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When should I migrate to DB2 for z/OS Version 8?
Technote (FAQ)
Problem
When should I migrate to DB2 for z/OS Version 8?
Solution
If you have not migrated to Version 8 already, now is the time. Early customer migrations occured several years ago. Middle range customer migrations happened one to three years after general availability. Now DB2 Version 7 has been generally available for over six years. DB2 Version 8 has been available for more than three years. Version 7 will be out of service June 30, 2008. DB2 9 is generally available.
Each customer has unique business requirements that drive the need to move to new versions. Some customers migrate due to the delivery of needed function. Others migrate when they find that many others have migrated successfully. Still others migrate only when the prior version is going out of service. All of these groups should be migrating now, if they are not finished. The next step is moving to New Function Mode to deliver the value of DB2 Version 8.
Migrate for value: Evaluate what DB2 functions you need for your business.
Determine the value of those DB2 functions for your business. Weigh the costs. Ensure that you have all prerequisite hardware and software and the time to plan and execute the migration. If you want to migrate to DB2 9, then first you need to migrate to Version 8 and to New Function Mode. Early customer adopters are migrating to DB2 9 now.
Migrate when others have: More processing is done on Version 8 today than on all other versions combined. The largest work loads and the largest customers are generally running on DB2 Version 8. The key field experience measures such as the rate for PTFs in error, the number of severity 1 APARs, the problem rate and the APAR closure time are better than Version 7 at the same point.
Migrate for end of service: The end of service date for Version 7 is June 2008. The planning, ordering and migration often takes more than a year, and you need to start now, if you have not already.
If you have been unable to migrate because you depend upon old COBOL or PL/I compilers, that reason is also being removed. A precompiler that is almost the same as the Version 7 precompiler is being delivered with DB2 Version 8, when APAR PK46170 is completed. Until then, it's possible to use the Version 7 library for the old COBOL and PL/I.
Before you migrate, perform the following actions:
Plan the migration process. Check that the CCSIDs you specify are accurate.
Make sure that you have the prerequisites and current software that works with Version 8. Check with your vendors. See the planning for migration presentations referenced below.
Check for the incompatible changes. As you go through the process, check for the incompatible changes in DB2 9 as well. That way, you can avoid some of these problems and make the changes in the normal course of work, so there is no large effort when you migrate to DB2 9.
Read the Installation Guide, the Preventive Service Planning (PSP) bucket and Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) installation text. The Consolidated Service Test (CST) can provide a much more stable level of service for a broad stack of products.
Develop a test plan for your unique workload and environment. CST can help for more general processing work.
Put plans in place to ensure that each step is tested and successful before continuing.
To read about the features that are available with each version of DB2 for z/OS®, go to the DB2 for z/OS homepage and to the Support page.
P.S. Please pass my address to anyone interested in DB2 HOTLINE - thank you.
With kind regards
Michael Dewert, Software Group
DB2 Development
DB2 Information Management Software
