Migrating from iSeries to rSeries: The Importance of Staying on Up-to-Date Hardware

Infrastructure modernisation is no longer a luxury—it’s imperative. For organisations relying on legacy systems, the transition from F5s iSeries to rSeries represents more than a hardware upgrade; it’s a critical step in maintaining technological resilience and competitive advantage. 

The Revolutionary Architecture Behind the iSeries to rSeries Migration 

At the heart of the rSeries platform lies microservices-based architecture that reimagines application delivery. Built from the ground up with an API-first approach, the platform uses FPGA technology to deliver twice the scale and performance of the iSeries generation. This isn’t merely an increment in processing power—it’s a paradigm shift in how infrastructure serves business needs. 

Performance as a Business Accelerator 

Modern digital services demand infrastructure that can handle complex workloads while maintaining agility. When upgrading from iSeries to rSeries, you have the ability to gain access to: 

  • Advanced hardware-based SSL offloading capabilities 
  • Support for modern elliptical curve cryptography (ECC) ciphers 
  • Exceptional L7 request-per-second (RPS) performance 
  • High-density port configuration in a compact 1RU form factor 

These technical capabilities translate directly into business value, enabling you to deliver applications more efficiently and respond faster to market demands. 

Security as a Strategic Imperative 

The rSeries platform integrates sophisticated security mechanisms—including advanced SSL offloading, robust encryption standards, and integrated DDoS protection. This comprehensive security approach protects not just your applications, but your business reputation and customer trust – both of which are integral.  

Economic Intelligence: The TCO Revolution 

While transitioning from iSeries to rSeries requires initial investment, the platform presents a compelling economic narrative through: 

  • Platform consolidation, reducing the number of physical appliances needed 
  • Decreased compute resource requirements 
  • Lower operational complexity 
  • Reduced energy consumption 
  • Flexible scaling options for businesses of all sizes 

This transformation shifts infrastructure from a cost centre to a strategic investment that delivers measurable business value. 

Service Consolidation: The Power of Integration 

The rSeries platform’s ability to consolidate multiple services—from DNS and load balancing to attack mitigation and access control—onto a single platform represents more than technical efficiency. It enables organisations to simplify their infrastructure while enhancing their capabilities, supporting everything from basic traffic management to sophisticated application delivery services. 

The rSeries platform’s ability to consolidate multiple services—from DNS and load balancing to attack mitigation and access control—onto a single platform represents more than technical efficiency.

Future-Ready Architecture 

Software compatibility and future readiness are crucial considerations when planning your iSeries to rSeries migration. The rSeries platform’s API-first, microservices-based architecture ensures seamless integration with emerging technologies and continuous innovation without disruptive overhauls. Additionally, with rSeries’ ability to run F5’s BIG-IP Next, futureproofing through post-quantum cryptography is a feature you can take advantage of – something that you cannot be afforded on iSeries. 

 

Read more in our article on post-quantum computing here. 

 

Beyond Migration: A Strategic Transformation 

The transition from iSeries to rSeries represents more than a technical upgrade—it’s an opportunity to reimagine your technological infrastructure as a dynamic, adaptive ecosystem. Organisations that approach this transformation strategically position themselves to turn potential disruption into sustainable competitive advantage. 

The rSeries platform isn’t just the next step in infrastructure evolution; it’s a strategic imperative for organisations looking to thrive in 2025 and beyond. As you plan your iSeries to rSeries migration, consider how the rSeries platform’s architecture, improved performance, and economic benefits stack up against your business objectives. 

Stay informed about your F5 technology lifecycle by checking our software countdown tool to proactively plan your upgrade journey. 

Ewan Ferguson
Chief Executive Officer
I had the opportunity to speak at Futurescot Digital Scotland in November last year alongside our partner, Fortinet . The event was a fantastic opportunity to delve into the latest innovations shaping the Scottish public sector from a digital perspective. One of the key themes of my talk was Zero Trust adoption.
As the CEO of FullProxy, I've always believed that staying ahead of technological disruptions is increasingly the most pressing concern for businesses and public sector organisations across the globe – not just from a cyber security perspective, but as a fundamental safeguard against business interruption.
Peak shopping seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are digital pressure tests that separate robust businesses from vulnerable ones. Modern enterprise infrastructure must go beyond basic load balancing, creating adaptive systems that anticipate and manage extreme traffic fluctuations.
In the rapidly evolving world of network infrastructure, staying current is not just a best practice—it’s a necessity. For F5 users, this means keeping your BIG-IP systems up to date with the latest supported versions. You can find out if you're due for a an upgrade with our bespoke F5 Software Countdown!

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