Object conversions (V5R4 to IBM i 7.1 upgrade)

When you upgrade from V5R4 to IBM® i 7.1, you need to plan time for certain object conversions from previous releases.

Object conversions that occur when you install a new release provide improved performance, reliability, and support. The number and type of conversions that occur can have a significant effect on your planning time before the upgrade and during normal operations after the upgrade.

For IBM i 7.1, unique conversions will occur with programs in libraries, Java™ programs in directories, spooled files, and integrated file system names in files systems that are not case-sensitive. Before you upgrade to a new release, it is strongly recommended that you gather information about specific object types on your system.

More conversions occur if you are skipping a release. Consider both the conversions in the release that you are skipping and the new release.

Specific information about how conversions can affect either your installation time or normal operations following an upgrade are described in Times for conversions (V5R4 to IBM i 7.1 upgrade). You will experience various levels of impacts to your release upgrade in these areas:

• Program conversions (V5R4 to IBM i 7.1 upgrade) (allow adequate time to analyze your system before you upgrade). This includes these conversions:
  • Programs in libraries
  • Java programs in directories
• Spooled file conversions (V5R4 to IBM i 7.1 upgrade) (allow time to analyze your system and convert objects either during or after you upgrade)
• Integrated file system conversions (V5R4 to IBM i 7.1 upgrade) (requires preparation time but should not affect the overall length of time for an IBM i upgrade)
• IBM Backup Recovery and Media Services for i conversions (V5R4 to IBM i 7.1 upgrade) (requires product initialization after a software upgrade)