IBM i AI Infrastructure Readiness Checklist

Before an AI pilot touching IBM i, check the actual runtime, Power headroom, supported partitions, accelerator compatibility, storage, data movement, and rollback.

Do not buy acceleration for an undefined workload. First record the model or agent's runtime, the IBM i data connection, the production Power baseline, and the response time the pilot must meet. If the first project is code assistance or workflow automation, use the software checklist instead of treating hardware as a prerequisite.

Checks before a local inference pilot

1. Workload and runtimeName the actual inference task, model, framework, operating system, partition, throughput target, and data source.

2. Production headroomMeasure available Power cores, memory, I/O, and capacity after IBM i peaks and failover reserves.

3. Partition supportConfirm the supported Linux or other runtime, virtualization configuration, and access boundary. Do not presume IBM i itself hosts the model.

4. Acceleration fitBenchmark CPU inference first. If considering Spyre, validate the exact Power 11 model, ENZ0 drawer, card count, Red Hat stack, and current resource minimums.

5. Data proximityTest secure IBM i data access, movement volume, latency, residency, and failure handling.

6. Storage and recoverySize data pipelines and recovery objectives. Check FlashSystem.ai claims and specific storage models on the dedicated FlashSystem site.

7. Quote and rollbackVerify support, licensing, availability, power/cooling, operational ownership, and a reversible pilot plan against current vendor terms.

Next: compare workload placement, assess Power S1112, or check Spyre prerequisites. If the real task is AI coding, agents, or watsonx integration, use the software AI readiness checklist.