What is the Black Box Blueprint?
A complete, step-by-step plan to fix everything PTxray found on one system: every command to run, in the right order, with a back-out step for every change. Free, no obligation, and you keep it.
FAQ
Straight answers.
What does it cost?
PTxray is free on every system. Your first Black Box Blueprint, for one system, is free. Mitigation is project work, scoped with you in a statement of work. Once you're current, we keep you current for one flat monthly fee.
How long does a Blueprint take?
Our tools do the heavy lifting, but a senior architect reviews every Blueprint before it reaches you.
Is PTxray safe to run?
It's open source (Apache-2.0), so read the code yourself or have an AI agent go through it. Its checks are read-only; it changes nothing. Your report and host data stay on your system unless you upload them. To check currency, it downloads the latest IBM security data and the CISA known-exploited list straight from IBM and CISA when it runs (plus IBM's FLRTVC tool on AIX). It sends no host data. Use --offline to skip the download.
Is it safe to send you my report?
Reports contain system details, so review yours before you send it. The file stays private to our team, we use it only to write your Blueprint, and we delete it when you ask.
We have IBM support. Aren't we covered?
IBM support is great, right up until they tell you to update. If you're back-level, that's the first thing they'll say, and then you're on your own working out how to get there without breaking anything. Support also doesn't look at your security. A Blueprint covers both.
We don't have time for this.
Your part is one read-only run and one upload. Run time depends on system size; schedule it in a quiet window. We do the analysis. What comes back is already sequenced, so when you do make time, you're not starting from zero.
Isn't this just a sales pitch?
The free Blueprint is complete: every step, every command, every back-out. You can take it and do the work yourselves without ever paying us.
What does PTxray cover?
AIX 7.2 and 7.3, VIOS, and IBM i 7.4 and 7.5: 600+ checks on AIX and VIOS, 134 on IBM i.
What happens if we leave — or you do?
Your Blueprint and reports are yours to keep. Someone else can pick up from them.
Do you replace IBM support?
No. PowerTrue is a Silver IBM Business Partner and the operational layer on a properly supported platform. IBM covers hardware and firmware. We do the day-to-day work.