Sources and supporting pages
- Power 8 migration comparison dataset ... Generation and model-tier mappings
- What Power 8 end of support actually means ... Lifecycle interpretation
Maintain, virtualize, or replace
Power 8 Survival Clock
Turn the Power 8 model, IBM i release, recovery proof, and remaining hold period into a time-bounded decision instead of another open-ended extension.
How much Power 8 runway is actually left?
Power 8 hardware support is over, and IBM i 7.4 is the last IBM i release it can run. The useful decision is how long the bridge lasts and where the workload goes next.
How the result is produced:
Model tier, IBM i state, hold period, recovery evidence, and deployment preference add fit points to maintenance, Power Virtual Server, Power 10, or Power 11 planning. Unsupported software goals act as hard gates.
Limit:
The result does not size a target. Exact CPW, memory, storage, I/O, software tier, licensing, and migration tooling must be validated from the installed workload.
The clock has more than one hand
Hardware support, IBM i support, application certification, parts coverage, recovery confidence, and internal knowledge do not expire on the same day. The decision gets clearer when each clock is written down instead of being compressed into one end-of-support date.