IBM i Managed Services
IBM i Managed Services Built Around Your Needs
Paragon provides experienced IBM i administration, monitoring, maintenance, and support based on the responsibilities your organization wants us to assume. We can supplement your internal team or manage defined portions of the environment on an ongoing basis.
Core capabilities
Ongoing IBM i Administration and Support
A Managed Services agreement can include the operational responsibilities your internal team needs Paragon to handle. The exact scope, service hours, response procedures, and escalation paths are defined for each customer.
Getting started
Understanding the Current Environment
A successful Managed Services relationship begins with a practical understanding of the system and the responsibilities Paragon will assume. We review the environment in proportion to the scope of the engagement rather than requiring every customer to purchase the same preliminary assessment.
Onboarding documents the information needed to operate and support the environment responsibly. This may include system configuration, IBM i and PTF levels, backup procedures, scheduled operations, security requirements, monitoring thresholds, support contacts, open issues, and escalation procedures.
The result is a working service plan that identifies responsibilities, access, communication, maintenance procedures, and priorities for the transition.
Onboarding May Include
- System configuration and current operating status
- IBM i release, PTF levels, and maintenance history
- Backup procedures and recovery responsibilities
- Scheduled jobs, operational routines, and dependencies
- Monitoring, notification, and escalation requirements
- Documentation, access, contacts, and change procedures
Flexible service coverage
Choose the Responsibilities Paragon Will Manage
Managed Services can provide a safety net for an internal team, ongoing administrative capacity, or broader operational responsibility. Every arrangement is documented around the customer’s actual needs.
Monitoring and Escalation
Paragon monitors defined system conditions and communicates or responds according to the notification, service-hour, and escalation procedures established with your team.
Ongoing System Administration
Paragon performs selected administrative responsibilities such as PTF management, backup oversight, user administration, routine maintenance, and operational troubleshooting.
Comprehensive IBM i Operations
Paragon assumes a broader set of defined operational responsibilities. Coverage can include monitoring, administration, maintenance, security, capacity planning, and optional application support.
Any hosting location
IBM i Managed Services for Every Environment
Paragon can provide Managed Services whether your IBM i system is located on premises, in a colocation facility, in Paragon Cloud, or with another hosting provider. Appropriate authorization and secure remote access are required.
Customer On-Premises
Retain your existing IBM Power infrastructure while Paragon provides the monitoring, administration, maintenance, and support responsibilities defined in your agreement.
Paragon Cloud
Combine Paragon hosting with the level of IBM i administration and operational support your organization requires.
Colocation or Another Hosting Provider
Keep your current facility or hosting arrangement while Paragon remotely manages the agreed IBM i operating responsibilities.
Alongside Your Internal Team
Assign selected IBM i responsibilities to Paragon while your staff retains the functions it is equipped and available to manage.
Operational continuity
Reduce Dependence on a Single IBM i Resource
Many organizations rely on one or two people who understand how their IBM i applications, scheduled processes, integrations, security, backups, and daily operations fit together. A retirement, departure, extended absence, or competing workload can expose gaps in coverage and documentation.
Paragon can work alongside those resources before a transition or help establish coverage when staffing changes unexpectedly. The objective is to understand the environment, document critical procedures, share knowledge appropriately, and provide access to a broader team.
Managed Services do not have to replace an internal administrator or IT department. They can add continuity, specialized expertise, and defined backup coverage while the customer retains direct knowledge and control.
Continuity Priorities
- Document critical operating procedures and responsibilities
- Understand custom applications, integrations, and scheduled processing
- Establish primary contacts and escalation paths
- Provide coverage during planned and unexpected absences
- Reduce reliance on knowledge held by only one person
Reporting and accountability
Clear Responsibilities and Visible Results
A Managed Services relationship should make system responsibilities clearer, not less visible. Paragon and the customer define the work being performed, notification and escalation procedures, maintenance responsibilities, service hours, and the information needed to evaluate the engagement.
Operational reporting and review schedules are established according to the scope of service. Reports can address monitored conditions, incidents, backup results, maintenance status, capacity, open items, and planned work where those responsibilities are included.
Regular communication helps both teams understand what has been completed, what requires attention, and who owns the next action.
Defined Responsibilities
The service agreement identifies what Paragon manages, what remains with the customer, and how the teams work together.
Documented Procedures
Monitoring, maintenance, communication, escalation, and change procedures are established for the environment.
Reporting That Fits the Scope
Reporting content and frequency reflect the responsibilities included in the customer’s Managed Services agreement.
FAQ
IBM i Managed Services Questions
Can Managed Services work alongside our internal IT team?
Yes. Paragon can manage selected IBM i responsibilities while your internal staff retains responsibility for other systems or portions of the IBM i environment. The division of responsibility is documented during onboarding.
Does monitoring include 24 x 7 technical support?
Not necessarily. Monitoring hours, alert response, technical support availability, and escalation procedures are separate elements of the service arrangement. Customers can select the coverage their operations require.
Can Paragon manage a system that is not hosted in Paragon Cloud?
Yes. Managed Services are available for systems located on premises, in colocation facilities, and with other hosting providers, subject to appropriate authorization and secure remote access.
How does onboarding work?
Onboarding is based on the responsibilities Paragon will assume and the complexity of the environment. We establish access, contacts, procedures, priorities, escalation requirements, and the documentation needed to begin providing the agreed services responsibly.
How are responsibilities and service hours defined?
The service agreement identifies Paragon’s responsibilities, customer responsibilities, service hours, response and escalation procedures, planned maintenance, reporting, and any exclusions. This prevents important work from falling between the two teams.
Can application support be included?
Yes. Application support can be included when Paragon has been engaged to assume that responsibility. We can investigate incidents, determine whether the cause is in the application or the operating environment, and perform or coordinate the appropriate corrective work.
Can Paragon help when an IBM i resource retires or leaves unexpectedly?
Yes. We can help establish operational coverage, understand the existing environment, document critical procedures, and develop an appropriate ongoing support arrangement. Timing depends on access, system condition, available documentation, required expertise, and current resource availability.
Build the Right IBM i Support Model
Tell us about your IBM i environment, internal resources, and operational responsibilities. We’ll help define a Managed Services arrangement that provides the coverage and expertise your organization needs.
Discuss managed services Call 800-966-6725