Step 08 of 10 4-12 months· advanced
Step 8: Decommission IBM i
Turn off IBM i. Sequence: read-only IBM i → selective subsystem shutdowns → data archive → hardware decommission (or contract termination if PowerVS) → license cancellation.
Recommended prompts
Use one of these to do the work in your IDE
Open the template to read it in full. Click Copy prompt to grab it (with your stack values pre-filled where they apply) — then paste into Claude Code, Cursor, or wherever you build.
Recommended skills
Drop these into Claude Code for this phase
Skills auto-trigger on the right kind of request. Install once; they apply to every prompt that fits.
Recommended MCP configs
Wire these tools into Claude Code first
MCP servers give Claude Code direct access to external systems (Jira, browsers, databases). Configure once.
When you're done
Verify these in your own work before moving on
This is a checklist for you to mentally tick off in your repo and IDE — the site doesn't track it, you do.
- IBM i write traffic = 0% for 30+ consecutive days
- All scheduled batch decommissioned
- All subsystems / services stopped
- All data archived to long-term storage
- All integrations confirmed off IBM i
- IBM i hardware decommissioned (or PowerVS / Skytap contract terminated)
- All vendor licenses cancelled
- Final cost reduction verified
Common pitfalls
What goes wrong at this step
- Decommissioning too fast — read access for 6-12 months catches forgotten consumers
- No data archive — compliance requires keeping data; archive cheaply but accessibly
- Forgetting license costs — they keep billing until cancelled
- Missing integrations — manufacturing floor, EDI partners, custom interfaces all need explicit redirect