap Cloud regions.

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What versions of IBM Power Systems are supported by Skytap Cloud?

Skytap Cloud supports IBM POWER8

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What versions of AIX are supported by Skytap Cloud?

Skytap Cloud supports AIX 7.1 TL 4 SP 4, AIX 7.2 TL 1 SP2, and AIX 6.1 TL 9 SP TBD (expected Fall 2017)

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Does Skytap Cloud support Linux or IBM I on IBM Power Systems?

No. Skytap Cloud does not support Linux or IBM i on IBM Power Systems at this time.

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How are AIX environments created in Skytap Cloud?

AIX and blended environments are created using the same processes as traditional x86 environments in Skytap Cloud. Users can create environments from a public library of Skytap Cloud templates or upload their own VMs and LPARs into an environment. Environments can have as many VMs, LPARs, and networks as needed.

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Are there any limitations or restrictions for moving AIX workloads into Skytap Cloud?

Yes. While any AIX workload can be moved into Skytap Cloud, restrictions exist on total number of processors, total amount of memory, and total amount of storage.

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How long will it take to move my AIX apps into Skytap Cloud?

The amount of time it takes customers to move AIX applications into Skytap Cloud environments depends upon the size of the customer’s AIX instance. This process can be completed in a self-service fashion leveraging the Skytap Cloud VM Import process.

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Does Skytap Cloud provide self-service access to environments, LPARs, and VMs?

Yes. Skytap Cloud enables end users to create, clone, provision, and share their own AIX and blended environments. Using Skytap Cloud’s proprietary cloning technology, users can create new environments from a template library or clone an environment running in any state in just two clicks and a matter of seconds.

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How long does it take to provision AIX environments in Skytap Cloud?

Skytap Cloud enables end users to self-provision AIX (and other) environments in just two clicks and a matter of seconds. Users can also clone environments and share them with other users via a simple URL. When users no longer need an environment, they can simply delete it or save it as a template for future use.

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Are there any PowerVM features that are not supported in Skytap Cloud?

Yes. Some PowerVM features are not supported in Skytap Cloud, including:

• Customizable CloudInit

• LPAR Affinity

• Processor Compatibility: Skytap AIX On-Demand instances will not run in native mode(POWER8) and will not support setting processor compatibility to lower releases(POWER6, POWER6+, or POWER7).

• Hyper-threading Configuration

• NUMA Configuration

• Guaranteed IOPS

• Active Memory Expansion

• Active Memory Sharing

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Are there any Skytap Cloud features that are not supported by POWER/AIX VMs?

Yes. Some Skytap Cloud features are not supported by POWER/AIX VMs, including:

• Suspend of VMs and Environments: This is dependent on the PowerVM system.

• Container Host and Containers: Docker is not supported on AIX.

• VM Agent: Docker is not supported on AIX.

• Smart RDP: Access will be supported by SmartClient, SSH, or Telnet.

• Networking Promiscuous Mode

• Copy to Region: As Skytap Cloud adds support for AIX, Copy to Region will be enabled for customers.

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Can I suspend or auto suspend POWER/AIX VMs in Skytap Cloud?

No. Due to a limitation in the PowerVM system, suspend and auto suspend are not supported by Skytap Cloud.

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Can I edit MAC addresses for POWER/AIX VMs in Skytap Cloud?

No. Due to a limitation in the PowerVM system, MAC addresses will not be configurable in Skytap Cloud.

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