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Power 5 AIX upgrades by current model

What can your Power 5 AIX system move to?

Compare OS and capacity changes for your Power 5 AIX workload. Start with the exact model and installed release so Midland can scope an upgrade or a suitable replacement.

Your current Power 5 model and AIX workload

AIX 7.1 is the later major-release planning boundary for eligible Power 5 configurations. AIX 7.2 requires Power 7 or later; a newer TL cannot remove that processor requirement.

Choose the exact catalog identity below for its planning notes. The list identifies assessment starting points; eligibility still depends on the installed edition and configuration.

Power 5 AIX model planning
Current modelConfiguration question
285 9111-285Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
505 9115-505Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
505Q 9115-505Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
510 9110-510Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
510 9110-51AMatch the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
510Q 9110-51AMatch the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
515 9407-515Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
520 9111-520Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
520 9406-520Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
520Q 9131-52AMatch the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
525 9406-525Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
550 9113-550Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
550 9406-550Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
550Q 9133-55AMatch the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
561 9116-561Match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck
570 9117-570Size each partition and its storage connections
570 9406-570Size each partition and its storage connections
575 9118-575Plan the compute fabric and application together
590 9119-590Size each partition and its storage connections
595 9119-595Size each partition and its storage connections
595 9406-595Size each partition and its storage connections

285 9111-285: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four SCSI disk bays; six PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

285 9111-285 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

505 9115-505: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Two SCSI disk bays; two PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

505 9115-505 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

505Q 9115-505: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Two SCSI disk bays; two PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

505Q 9115-505 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

510 9110-510: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four SCSI disk bays; three PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

510 9110-510 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

510 9110-51A: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four SCSI disk bays; three PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

510 9110-51A catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

510Q 9110-51A: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four SCSI disk bays; three PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

510Q 9110-51A catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

515 9407-515: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Eight internal disk slots; six PCI-X slots; no HSL expansion. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

515 9407-515 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

520 9111-520: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four or eight SCSI disk bays; six PCI-X slots; RIO-2 expansion. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

520 9111-520 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

520 9406-520: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Eight internal disks; six PCI-X slots; expansion varies by edition. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

520 9406-520 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

520Q 9131-52A: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four or eight SCSI disk bays; six PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

520Q 9131-52A catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

525 9406-525: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Eight system-unit disk positions; up to 278 arms with expansion. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

525 9406-525 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

550 9113-550: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four or eight SCSI disk bays; five PCI-X positions before GX use. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

550 9113-550 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

550 9406-550: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Eight internal disk slots; five PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

550 9406-550 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

550Q 9133-55A: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Four or eight SCSI disk bays; five PCI-X slots. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

550Q 9133-55A catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

561 9116-561: match the capacity change to the actual bottleneck

Compare processor use, memory pressure and storage response before choosing an upgrade. Record the installed processor feature and attached devices so the quote addresses the current workload rather than the model’s maximum specification.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Six SCSI bays and six PCI-X slots per drawer. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review S1022 9105-22A and S1122 9824-22A. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

561 9116-561 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

570 9117-570: size each partition and its storage connections

Capture the busy periods and resource allocation for each logical partition. Review external storage, multipath software and management-console levels. A consolidation plan must retain the isolation and recovery behavior the applications need.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Six SCSI bays and six PCI-X slots per drawer. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review E1050 9043-MRX and E1150 9043-MRU. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

570 9117-570 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

570 9406-570: size each partition and its storage connections

Capture the busy periods and resource allocation for each logical partition. Review external storage, multipath software and management-console levels. A consolidation plan must retain the isolation and recovery behavior the applications need.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Six SCSI bays and six PCI-X slots per enclosure. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review E1050 9043-MRX and E1150 9043-MRU. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

570 9406-570 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

575 9118-575: plan the compute fabric and application together

Capture the cluster fabric, scheduler and storage layout. Record cooling and rack dependencies with the current system. The application’s scale-out behavior and recovery design matter as much as a processor comparison.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Two local SCSI drive positions; frame-specific cluster I/O. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review E1050 9043-MRX and E1150 9043-MRU. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

575 9118-575 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

590 9119-590: size each partition and its storage connections

Capture the busy periods and resource allocation for each logical partition. Review external storage, multipath software and management-console levels. A consolidation plan must retain the isolation and recovery behavior the applications need.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Up to 8 I/O drawers; 160 PCI-X slots in the cited p5 layout. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review E1050 9043-MRX and E1150 9043-MRU. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

590 9119-590 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

595 9119-595: size each partition and its storage connections

Capture the busy periods and resource allocation for each logical partition. Review external storage, multipath software and management-console levels. A consolidation plan must retain the isolation and recovery behavior the applications need.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is Up to 12 I/O drawers; 240 PCI-X slots in the cited p5 layout. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review E1050 9043-MRX and E1150 9043-MRU. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

595 9119-595 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

595 9406-595: size each partition and its storage connections

Capture the busy periods and resource allocation for each logical partition. Review external storage, multipath software and management-console levels. A consolidation plan must retain the isolation and recovery behavior the applications need.

The catalog’s storage and I/O context is External I/O towers and drawers; package-specific expansion. Check the installed adapters and recovery devices against the destination; their presence on the source does not establish reuse eligibility.

For a 7.2 or 7.3 OS goal, include different hardware in the sequence. Keep a usable backup of the original root volume group before changing the software.

For a replacement comparison, review E1050 9043-MRX and E1150 9043-MRU. Size and qualify the proposed configuration against this workload; these are candidates rather than guaranteed equivalents.

595 9406-595 catalog details · Choose the installed-release branch · Prepare the migration inventory

Your installed AIX release on Power 5

Preserve a recoverable AIX 5.3, 6.1 or 7.1 environment before selecting replacement hardware. Check old application builds and device support along with the release sequence.

Power 5: AIX release starting points
Installed release or architecturePlanning next step
AIX 5.3 / 6.1 and earlierReview the exact source release and hardware requirements before selecting the target. This branch is an assessment topic, not confirmation that every listed model runs the release.
AIX 7.1Review the exact source release and hardware requirements before selecting the target. This branch is an assessment topic, not confirmation that every listed model runs the release.

Find the installed release information.

Upgrade AIX or add capacity on Power 5

Start with the application result you need. A supported OS change can keep the existing server useful; a capacity change can address resource pressure. Neither establishes a supported release on hardware the vendor excludes.

Migration from your Power 5 AIX system

Moving to another server is a separate task from updating the OS. The plan must qualify the destination, transfer the workload and prove the application works before the final switch.

  1. Record the source configuration.
  2. Choose a compatible transfer method.
  3. Rehearse application recovery and acceptance.
  4. Agree the rollback decision before new production transactions begin.

Return to AIX upgrades · Plan the AIX migration

Sources and release checks

Guidance checked October 21, 2026. Midland catalog identities stay with their exact model. Hardware eligibility, software maintenance and application certification need separate checks for the installed configuration.