COMMON POWERUp 2026: Full Schedule

Unlock the Power of IBM i at POWERUp 2026!

Join us in New Orleans, Louisiana for POWERUp 2026, the premier conference for IBM i professionals. Whether you’re an experienced expert or just starting your IBM i journey, this event offers unparalleled education, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from industry leaders, explore the latest innovations, and connect with a thriving community that shares your passion for IBM i. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your skills, and power up your career!

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8:00am CDT

SQL Plan Cache Uncovered

Tuesday April 28, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT

Balcony L

Evaluation Survey

This session explains how the SQL Plan Cache is used by Db2 for i to support the execution of your SQL & non-SQL queries. In addition, the session will review Plan Cache related tools & services that can help you identify query performance problems.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding of how Db2 uses the SQL Plan Cache Learn how to use Plan Cache tooling to identify and remedy query performance problems.

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony L

Database

9:15am CDT

BRMS Beyond the Basics

Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT

Balcony L

Evaluation Survey

This session will discuss some of the advanced topics in using BRMS for your back up and recovery. Featured topics will be tape and library management, BRMS Networking, control group and list controls, BRMS Policies and how they affect the overall operation of BRMS, and using SQL to manage BRMS. Recovering from a BRMS back up can be extremely easy, but it can also present some opportunities for trouble. This session will discuss some of the landmines in a BRMS recovery and how to avoid them. Both BR2 GUI and BR1 controls will be demonstrated.

Learning Objectives:

1. Ultilize control groups and lists to fully customize BRMS backups 2. Set up and manage BRMS Networking 3. Learn how to make a BRMS recovery simple and as easy as possible 4. Using SQL services to manage BRMS and reports

Speakers

Sarah Jacob

VP of Customer Experience, Agile Technology Architects

Sarah Jacob is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Agile Technology Architects. She is a Subject Matter Expert in Power Systems Administration and a volunteer for COMMON. Sarah specializes in Backup and Recovery planning and recovery testing. Additionally, she acts as primary... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony L

Systems Management, High Availability Resilience

Track Student

10:45am CDT

Secure Coding on IBM i: Fortify Your Applications Against Real-World Threats

Tuesday April 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT

Balcony L

Evaluation Survey

Even well-designed IBM i applications can harbor hidden vulnerabilities. This session, built for developers working in ILE languages such as RPG, C, CL, and related languages, dives into the security nuances often overlooked during development. Through real-world examples drawn from sample applications, we’ll identify and correct issues involving object authority, adopted authority, and library list exposure. You will learn how these weaknesses arise, why they matter, and how to apply practical coding techniques to eliminate them. By the end of this session, you will have a clear roadmap to writing more secure IBM i software that is ready to withstand the threats in the wild.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the basics of IBM i object based security 2. Learn the basics of creating more secure software on IBM i

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Director of Development, Fortra

Brian Nordland is the Director of Development for IBM Power Development at Fortra. Brian has been a prominent speaker at events, webinars, and user groups, including COMMON and LUG for over a decade. He is a co-inventor on multiple patents and has authored technical publications in... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony L

General Programming, Security

3:15pm CDT

SQL Views and UDTFs – Powerful Features for masking SQL Complexity

Tuesday April 28, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm CDT

Balcony L

Evaluation Survey

SQL has become very powerful. It includes for example recursions, multi-dimensional grouping, OLAP specifications, IFS and Webservice access ... But not everybody will be able to code those complex queries ... and this is not necessary as long as the average programmer or analyst can easily use the queries. With SQL Views complexity can be hidden. Since a SQL View can be used in a SELECT statement like any table even beginners can write reports based on complex SELECT statements. Sometimes information has to be set in the stored SELECT statement. With SQL global variables, values can be set on a job/connection level ... and SQL global variables can be specified within SQL views. How ever, sometimes more than one step is needed to retrieve the desired data. In this situation User Defined Functions (UDFs) or User Defined Table Functions come into play.

Learning Objectives:

In this session you will learn how to generate SQL Views. A lot of examples will demonstrate how even complex queries can be hidden. You will also learn how to call and write User Defined Table Functions

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

ModEdCon

Tuesday April 28, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm CDT
Balcony L

Database, Database

4:30pm CDT

Fostering Positive Relationships

Tuesday April 28, 2026 4:30pm - 4:50pm CDT

Balcony L

Evaluation Survey

Positive healthy relationships are vital to success in everything you do: whether it is excelling in your career, creating a vibrant and energetic work environment, or having a happy and rewarding personal life. Learning how to interact with others in a way that is respectful and constructive is essential.

Learning Objectives:

1) How to connect with others in a positive and proactive way 2) The impact of creating respectful and nurturing relationships 3) How to create long-term relationships that will accelerate your career 4) Tools and techniques to foster positive relationships

Speakers

Kim Greene

President, Kim Greene Consulting, Inc.

Kim Greene is president of Kim Greene Consulting, Inc. specializing in providing consulting services for the HCL Collaboration Solutions portfolio for IBM i, Windows, and Linux. Kim has over 20 years of experience with IBM Domino and over 25 years of experience with the AS/400, iSeries... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2026 4:30pm - 4:50pm CDT
Balcony L

Developing Business Skills, Developing Business Skills

Track Student

5:05pm CDT

Make RUNSQLSTM Even Better Using CL Commands

Tuesday April 28, 2026 5:05pm - 5:25pm CDT

Balcony L

Evaluation Survey

The RUNSQLSTM command lets you run multiple SQL statements in a single call, like a script. You can do even more now by calling CL commands directly. See how this can expand your options.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to use the RUNSQLSTM command in CL programs 2. Learn how to call CL commands inside RUNSQLSTM scripts 3. Learn how to handle errors raised when using RUNSQLSTM

Speakers

Vern Hamberg

Senior iSeries Developer, OneMain Financial

Vern has worked on IBM midrange systems for over 35 years, beginning with the System/38 and AS/400. At present he is a Senior iSeries Developer at OneMain Financial. He serves on the Strategic Education Team (SET) of COMMON and is one of the SMEs for Db2. He is also honored to have... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2026 5:05pm - 5:25pm CDT
Balcony L

Database, Programming: General

COMMON POWERUp 2026

8:00am CDT

Kent Milligan

9:15am CDT

Sarah Jacob

10:45am CDT

Brian Nordland

3:15pm CDT

Birgitta Hauser

4:30pm CDT

Kim Greene

5:05pm CDT

Vern Hamberg

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