AS400 End of Life
AS400 end of life depends on which layer you mean: the original hardware brand, the IBM i operating system release, the Power server generation, or the business application running on top of it.
AS400 end of life is a loaded phrase because AS400 can mean several things at once. The original AS/400 hardware brand is decades old. IBM i, the modern operating system in the same lineage, is still actively developed. IBM Power Systems, the current hardware family, continues to receive new generations. The real answer depends on which layer you are asking about.
The Short Answer
AS400 as an original hardware product family is past its normal lifecycle. AS400 as a search term for IBM i workloads is not dead. Many organizations still run business-critical applications from the AS400 lineage on supported IBM i releases and modern IBM Power hardware.
That is why a useful end-of-life review separates the brand name from the current technical stack. A workload called AS400 by the business may actually be IBM i 7.4, 7.5, or 7.6 on a Power 9, Power 10, or Power 11 server.
End of Life Depends on the Layer
There are four lifecycle layers to check:
- Hardware: the physical server model, parts availability, firmware support, adapter support, HMC compatibility, and warranty or maintenance status
- Operating system: the IBM i release, Technology Refresh level, PTF currency, and whether standard support or service extension applies
- Application: ERP, custom RPG or COBOL code, third-party packages, database structures, interfaces, and vendor certification
- Operational stack: backup tooling, high availability, tape or SAN support, terminal access, printers, monitoring, and security controls
An environment can be healthy at one layer and exposed at another. For example, a stable application can still be running on an IBM i release that has entered service extension, or on hardware that limits the upgrade path.
IBM i Release Lifecycle Matters More Than the AS400 Name
IBM publishes IBM i lifecycle information by release, not by the old AS400 label. As of August 14, 2026, IBM's release lifecycle page shows IBM i 7.6 and IBM i 7.5 as current releases with change-in-service dates not yet announced. IBM i 7.4 has a change-in-service date of September 30, 2026 and IBM lists service extension availability from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2029. IBM i 7.3 is already in service extension, with an extended service extension path listed through September 30, 2028.
That means a company asking whether AS400 is end of life should first identify its IBM i release. The same legacy term can describe a system with very different risk depending on whether it is running 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, or an older unsupported release.
Hardware Compatibility Can Force the Decision
Even when an IBM i release has a support path, the hardware may become the limiting factor. Older Power generations eventually stop supporting newer IBM i releases. IBM's platform support details show that new Power 11 systems require specific IBM i 7.6, 7.5, or 7.4 levels, while older releases do not become the planning baseline for current-generation hardware.
If the current server cannot move to a supported target release, the end-of-life issue becomes a hardware refresh discussion. Start with AS400 Model History and IBM Power Systems Overview to translate old model names into a modern upgrade path.
Practical Upgrade Triggers
Common triggers include unsupported IBM i releases, expired hardware maintenance, weak backup confidence, aging disk, unsupported tape or adapters, missing PTF discipline, auditors asking about security fixes, application vendor certification gaps, and a shrinking internal skill base. None of those automatically means migrate off IBM i. Often the best answer is to keep the workload, refresh the hardware, upgrade IBM i, and modernize the access layer.
For support detail, read AS400 Support. For the current release support table, read IBM i Support Status.