COMMON POWERUp 2026

Technical excellence alone doesn’t build strong teams. Sustainable success on IBM i depends on leadership that inspires collaboration, creativity, and continuous learning. In this session, we’ll explore how empowering developers and encouraging innovation helps attract and retain IBM i talent. Through real-world stories and practical discussion, you’ll learn how a culture of curiosity, trust, and shared knowledge can transform your team’s performance, and the future of the IBM i community. Whether you are a leader, manager, or team member, experienced or new, we will explore and share stories together that you can bring back to the office tomorrow.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore effective approaches to bridging the IBM i skills gap through team culture and mentorship. 2. Learn how to evolve from developer into confident leader. 3. Gain insights into fostering environments that empower others to lead and innovate.

Take your SQL skills to the next level with this session on Lateral joins, Window functions, and Pivoting. Discover how LATERAL joins simplify complex queries, learn new insights with Window Functions, and master the art of pivoting data for dynamic reporting. Whether you're an SQL pro or beginner, join us to unlock the full potential of these powerful tools and techniques (and get free code).

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how and when to use the Lateral keyword (along with correlation and cross joins). 2. Learn all the available Window Functions and how/when to use them. 3. Learn what pivoting is and how to setup an SQL procedure to do it dynamically.

One of the most important things needed to improve SQL performance is to have the proper indexing over tables, especially as table grow in size. Indexes are so important that the database provides index advice for assistance. However, advice is no substitute for knowledge and proper understanding of indexes. As with all advice, it must be reviewed and good judgment applied on when to create them.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the importance of indexes on SQL performance 2. Learn how to use ACS tools to process Db2 Index Advice  3. Learn a methodology for identifying and ordering the key definition for new indexes.

This session explores practical applications for Authority Collection, including standard and "creative" use cases. Authority Collection can be used to reduce the security exposure of privileged user profiles and to lock down objects/libraries/IFS. This session covers the different types of authority collection, how to turn them on/off, how to review and understand the data, and how to turn that knowledge into action. We will cover these things in detail, along with some “outside the box” ways of using this technology to answer questions and solve problems.

Learning Objectives:

"Learn how to: 1. Enable the different types of Authority Collection 2. Analyze data from the Authority Collection repository 3. Turn the data into actionable information 4. Harness the power of Authority Collection in creative ways"

While we did a lot of Projects in the past two years where we used various AI Technologies in different ways, we also created a little tool that is able to convert your 5250 Display Files to html and then create React components out of that as well as other target UI Frameworks. Some might say that is not that hard, because 5250 DSPF DDS is not that complicated and you are right. Back in 2009 I already created a converter Tool that converted 5250 DDS to Microsoft XAML for using that within my c# programs. BUT - the difference of this tool is, that it includes the RPG code into the transformation process. Why? For example think about pressing F4 button in a 5250 screen. Where does the Data come from? How does the 5250 DSPF knows what to do? That is handled in the RPG / Cobol program in the background in one way or the other and the tool covers that with little to no manual effort. The Tool I show you combines the DDS from the DSPF with the RPG logic and uses both information to create the result. The result can be a React App or a Flutter App or an Angular App or .... whatever you want - OK - maybe no Windows Forms ;-)

Learning Objectives:

Learn about using different technologies to modernize your old stuff like 5250 DSPF with RPG or Cobol or transform it to something totally new. Learn a little bit about modern UI Frameworks like React as well as how you could and should use AI technologies to reach your goals in a much faster and better way. You will also see what is coming next with this approach we do like reusing all your (old) RPG Code without (or only little) effort to adapt. We are working hard on making things easier and faster for everyone and bring you into the present and a bright future.

Modern IBM i environments depend on complex data exchanges across systems. Static analysis—and now AI—can help map these interactions, but AI is not magic. This session focuses on combining automated insight with AI techniques to trace and document system connections, whether through messaging (MQ), APIs, or batch managed file transfer processes. We’ll show how to rebuild missing documentation, identify redundant paths, and improve visibility for modernization planning. Attendees will learn how to apply both practical engineering methods and AI to understand, validate, and improve cross-system integration on IBM i. A case study will also be presented

Learning Objectives:

`-Learn how to identify and map cross-system dependencies using static analysis. -Understand when to use AI assistance and when traditional analysis works better. -Apply hybrid AI/non-AI techniques for documentation, modernization, and reliability.