Every release of IBM i, i5/OS, and OS/400 software has a finite support period. The End of support date for each software release is announced either with the initial release announcement or twelve months prior to becoming effective. When a software release reaches the End of support date, direct upgrades to subsequent releases are only available for a limited time.
Monitor the End of support dates in the table below to avoid the following, potentially costly, situations.
- If a direct upgrade to the latest software release is not available, you need to conduct a multiple-step upgrade. This requires upgrading to an interim release to enable upgrading to the latest release.
- If all direct upgrades to subsequent software releases have been withdrawn, there is no supported way to upgrade the system. The only alternative is to perform a labor-intensive manual upgrade, which typically requires hiring custom services.
The following table provides information on supported releases and subsequent upgrades to newer releases. A dash (-) in the column indicates a direct upgrade to the specified release is not available.
| Release¹ | End of support | Upgrade to V5R2 | Upgrade to V5R3 | Upgrade to V5R4 | Upgrade to V6R1/6.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V5R1 | 30 Sep 2005 | Withdrawal date 01 Oct 2005 |
Withdrawal date 04 Jan 2008 |
- | |
| V5R2 | 30 Apr 2007 | - | Withdrawal date 04 Jan 2008 |
Withdrawal date 07 Jan 2011 |
|
| V5R3 | 30 Apr 2009 | - | - | Withdrawal date 07 Jan 2011 |
Withdrawal date to be announced |
| V5R4 | To be announced | - | - | - | Withdrawal date to be announced |
| IBM i 6.1 | To be announced | - | - | - | - |
¹ Upgrades from previous software releases not shown in this table are no longer available. For more information, see Release life cycle.
Additional information
Available for U.S. Customers: IBM Service Extension Offering for i5/OS and OS/400