Migration Guides

MAS 9 Migration: A Practical Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for migrating from Maximo 7.6 to IBM Maximo Application Suite 9, covering data, configurations, integrations, and testing.

Kevin Arhagba

Kevin Arhagba

— 1 min read
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Migrating from Maximo 7.6 to IBM Maximo Application Suite 9 (MAS 9) is one of the most significant infrastructure projects your organization will undertake. This checklist is based on real-world deployments and captures what actually matters — not the vendor marketing version.

Phase 1: Pre-Migration Assessment (Weeks 1-4)

  • Inventory all Maximo 7.6 customizations and extensions
  • Document all integrations (SAP, Oracle, SCADA, LDAP, etc.)
  • Assess data quality — dirty data migrates dirty
  • Evaluate OpenShift readiness (skills, infrastructure, licensing)
  • Review IBM's MAS 9 compatibility matrix for all add-ons
  • Identify stakeholders and form migration steering committee

Phase 2: Infrastructure Setup (Weeks 5-8)

  • Provision OpenShift cluster (on-prem or cloud)
  • Install and configure OpenShift Data Foundation for persistent storage
  • Set up IBM Entitled Registry access and image mirroring
  • Configure network policies and ingress controllers
  • Install MAS 9 core operator and validate cluster health

Phase 3: Application Configuration (Weeks 9-16)

  • Deploy MAS Manage (the Maximo application in MAS 9)
  • Configure authentication (SAML, LDAP, or OIDC)
  • Set up database connections (Db2 or Oracle)
  • Re-implement customizations using MAS 9 patterns (avoid direct DB changes)
  • Configure mobile applications (MAS Mobile or custom apps)

Phase 4: Data Migration (Weeks 17-24)

  • Extract and cleanse data from Maximo 7.6
  • Map data structures (some tables changed in MAS 9)
  • Perform test migration to non-production environment
  • Validate data integrity after migration
  • Plan cutover strategy (big bang vs. phased)

Phase 5: Testing & Go-Live (Weeks 25-30)

  • Execute UAT with business users
  • Performance testing under expected load
  • Integration testing with all connected systems
  • Disaster recovery drill
  • Training for end users and administrators
  • Go-live and hypercare support

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  1. **Underestimating OpenShift complexity:** MAS 9 runs on containers. Your team needs Kubernetes skills.
  2. **Migrating bad data:** A migration is the perfect time to clean house. Do not miss it.
  3. **Ignoring change management:** Users will resist. Plan for it.
  4. **No rollback plan:** Things go wrong. Know how to go back.
  5. **Skipping integration testing:** Your SCADA integration will break. Test everything.

This checklist is a living document. We update it as we learn from new deployments.

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