Legacy Technology · Migrations
AIX to RHEL migration, planned and delivered by AIX specialists
We move AIX workloads to Red Hat Enterprise Linux on x86 servers, Azure Local, public cloud or Linux on Power. Our team knows the AIX side as well as the Linux side, which is where most migrations go wrong.
- UK contract with Dreams Technologies Hub Private Limited (VAT registered)
- Engineers delivered from our own Coimbatore office, India
- Shortlist within 5 working days
- Building software since 2013
Why companies are moving off AIX
AIX is still supported by IBM and still reliable. The pressure comes from elsewhere: the cost of Power hardware and licences, fewer engineers who know AIX, and a wish to run everything on one standard Linux platform.
We are currently moving a UK benefits administration platform from AIX LPARs to RHEL on x86 with Azure Local. Read about that engagement.
What’s in scope
Every migration starts with a full inventory. On this kind of move, that means:
- Every LPAR: OS level, filesystems, users, network and storage.
- Crontabs, inittab entries, startup scripts and anything run through SMIT.
- Applications and their compilers (IBM XL C/C++), libraries and licences.
- Databases (Oracle, DB2, others) and how their data will move.
- PowerHA clusters and what replaces them.
- Backup, monitoring, scheduling and file-transfer integrations.
How we run the migration
- Assess. Inventory, dependencies and risks, delivered as our fixed-fee legacy estate assessment.
- Plan. Migration waves, test approach, cutover and rollback, agreed with you. Fixed price from here.
- Build the target. New environment built to your standards and automated where it helps.
- Port and test. Code, scripts and configuration moved and tested, with before-and-after comparison of outputs.
- Run in parallel. Old and new side by side until results match.
- Cut over. Planned, rehearsed, with a rollback ready.
- Hypercare. Our engineers stay on hand while the new platform settles in.
The problems we plan for
| What goes wrong | How we handle it |
|---|---|
| AIX is big-endian; x86 is little-endian. Binary data files and some database backups can’t simply be copied. | We identify binary formats early. Databases move by export and import or replication rather than restore. Custom binary files get conversion tools and tests. |
| Scripts call AIX-only commands (lsdev, lsattr, mksysb, chdev, SMIT). | Every script is scanned and each AIX command gets a tested Linux equivalent. |
| C and C++ built with IBM XL compilers behaves differently under GCC. | Rebuild with warnings on, fix portability issues, and compare outputs against the AIX run. |
| inittab and SRC-managed services don’t exist on RHEL. | Converted to systemd units with the same start order and restart behaviour. |
| PowerHA has no drop-in Linux equivalent. | Redesign on Pacemaker or the target platform’s HA, with failover tests before cutover. |
| JFS2 and LVM layouts don’t map one-to-one. | Rebuilt as XFS on Linux LVM, sized from real usage. |
What you receive
- Migration inventory and wave plan.
- Built and documented RHEL environment.
- Converted scripts, services and schedules, with test evidence.
- Cutover and rollback runbooks, rehearsed.
- Hypercare support and a handover pack for your team.
Target options
| Target | When it fits |
|---|---|
| RHEL on x86 servers or VMware | You want standard hardware and in-house control. |
| RHEL with Azure Local | You want on-premises servers managed alongside Azure. |
| RHEL on public cloud (Azure, AWS) | You are moving the data centre or want elastic capacity. |
| Linux on IBM Power | Hardware is recent and you want to leave AIX but keep Power. Note that Linux on Power runs little-endian, so endianness still needs checking. |
How it’s priced
We start with a fixed-fee assessment so the scope is clear. The migration itself is then quoted at a fixed price, with any optional work listed separately. If you prefer, we can supply specialists to work inside your own migration team instead.
Why teams come to us for scarce skills
Finding thin talent pools is our core skill
Large service firms rarely staff a single Pro*C or HP-UX role quickly. We keep a vetted network of engineers who have these skills and want this work.
Screened by people who have done the work
Our own senior engineers run the technical interview. Candidates are tested on the platform you run, not on general programming.
UK contract, India delivery
You contract with our UK company. The work is delivered from our own office in Coimbatore with working hours that overlap the UK day.
AI-assisted code understanding
Our team works with Claude Code to read, document and test old codebases faster. Every finding is checked by an engineer before it reaches you.
Continuity built in
Every engagement keeps a runbook and code notes from week one, and a second engineer is briefed on your system. Losing one person does not mean losing the knowledge.
We also run the migration
When you are ready to leave the platform, the same team that kept it running plans and delivers the move.
Tell us what you’re running
Send us the stack and the problem. We’ll reply within one working day and, if it’s a staffing request, send a shortlist within five.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long does an AIX to RHEL migration take?
A single application on a few LPARs can move in a few months. Large estates run in waves over a year or more. The assessment gives you a realistic timeline.
Can you migrate DB2 or Oracle databases on AIX?
Yes. Because of the endianness change, we plan the move as export and import, replication or a vendor migration tool, not a file copy.
Do we need to rewrite our applications?
Usually not. Most C, Pro*C, Java and shell code ports with targeted changes. We only recommend rewriting where porting costs more than it saves.
Can you start with a free workshop?
Yes. We offer a short feasibility workshop to agree scope and risks before any paid work.