A Hardware Refresh Is The Perfect Time To Re-Evaluate Your HA/DR Strategy

November 10, 2025 Ash Giddings

For most IBM i shops, hardware refresh cycles arrive with a mix of excitement and apprehension. New generations of IBM Power Systems like the recently announced Power11 machines offer the chance to increase power, improve efficiency, and take advantage of the latest features.

But along with the upside, upgrades also trigger some tough decisions, particularly around software licensing. High availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) solutions are often near the top of that list. These tools are critical for helping businesses to maintain resilience and continuity, yet many customers find themselves paying significantly more for their HA/DR software after a hardware refresh even when their workloads haven’t grown.

At Maxava, we believe this is exactly the right moment for IBM i customers to rethink their approach. If you are planning a move to Power11, or considering consolidating or upgrading existing hardware, this is your opportunity to break free of legacy HA/DR costs, modernize your strategy, and gain more predictable pricing not just for Power11, but also beyond.

Over the years, we have seen a pattern develop with some vendors imposing significant new licensing fees when customers move to newer Power hardware. Even if you are not adding workloads or changing your requirements, you can face a steep increase in software and maintenance charges simply because your underlying hardware is more powerful.

This upgrade penalty frustrates everybody and creates a scenario whereby doing the right thing – refreshing your servers to stay current and supported – comes with an unwelcome shock to the budget. For some organizations, this leads to delaying hardware projects beyond their effective lifespan potentially increasing both the risk of running on older hardware and unsupported versions of the operating system.

In contrast, Maxava takes a different view. We don’t believe customers should be penalized for investing in the latest IBM Power technology. Our licensing model is designed to stay fair and predictable, without sudden spikes in cost just because you’ve moved up to a newer system.

Power11 represents the next major evolution. As with any generational shift, organizations will be weighing the benefits of new performance, security, and AI-readiness features against the costs of migration. For customers already considering an upgrade, this is the perfect time to assess whether your current HA/DR solution is still fit for purpose or whether it’s holding you back. Sticking with a legacy replication product may lock you into higher costs and greater complexity, particularly as you expand or modernize your IBM i environment.

By evaluating alternatives now, you can align your HA/DR strategy with your Power11 refresh project, ensuring you’re getting the most from both investments.

Maxava HA is designed for organizations that want enterprise-grade protection without unnecessary overhead or licensing surprises. Whether you’re a large enterprise with complex replication requirements or a smaller business looking for robust DR on a budget, Maxava HA delivers.

Smoother Transitions With A Maintenance Holiday

One of the biggest concerns when switching HA/DR vendors is cost overlap. Nobody wants to pay for two solutions at the same time, especially during a hardware refresh when budgets are already under scrutiny. That’s why Maxava offers a Maintenance Holiday for customers who swap out their legacy HA/DR product. This allows you to stop paying maintenance on your old solution while you complete the transition to Maxava HA. It’s a practical way to ensure there is no financial double-dip during migration. This program has proven to be a decisive factor for many organizations making the move. It reduces financial risk, provides breathing room for proper implementation, and helps ensure that the transition is smooth.

Decisions on HA/DR often come down to balancing technical confidence with budget realities. On the one hand, you need a solution that’s reliable, proven, and won’t add overhead to your production workloads. On the other, you need to justify the cost to leadership, particularly when budgets are tight. A Power11 hardware refresh gives you the chance to make the case for change. By highlighting how much your current HA/DR product might cost and comparing that against Maxava’s predictable model you can demonstrate a clear return on investment. Add in the Maintenance Holiday, and the financial argument becomes even stronger.

Don’t Carry Legacy Costs Into The Future

As IBM i enters the Power11 era, many organizations will rightly focus on leveraging the new features and performance improvements that come with modern hardware. But don’t let your HA/DR solution become a drag on that investment.

Legacy tools may have served you well in the past, but if they impose higher costs and consume valuable production resources, they could be undermining the benefits of your hardware refresh. Switching to Maxava HA ensures you get a modern, efficient, and fair solution that’s aligned with both your technical needs and your budget priorities.

A Power11 upgrade isn’t just about new hardware it’s an opportunity to rethink the entire ecosystem that supports your IBM i environment. For HA/DR, that means asking whether your current solution still makes sense, or whether it’s time to adopt a more cost-effective, resource-friendly alternative.

With Maxava, you can upgrade to Power11 with confidence, knowing your HA/DR strategy is as modern and future-proof as your servers.

Ash Giddings is a product manager at Maxava and an IBM Champion 2024.

This content is sponsored by Maxava.

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