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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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Thursday, April 30
 

8:00am CDT

Streamline SQL Routines
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 3-4
Evaluation Survey
The SQL procedural language makes it easy to create your business logic in stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions. Each of these routines have options that performance, but most programmers usually take the default option values without giving any thought to their impact. Learn about these overlooked performance options and other procedural language coding best practices.

Learning Objectives:

Awareness of options that impact runtime performance.
Speakers
avatar for Kent Milligan

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 →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 3-4
  Database

8:00am CDT

IBM i Shops: Prepare for DevOps
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony I-J
Evaluation Survey
DevOps is a long twisting road that has no destination. But even more harrowing can be the tasks needed to prepare before embarking on this life-changing adventure. In the session we will explore several aspects that should be explored before embarking down the DevOps Road, all based upon open source implementations which means there is no price of admission! We will cover concepts like preparing the code, developers, management and users. In additional we will review a basic open source road map for leveraging DevOps features in an IBM i environment.

Learning Objectives:

1) Learn the basics of DevOps. 2) Explore how best to prepare the environment for a DevOps journey. 3) Review open source tooling and references for educating the team on DevOps.
Speakers
avatar for Mike Pavlak

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Programmers.io
Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony I-J
  General Programming, DevOps

8:00am CDT

The Modern IBM i Development Workbench: An Integrated Approach to Modernization
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 1
Evaluation Survey
Modernization isn't just about updating user interfaces or moving to the cloud. It's about creating a comprehensive, integrated development environment that brings IBM i into alignment with modern enterprise standards. It’s about future proofing your environment so that you are ready to handle any new technologies that arise. This session explores how leading organizations are building complete development workbenches that combine DevOps automation, API integration, AI-assisted development, and modern tooling into cohesive platforms. You'll see how these integrated approaches enable developers to work more efficiently, how they improve collaboration across teams, and how they allow IBM i systems to participate fully in enterprise architecture. We'll discuss the components of a modern development workbench, show real examples from organizations that have successfully implemented integrated approaches, and provide practical guidance for building your own modernization roadmap. Whether you're just starting your modernization journey or looking to connect existing initiatives, you'll leave understanding how to create development environments where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will understand how to create integrated development environments for IBM i modernization. They'll learn about key components of modern development workbenches, see examples of successful integrated approaches, and develop strategies for connecting DevOps, integration, AI, and tooling initiatives into cohesive platforms that maximize development productivity.
Speakers
avatar for Aaron Magid

Aaron Magid

Chief Architect, Eradani
Aaron Magid, Chief Architect at Eradani, has over a decade of experience in software development and technology. He specializes in modernizing legacy systems like IBM i/AS400 using Python, Node.js, and Java. Aaron excels in bridging old and new technologies together for clients, helping... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 1
  General Programming, DevOps, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

8:00am CDT

Case Study: Improving performance in RPG programs with SQL
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony K
Evaluation Survey
SQL has become an essential tool for modern RPG development, but knowing how to apply it effectively can be a game-changer. In this session, drawn directly from real-world experience, I’ll walk you through how I introduced SQL into my RPG applications, from the thought process behind the changes, to the incremental steps, and finally the results that transformed performance and maintainability. Along the way, you’ll see working examples and take home simple code you can use immediately to compare, test, and fine-tune your own embedded SQL.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the practical steps for introducing SQL into RPG applications. Learn how incremental changes can simplify the adoption of SQL in existing codebases. Discover the performance and maintainability benefits of SQL-driven RPG. Gain access to sample code you can use to experiment with and optimize your own embedded SQL.
Speakers
avatar for Gregory Simmons

Gregory Simmons

Software Engineer, PC Richard & Son
Gregory Simmons is a Software Engineer at P.C. Richard & Son. He is a COMMON certified Application Developer – ILE RPG on IBM I on Power. He is also a registered instructor with IBM’s Academic Initiative and an RPG and IBM i instructor at Scott Regional Technology Center, where... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony K
  RPG, Database, Programming: RPG

8:00am CDT

Modern RPG what does that mean?
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 1-2
Evaluation Survey
You hear modern RPG but, what does that actually mean? we will look at converting from monolithic programs to modular programming including the use of service program and converting RLA(Record level access) to sql.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding what modern RPG means Understanding of what needs to be done to implement modern RPG.
Speakers
avatar for Marina Schwenk

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer/Analyst IBM i Admin, Innovative Software Solutions

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 1-2
  RPG

8:00am CDT

Implementing Single Sign-On for IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 7-8
Evaluation Survey
Don’t synchronize passwords…eliminate them! IBM i supports connecting to a Windows Active Directory domain to support automatic login to Client Access interfaces based on the currently logged-in PC user. This session will cover everything you need to know about how IBM’s SSO solution works, who can benefit from it, and how to implement it on your own systems. If you’re looking to remove password management from your list of IBM i administrative tasks, this is the session for you!

Learning Objectives:

n/a
Speakers
avatar for Nathan Williams

Nathan Williams

Senior Systems Engineer, CloudFirst Global
As a Senior Systems Engineer on the Service Delivery team at CloudFirst, Nathan provides support and advice on new hardware installations, system migrations, OS upgrades, SAN and VIOS implementations, and more. He has been in an IT support role of one form or another since the mid-1990s... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 7-8
  Security

8:00am CDT

IBM FlashSystem Deep Dive
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 5
Evaluation Survey
This session will cover the latest announcements on IBM Storage FlashSystem products including advancements in Storage Insights, FlashSystems Grid, Ransomware Threat Detection, and Power Cyber Vault.
Speakers
YS

Yves Santos

STSM IBM Storage Development, IBM
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 5
  Systems Management

8:00am CDT

IBM i Migrate While Active: Deep Dive into Migration Methods
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 4
Evaluation Survey
Join this session for an in-depth look at IBM i Migrate While Active. We’ll explore its core capabilities and highlight recently delivered enhancements designed to simplify migrations and minimize downtime.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
  1. Describe the core features and concepts behind Migrate While Active and how it can minimize downtime during partition migrations.
  2. Differentiate between the supported migration methods and understand when each method is most appropriate.
  3. Explain the end to end migration flow for each migration method.
  4. Recognize common migration scenarios and use cases where Migrate While Active provides clear advantages.

Speakers
avatar for Shauna Rollings

Shauna Rollings

Senior Software Engineer - IBM i Performance Tools & High Availability Development, IBM
Shauna joined the IBM i development team in 2008. She has developed and supported IBM i performance data collector tools throughout her entire IBM career. From the very beginning of the Db2 Mirror for i project, she has also been the technical team lead for the Db2 Mirror Configuration... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 4
  Systems Management

8:00am CDT

iSee with Scott and Tim
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony M-N
Evaluation Survey
iSee is all about helping our IBM i user community learn and use SQL to solve everyday life problems. This session is no exception, Scott and Tim will show via live demo some fun new way to solve problems with SQL. This iSee session will explore some of the brand new features recently delivered via 7.6 and the past Technology Refreshes.

Learning Objectives:

Learn how to put SQL to use in solving every day problems.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Forstie

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM
Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →
avatar for Tim Rowe

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA
Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony M-N
  Systems Management, Database, Programming: General, Security, Systems Management

8:00am CDT

It's 2AM, Do You Know Where Your Console Is?
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony L
Evaluation Survey
The IBM i restricted state (DSP01) Console environment is an oft neglected part of System Administration/Management. Many things allow systems to run months or even years without needing to connect this system Console. Then, when it is absolutely necessary to have this level of access for a system upgrade, hardware replacement, etc and the environment isn't correctly configured or is completely unknown significant delays are likely increasing a system outage. In this session we will go over the configuration and usage best practices for both the HMC and LAN Console environments.

Learning Objectives:

`- Understanding HMC based Console environment and best practice approaches - Understanding non-HMC managed System LAN Console environment and best practice approaches
Speakers
avatar for Wayne Bowers

Wayne Bowers

IBM i Global Support, IBM
Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Balcony L
  Systems Management

8:00am CDT

Planning a Smooth Move of your IBM i to the Cloud
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 2
Evaluation Survey
Utilizing the cloud is can be a great option for IBM i customers. It sounds simple, and at it core it is! However, there are many items to consider for your organization to help determine if it's the right thing for you. There are, however, options on how to plan, execute, and validate the migration and these should be analyzed to find the best fit. In this session you'll gain a great overview of the reasons and the process for moving to a cloud.

Learning Objectives:

In this sessions you will learn: - Why to move your IBM i to the Cloud - What services are commonly offered by Cloud vendors - Items to consider for the Cloud migration - Connections options for the Cloud - Ways to move your data to the Cloud - Validating options the Cloud implementation
Speakers
avatar for Larry Bolhuis

Larry Bolhuis

Principal IBM Power Systems Architect, Service Express
Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982.After 2 years working with early PCs and servers her began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36 He moved to AS/400 at its introduction In 1988. Early in his career he was a developer, then migrated to networking, system design, upgrades and general systems... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 2
  Systems Management, Client Connectivity, IT Strategy, Networking, Systems Management

8:00am CDT

Converged Data Platform with watsonx.data on IBM Power
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 6
Evaluation Survey
This session will talk about why having  a strong, secure and always available single platform for all of your key enterprise data on IBM Power helps drive reliable, cost-effective and scalable AI to drive new insights and new ways of doing business.

Learning Objectives:

n/a
Speakers
avatar for Ashwin Srinivas

Ashwin Srinivas

Senior Product Manager AI for IBM Power, IBM
I am responsible for the driving AI SW offerings on IBM Power servers supporting use cases that are relevant to IBM Power customers. I am  responsible for the strategy, product roadmap and market success of AI with IBM Power products related to our ecosystem of ISV solutions and... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 6
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Artificial Intelligence (AI)

8:00am CDT

Quantum programming with IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 9-10
Evaluation Survey
Ok, time to roll up your sleeves! Let's talk about how to build real quantum-capable programs! In this session we will explore qiskit, IBM's open source programming framework. Plus, we will show you how qiskit-based programs can interact with IBM i.

Learning Objectives:

Understand qiskit Understand IBM i integration from Python
Speakers
avatar for Jesse Gorzinski

Jesse Gorzinski

STSM and Senior Business Architect - AI and Open Source, IBM
Experienced business architect from IBM and a specialist in the IBM i platform. My passion is enabling enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence and open source technologies.
avatar for Jack Woehr

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer / Senior Consultant, Consulting to Procern Technology Solutions and Seiden Group LLC
40+ years development. IBM Champion 2021-2026.
IBM Qiskit Advocate since 2019. Secretary, OpenQASM Technical Steering Committee. MongoDB Creator status. Prolific Open Source creator/contributor. Former Contributing Editor, Dr. Dobb's Journal.
Consult on IBM i AI modernization... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 9-10
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Programming: Python, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

8:00am CDT

Securing Agentic AI - a Kisco & PC Richard Study
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 3
Evaluation Survey
The use of agentic AI (AI tools with agency to execute tasks) is rising. Organizations are adopting this technology, including some of our friends in the IBM i space! This is exciting new technology, but its security implications are unclear. In this session we will focus on the safe configuration of an example agentic AI application on the IBM i and discuss the security considerations around this technology to ensure agents aren’t overauthorized, activities can be tracked, and your data remains secure.

Learning Objectives:

Learn about: 1. Open source and agentic AI technologies on IBM i 2. Security implications of these technologies 3. What these transactions "look like" through traditional tools like the audit journal
Speakers
avatar for Mike Zaringhalam

Mike Zaringhalam

Developer, PC Richard & Son
Have you ever wanted to meet someone who started Hawaiian Shirt Fridays at their work place? 
If the answer is 'Yes!', then feel free to reach out with any questions you have regarding Hawaiian shirts... Or IBM i related topics. 
My main focuses are RDi, DB2, Modernization, and D... Read More →
avatar for Steve Riedmueller

Steve Riedmueller

Director of Security Services, Kisco
Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Galerie 3
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Security, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

9:15am CDT

Db2 for i Web-Services ? Yes i can!
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 4
Evaluation Survey
In a modern world, information gets exchanged over the web.

A request is send and an answer is returned. We do not care where the data is located. On the i data is stored within a relational database. Data access occurs with native I/O or SQL.

What if we could receive the request and provide the data directly by executing a SQL statement?

Wouldn’t that be great?

The HTTP Web Administration GUI interface can be used for deploying SQL Statements as REST APIs while the IBM Db2 acts as RESTful service provider

Learning Objectives:
- Create the integrated web services server
- Deploy the SQL statements as a RESTful web service, including how to define the database properties and how to depose the SQL statements for each HTTP-method
- Manage the deployed services
Speakers
avatar for Birgitta Hauser
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 4
  Database

9:15am CDT

AI-Powered DevOps: From Code Generation to Production Deployment
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 1
Evaluation Survey
Generating code with AI is impressive, but it's only half the story. How do you build it? How do you deploy it? How do you manage dependencies when AI creates new components? This session explores the critical connection between AI code generation and DevOps automation for IBM i. You'll see how modern DevOps platforms can automatically identify dependencies in AI-generated code, determine build requirements, and manage deployments across environments. We'll demonstrate how non-IBM i developers can leverage AI to create RPG programs without understanding compilation processes or deployment procedures, because the DevOps infrastructure handles it automatically. You'll learn strategies for creating AI-assisted development/promotion pipelines, understand how to integrate AI-generated code into existing DevOps workflows, and see real examples of organizations using AI throughout their entire development lifecycle. This isn't just about writing code faster. It's about creating a complete, integrated development environment where AI and automation work together to make your team more productive.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will understand how to integrate AI code generation with DevOps automation for complete development workflows. They'll learn about dependency management for AI-generated code, automated build and deployment strategies, and approaches for creating AI-enhanced development pipelines that handle the entire application lifecycle.
Speakers
avatar for Aaron Magid

Aaron Magid

Chief Architect, Eradani
Aaron Magid, Chief Architect at Eradani, has over a decade of experience in software development and technology. He specializes in modernizing legacy systems like IBM i/AS400 using Python, Node.js, and Java. Aaron excels in bridging old and new technologies together for clients, helping... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 1
  General Programming, Artificial Intelligence (AI), DevOps, Programming: General

9:15am CDT

Mission: Possible! Journaling Forensics 101 (with Free Tools)
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 1-2
Evaluation Survey
Learn to think like a spy! Many shops use journaling for a variety of reasons, but may not be familiar with how to use these journals for forensic purposes. Mining your journals for the who, what, when, where, how - and sometimes even why - can be very useful, not to mention fun! Come join us for a lighthearted and entertaining "Mission: Impossible" themed look at one of the most useful things you can do with your journals. This session will introduce journaling concepts and share tuning tips to optimize your journal environment for forensics. After reviewing the "old fashioned" way to dig into your journals, we will demonstrate how much easier this is with the right tools. The DMPJRN and CVTJRNDTA commands used in this presentation will be made available as a free download to all attendees, including source code!

Learning Objectives:

Learning Objectives - After participating in this session, attendees should have the skills and tools to: - Optimize your journal environment to maximize the forensic information available to you - Understand what your journals are trying to tell you, and how to interrogate them to get the answers you need - Dump your journals quickly and easily using the free software made available - Be able to interpret the content of your journals to determine what really happened to your data - Use the techniques demonstrated in the provided source code to develop your own tools - Save the world from evil-doers
Speakers
avatar for Steven Wolk

Steven Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son
Steven Wolk is the CTO for PC Richard & Son. Founded in 1909, PC Richard is a family owned and operated chain of over 65 appliance, electronics, and mattress superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Steve's deep background in retail began on the sales floor while in college... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 1-2
  High Availability Resilience, Database, High Availability Resilience, Programmer Tools

9:15am CDT

i Test, Therefore i Build
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 5
Evaluation Survey
With IBM's release of the IBM i Testing VS Code extension, Unit Testing is (finally) hot and happening on the i, everything at the engineer’s finger tips, including code coverage. In this session we will show you how to take these unit tests to the next level, how to embed them in your DevOps cycle, in your pipeline – making them not only crucial to the engineer’s code quality, but also running them as automated security policy every time your product is built.

Learning Objectives:

Mastering unit test basics Showing how their value grows exponentially when run as part of your CICD pipelines. Learn how IBM i unit tests and tests from other platforms can be seamlessly combined to have a 360 view Learn how Unit tests and automated regression tests can come together for a holistic view on code and product quality See how AI can help predict future failures
Speakers
avatar for Andrew Clark

Andrew Clark

Andrew Clark is the Senior Principal Software Engineer for IBM i at Rocket Software.  Andrew has over 35 years of experience on IBM i beginning with the "secret Mankato Project" on a pre-release version of OS/400, and an internship at IBM Rochester working on the Query team.  He... Read More →
HR
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 5
  Program Testing, DevOps, Program Testing

9:15am CDT

Modernizing IBM i Development: Lessons Learned Migrating to Git
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 3
Evaluation Survey
Git has become the standard for version control, but moving traditional IBM i source code into Git requires planning, the right tools, and some trial and error. This session walks through a complete migration experience: from the initial planning phase, through the technical steps of exporting source, to resolving issues with members, naming, syncing, and how AI can help. Along the way, we’ll discuss pitfalls, solutions, and strategies for adoption across development teams. Attendees will gain a clear roadmap for migrating to Git and the confidence to start their own journey.

Learning Objectives:

Identify key planning steps needed before migrating IBM i source code into Git, including repository structure, workflow design, and tool selection. Execute a practical migration process — from exporting IBM i source members to resolving naming and synchronization challenges. Recognize common pitfalls during migration (e.g., member-level management, library mapping, and CCSID issues) and apply effective solutions. Leverage AI-assisted tools to streamline source analysis, refactoring, and ongoing Git synchronization. Develop a strategy for team adoption, including training, workflow standardization, and integration with CI/CD or modern IDEs. Build confidence to begin their own Git journey, using a clear roadmap and lessons learned from real-world implementation.
Speakers
avatar for Megan Olson

Megan Olson

Software Developer and Product Manager, Fortra
Megan Olson is a Software Engineer and Product Manager at Fortra. Megan began her career at Fortra in 2021 as a Software Engineer Intern after earning her degree in Software Development in 2020. She has a strong technical focus on system security, product development, and driving... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 3
  Programmer Tools, DevOps

9:15am CDT

REST APIs on IBM i In Motion
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 3-4
Evaluation Survey
In this session we will discuss the various ways to implement using REST APIs in your existing applications. What they are, why they exist, and how companies are using them to communicate with each other.

Learning Objectives:

We will take an RPG service program and deploy it as an API using the IBM Integrated Web Services tool (IWS).
Speakers
avatar for Charles Guarino

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems
Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.

He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame and a proud recipient of the Al Barsa Memorial Scholarship Award. Additionally, he participates on COMMON’s Strategic Education Team. Other professional endeavors have included the roles of President and monthly Q&A host... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 3-4
  Programmer Tools, Programmer Tools

9:15am CDT

VS Code and Code4i - The one stop shop for developers
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony K
Evaluation Survey
Visual Studio Code has quickly become one of the most popular development environments, and with the Code4i extension it’s a powerful option for IBM i developers. In this session, I’ll show you why VS Code is my tool of choice and how Code4i, along with a handful of other must-have extensions, can transform your development workflow. Most of these tools are free, and my entire setup runs for about $20 a month. If the stars align, I’ll also do a live demo of my environment so you can see firsthand how these tools fit together into a cost-effective, productivity-boosting toolkit.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the key features of Visual Studio Code that make it a strong option for IBM i development. Explore the capabilities of the Code4i extension and how it integrates with VS Code. Identify additional extensions that enhance productivity and streamline development. Learn how to build a highly effective development environment at little to no cost.
Speakers
avatar for Gregory Simmons

Gregory Simmons

Software Engineer, PC Richard & Son
Gregory Simmons is a Software Engineer at P.C. Richard & Son. He is a COMMON certified Application Developer – ILE RPG on IBM I on Power. He is also a registered instructor with IBM’s Academic Initiative and an RPG and IBM i instructor at Scott Regional Technology Center, where... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony K
  Programmer Tools, Programmer Tools, Programming: RPG

9:15am CDT

Modern RPG Arrays: Best Practices and Real-World Applications
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony I-J
Evaluation Survey
Arrays are a powerful but often underutilized feature in modern RPG. This session explores how free-format RPG makes declaring, initializing, and manipulating arrays easier, more efficient, and more readable than ever before. Attendees will see practical examples of dynamic arrays, built-in functions, and real-world scenarios where arrays improve program performance and clarity. From batch calculations to temporary data storage, this session provides actionable techniques RPG developers can apply immediately to modernize existing applications and write cleaner, more efficient code.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to: - Understand modern RPG array syntax and features. - Declare, initialize, and manipulate both static and dynamic arrays. - Apply arrays effectively in real-world RPG programs for improved performance. - Use built-in array functions like %LOOKUP, %SUBARR, and %SORT.
Speakers
avatar for Simon Hutchinson

Simon Hutchinson

Founder & author, RPGPGM.COM
Simon Hutchinson has worked with IBM midrange servers and the RPG programming language since 1988—starting in the U.K. and continuing in the U.S. for over 35 years. He is best known for his long-running blog, RPGPGM.COM, where for more than 12 years he has shared practical insi... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony I-J
  RPG, Programming: RPG

9:15am CDT

From Logs to Action, Integrating IBM i into Your SIEM Ecosystem
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 7-8
Evaluation Survey
IBM i systems often run critical business applications but remain invisible to most security teams. A SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platform helps centralize and analyze security data for threat detection and compliance—but what does that mean for IBM i? This session defines SIEM, outlines key IBM i data sources like audit journals and system logs. Learn how to make IBM i a visible, actionable part of your security strategy.

Learning Objectives:

Define SIEM and its role in security and compliance. Identify IBM i data sources relevant to SIEM. Explore integration options for improved visibility and monitoring.
Speakers
avatar for Sandi Moore

Sandi Moore

Sr. Solutions Engineer & IBM Power Champion, Fortra LLC
Sandi Moore is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Fortra with over 20 years of experience supporting systems monitoring and security software. She works extensively with IBM i environments and has been involved in product demonstrations, implementations, support, training, research, and... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 7-8
  Security, Security

9:15am CDT

Navigator as seen by Scott (& Tim)
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony M-N
Evaluation Survey
In a first-of-its-kind session, Tim Rowe and Scott Forstie will team up and tear apart IBM i Navigator.

Behind the scenes, Navigator uses all kinds of SQL. Scott will point out some of the limitations you might encounter, from an SQL perspective, and how you can "go beyond" Navigator, when needed.

Tim will explain the best and brightest features to be found in Navigator.

Come to this session to hear their fave features and more.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Forstie

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM
Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →
avatar for Tim Rowe

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA
Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony M-N
  Systems Management

9:15am CDT

SQL for System and Storage Management
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 9-10
Evaluation Survey
The role of a system administrator spans far and wide on IBM i, and getting an understanding of what's happening on your systems can be difficult without the right tools in place. Many system management tasks can be made easier and faster with today's modern set of SQL services available on IBM i. In this presentation you will learn how to use SQL to manage your system more effectively, including topics related to PTF currency, storage (and temporary storage) consumption, high resource usage and runaway jobs, security, and much more.

Learning Objectives:

`- Learn how to use SQL to automate system management tasks, including the building of automated reports - Learn how SQL makes retrieving, filtering, and grouping data a breeze - Become familiar with existing Db2 for i educational resources to learn how to create and use your own SQL tools, and to stay up to date with existing tools
Speakers
avatar for Ryan Moeller

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM
Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 9-10
  Systems Management, Database

9:15am CDT

Creating a simple Warehouse Optimizing AI App with Python running on IBM i PASE
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 2
Evaluation Survey
While everybody is talking about AI and possible solutions, my Team and I are implementing such solutions at our (IBM i) customers. Beside using AI for Analyzing RPG and Cobol Code, optimizing existing (IBM i) ERP solutions and some other things, we are also realizing "good old" machine learning solutions for more than 7 years now - running on IBM i within the PASE environment. In this session you will find all you need to create an AI App running in the PASE environment on IBM I with an example of optimizing your Warehouse.

Learning Objectives:

You will learn what you need on IBM i to run an AI App for running a Python App that uses Machine Learning for optimizing a Warehouse. Includes a (quick) overview about Python, PASE, machine Learning and how to use it on IBM i.
Speakers
avatar for Markus Litters

Markus Litters

CEO, i and me - IT Training and Solutions GmbH
I start working with IBM POWER Servers and IBM i since I was 19 back in 1990 when it was called IBM AS/400 and from the beginning I was focused on Integrating the System with everything else (first of all DOS PC's, then Windows PC's and HP Unix and so on) and to modernize the existing... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 2
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Database, Developing Business Skills, Programmer Tools, Programming: Frameworks, Programming: Python, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

9:15am CDT

Deploying native IBM i objects with open source DevSecOs tools
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 6
Evaluation Survey
While building IBM i source into native objects is covered in detail there is very little information about the last mile, securely deploying your compiled objects to remote systems while managing the specific requirements of the Ibm i. Having implemented object deployment on the IBM i for 25 years and now integrating with open source tools for 10 I can share my experience in how we can use the open source tools you are using for your front end to synchronize deployment of changes on your backend. This is a practical explanation on how this can be accomplished with IBM supported open source tools that allow you to bring more automation to your Application Life Cycle management. This DevSecOps automation provides significant ROI on the effort to successfully integrate your front end and back end.

Learning Objectives:

What tools to use Open source tools that work with IBM i Networking challenges and how to overcome them
Speakers
avatar for Jeffrey Tickner

Jeffrey Tickner

Consultant, ARCAD Software
Jeff Tickner has worked in Change Management on the IBM I for 27 years at different companies. He  has long experience with all kinds Source Control and Change Management packages from SourceSafe to Subversion and of course, Git. Jeff currently works for ARCAD Software, an international... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Galerie 6
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, DevOps, Programmer Tools, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

9:15am CDT

React: Intro to building a front end interface using Hooks
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony L
Evaluation Survey
This is an introduction to the React front-end framework. We will set up a development environment and incrementally build an application as we learn about React hooks.

Learning Objectives:

1. How to get started with React 2. How to create web pages with React 3. Manage state with React hooks 4. Serve your React app from IBM i
Speakers
avatar for Patrick Behr

Patrick Behr

Senior Consultant & Instructor, Seiden Group & imPower Technologies
Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Balcony L
  UI

10:15am CDT

Coffee Break
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am CDT
Preservation Foyer

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:15am - 10:45am CDT
Preservation Foyer
  Conference Events

10:45am CDT

Shallow Dive into Database Modernization
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 4
Evaluation Survey
Do you still use DDS to create physical files?  Do you create an "extension" file when you need to add a field to an existing file?  Are you worried that moving to SQL is too difficult?  This session is for you.

Do you need to prevent bad data from getting into your system regardless of how it's being added? This session is for you.

Do you need to mask sensitive data, or protect data from unauthorized users? This session is for you.
If you love working really hard, enjoy cryptic column-oriented codes, or the thought of recompiling all your RPG programs gives you a thrill, then maybe this session isn't for you.

Learning Objectives:
1. Convert DDS physical files to SQL tables
2. Add audit fields that are automatically updated
3. Use constraints to ensure data integrity
4. Use Row And Column Access Control (RCAC) to control access to your data
Speakers
avatar for Patrick Behr

Patrick Behr

Senior Consultant & Instructor, Seiden Group & imPower Technologies
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 4
  Database

10:45am CDT

Latest Rest API support for IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 3
Evaluation Survey
The Rest API engine for IBM i continues to improve to meet the needs of our development community. In this session we will review the recent change to support Jakarta EE, what does that mean and how to take advantage of these new features. We will include live demo where ever possible to help you understand how easy it is to use and how powerful this integrated features you already own is.

Learning Objectives:

Learn about the integrate Rest API engine and how to use
Speakers
avatar for Tim Rowe

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA
Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 3
  Frameworks, Programming: Frameworks

10:45am CDT

Start using ILE RPG Modernization Techniques
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 1
Evaluation Survey
Developing ILE code requires the developer to change their thought processes, gone are the large programs that do complicated processes. ILE requires the developer to think in small easily managed procedures. Reusable procedures, modules, and service programs. This session will not only explain “Why you need to change", it will have examples that are easy to understand, and you can start using immediately.

Learning Objectives:

Why use Model View Controller architecture Improve developers understanding of service programs Learn to write service programs that can easily be used as API's Learn why Service programs should be data centric rather than application centric Learn how correctly designed service programs will make your life easier
Speakers
avatar for Jim Buck

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 1
  General Programming, IT Strategy, Programming: RPG

10:45am CDT

Using Large Language Models
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 1-2
Evaluation Survey
What are the strengths of the modern Large Language Model approach to Artificial Intelligence? What are the weaknesses? Where and how is it safe to apply this enticing yet dangerous technology? Where are the usage models headed right now? Inquiring minds want to know!

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding the strengths of Large Language Model and Transformer architecture 2. Understanding the weaknesses of Large Language Model and Transformer architecture 3. Reviewing the technical, epistemological, and existential critiques of Large Language Model and Transformer architecture 4. Making actionable suggestions on this technology in the enterprise
Speakers
avatar for Jack Woehr

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer / Senior Consultant, Consulting to Procern Technology Solutions and Seiden Group LLC
40+ years development. IBM Champion 2021-2026.
IBM Qiskit Advocate since 2019. Secretary, OpenQASM Technical Steering Committee. MongoDB Creator status. Prolific Open Source creator/contributor. Former Contributing Editor, Dr. Dobb's Journal.
Consult on IBM i AI modernization... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 1-2
  General Programming, Artificial Intelligence (AI)

10:45am CDT

Real Time Access to the Integrated File System
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony I-J
Evaluation Survey
The green screen isn't the only place where users can interact with IBM i file system data. Find out how and when to share your integrated file system with other platforms to let your users get more done with less effort. The latest updates to these file sharing methods will be included.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the file sharing options on the IBM i and their differences. 2. Understand how to set up/use the file sharing options on the IBM i. 3. Understand how policy settings can affect IBM i NetServer functionality.
Speakers
avatar for Justin Nelson

Justin Nelson

Advisory Software Engineer, IBM
Justin Nelson is a software developer within IBM i development. He has worked on the IBM i since joining IBM in 2015. He is a member of the integrated file system & servers (IFS) team and specializes in the Network Client File System (QNTC), host servers, and Network Authentication... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony I-J
  IFS

10:45am CDT

The Human Side of Modernization: Growing Skills, Mentorship, and Operational Resilience
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 2
Evaluation Survey
As experienced IBM i professionals retire, organizations face an urgent need to grow and retain critical expertise. This session explores strategies for mentorship, knowledge transfer, and modern skills development that keep essential systems running strong. Discover how investing in people ensures innovation, longevity, and resilience for the IBM i platform’s future.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify strategies to build and retain IBM i expertise within a multigenerational workforce. 2. Learn effective mentorship and knowledge-transfer techniques to strengthen operational continuity. 3. Explore ways to align modernization initiatives with workforce development and leadership growth.
Speakers
avatar for Raymond Hammell

Raymond Hammell

Lightedge
Raymond Hammell brings a wealth of experience in Cloud, High Availability, and Disaster Recovery Solutions. His expertise lies in defining Cloud Solutions, rigorous DR and HA Plan testing, and architecting solutions for both Fortune 100 corporations and SMEs. As a certified Master... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 2
  IT Leadership and Management, IT Leadership & Management

10:45am CDT

Options for Consuming REST APIs from RPG
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 5
Evaluation Survey
REST APIs have become a major part of business programming. We live in a world where virtually everything is connected to the Internet, and REST APIs are how they communicate with each other. In this session, you will learn how to call (or "consume") REST APIs from good ol' RPG. In addition to showing you the basics of how APIs work, this session explains how to use several free tools to consume them. The tools will be compared so that you can determine which one would work best for you.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the free tools available to consume APIs. 2. Understand how to process JSON documents in RPG. 3. Compare the free methods for consuming APIs
Speakers
avatar for Scott Klement

Scott Klement

Managing Partner, ORC LLC
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 5
  RPG, Programming: Frameworks, Programming: RPG, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

10:45am CDT

Security for You and A(i)
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony M-N
Evaluation Survey
Adopting AI-based Assistants and Agentic AI tools in your organization? While these technologies are enticing and extremely powerful, the need to consider security during your AI projects is something one must not forget. During this session Scott Forstie and Carol Woodbury will demonstrate the power of using IBM Bob for IBM i security tasks. In addition, they’ll discuss the security safeguards and proper configurations you’ll want to consider when implementing AI.

Learning objective:
Learn the power of using Bob and IBM i for IBM i security tasks as well as considerations for safeguarding your IBM i in the world of AI.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Forstie

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM
Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →
avatar for Carol Woodbury

Carol Woodbury

IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony M-N
  Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI)

10:45am CDT

Navigator for i - An Administrator's View
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony L
Evaluation Survey
IBM Navigator for i is the modern, web-based interface for accessing, managing, and monitoring your IBM i system. This session will guide you through getting started with Navigator and demonstrate how it can be used to manage everything from individual user profiles to system-wide administration. We’ll focus on key administrative features that support large-scale rollouts, including how to configure TLS for secure connections—a critical step for IBM i 7.6—and how to control user access to specific areas of the interface to maintain security and compliance.

Learning Objectives:

`- Learn how to set up and configure IBM Navigator for i for individual and company-wide use - Understand how to implement TLS and manage user access within Navigator for i
Speakers
avatar for Ann Wilkerson

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM
Ann Wilkerson is a lead user interface developer in IBM i. She joined the Rochester lab in 2021 and has since worked on Navigator, IBM i Services, and IBM i Migrate While Active. Her focus areas include security, networking, and the IFS.
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony L
  Systems Management

10:45am CDT

The IBM Power Clean Room
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony K
Evaluation Survey
This session describes how to design and configure a 'Clean Room' Lpar for an IBM Power systems environment. This introduces users to the theory and considerations required to implement an 'IBM Power Cyber Vault' solution. It empowers users with the knowledge of the IBM FlashSystem storage and IBM Power operational resilience features that can be used to create a safe place to validate and recover safeguarded copy backups and prepare for recovery in case of a Cyber event or data corruption. I will explain the Power VM technology that makes a 'Clean Room' Lpar easy and lightweight to create and manage whilst still ensuring a logical air-gap from production data. I will also encourage a discussion around the benefits of planning Cyber resilience and recovery procedures and provide a high level of the IBM and ISV 'Power Cyber Vault' offerings.

Learning Objectives:

How to use Power VM virtualization techniques to create a 'Clean Room' Lpar. How to plan for and configure IBM Safeguarded Copy for IBM Flash System and DS storage. How to take an immutable backup and validate or recovery data into the Clean Room Lpar.
Speakers
avatar for Ed Yeates

Ed Yeates

Professional Services Manager, Celerity

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Balcony K
  Systems Management, Security, Storage Technologies, Systems Management, Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Virtualization

10:45am CDT

Understand Your IBM i Performance Signature
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 3-4
Evaluation Survey
IBM i often runs well with little or no focus on the performance of the system. But what if something unexpected occurs? If you understand the performance signature of your system when it is running well, it becomes much easier to identify and resolve problems if something goes wrong. This session will show you how to use the Performance Data Investigator with Collection Services data to understand your day-to-day performance signature. This session will review many key charts that can be found in the Investigate Data task, as well as how to understand what those charts mean in the context of IBM i performance.

Learning Objectives:

Learn how to use the Performance Data Investigator. Understand various charts in the Investigate Data task.
Speakers
avatar for Dawn May

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC
Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. As Immediate Past President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 3-4
  Systems Management, Systems Management

10:45am CDT

Why are customers using the cloud, and are there really IBM i shops moving to the cloud ?
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 7-8
Evaluation Survey
There is a lot of talk about cloud, but what are the use cases for going to the cloud, and are there really IBM i shops moving to the cloud ? In this session we discus the use case why customer are going to the cloud, Business Resiliency, Modernization, Datacenter move out,.... and we will give real examples of customers who have move to the cloud, why they did this and what they gained from this.

Learning Objectives:

uses cases for the cloud see what your peers are doing
Speakers
avatar for Dan Sundt

Dan Sundt

IBM i Product Manager, IBM
Dan Sundt is an IBM i product manager. He has the responsibility for the IBM i business, including defining and guiding future directions and strategies. He works with the IBM i sales, marketing, and development teams as well as customers and partners to ensure that the IBM i operating... Read More →
avatar for Tonny Bastiaans

Tonny Bastiaans

Product Manager IBM Power Virtual Server (PowerVS), IBM Netherlands

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 7-8
  Systems Management, High Availability Resilience, IT Leadership & Management, IT Strategy, Systems Management

10:45am CDT

Anatomy of an IoT device
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 9-10
Evaluation Survey
The Internet of Things (IoT), while well-established, continues to be an important part of today's technology solutions. But how does an IoT device actually work? How can it tie into IBM i? In this session, we will walk you through the whole makeup of an IoT device, from the circuits to the software and integration.

Learning Objectives:

Understand how IoT devices work and how to integrate them
Speakers
avatar for Jesse Gorzinski

Jesse Gorzinski

STSM and Senior Business Architect - AI and Open Source, IBM
Experienced business architect from IBM and a specialist in the IBM i platform. My passion is enabling enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence and open source technologies.
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 9-10
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

10:45am CDT

Success with AI: AI Use Cases You Can Implement Now
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 6
Evaluation Survey
IBM i shops are historically reluctant to adopt new technologies, but AI is the biggest technology breakthrough in decades. As businesses face increasing demands for efficiency, speed, and adaptability, the question is no longer "if" but "when" to embrace AI-driven technologies. This presentation will explore the transformative potential of AI for IBM i environments, discussing real-world use cases that can be implemented today, not years down the road. These use cases offer real business value that can be achieved by any business on IBM i.

Learning Objectives:

Learn about current LLM capabilities Learn why IBM i and AI are a great combination Discuss real-world use cases Demonstrate AI use cases in action
Speakers
avatar for Brian May

Brian May

Principal Technology Evangelist, Profound Logic
Professional IT Leader, Speaker and WriterSpecialties:Team Building, Development and RetentionTechnical SalesSolutions ArchitectureSoftware DevelopmentEnterprise Systems Manufacturing ProcessesApparel IndustryAccounting Principles
Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Galerie 6
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IT Strategy, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

12:00pm CDT

Meeting of the Members
Thursday April 30, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT
Studio 9-10

Thursday April 30, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT
Studio 9-10
  Conference Events

1:00pm CDT

Accelerate your SQL Queries with SMP
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 4
Evaluation Survey
With Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) now available as a no-charge feature in IBM i, you've gained access to a powerful feature that can significantly improve the speed of query execution. However, SMP must be approached carefully, as improper usage may produce lackluster results. This session will cover the inner workings of SMP, when to utilize SMP, and tools for controlling system-wide SMP usage.

Learning Objectives:

`- Understand how the SQL Query Engine utilizes SMP to accelerate query execution - Understand what workloads benefit most from SMP - Understand the controls available to the Database Engineer to control SMP
Speakers
avatar for Ryan Moeller

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM
Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 4
  Database

1:00pm CDT

Inject more security into Db2 for i
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 3-4
Evaluation Survey
In this updated and award-winning session, Scott will explore the many ways that “bad actors” can attempt to subvert the security on IBM i. Whether the topic is protecting against SQL Injection, closing doors to acquiring elevated privileges, or attempting to discover unprotected objects, this session will include techniques for evaluation and protection of your IBM i. Attend this session to take a big step towards discovering and eliminating attack vectors within your IBM i!

Learning Objectives:

1) Understand the attack vectors 2) Learn how SQL can be used to discover whether you're exposed or not 3) Learn a technique for remediating the issue, should it exist
Speakers
avatar for Scott Forstie

Scott Forstie

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM
Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 3-4
  Database, Database, Integrated File System (IFS), Security, Systems Management

1:00pm CDT

Steve’s Advice for a Fulfilling Career in IT
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 6
Evaluation Survey
Whether you’re just getting your career in IT started, or you’ve been at it for a while, you probably hope that your job brings more than just financial stability; you’d like to feel a sense of fulfillment. After over 40 years at IBM, Steve Will, CTO and Chief Architect of IBM i, has some thoughts that might help. He’ll talk about fundamental behaviors and traits which promote a fulfilling career.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Will

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 6
  Developing Business Skills

1:00pm CDT

The Human Edge: How to Stay Relevant in an AI World!
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony L
Evaluation Survey
Worried about what artificial intelligence means for your job or your future? You’re not alone. As AI becomes capable of writing, coding, analyzing, and creating, it’s easy to wonder - what’s left for us humans? Join this session to learn exactly where your human edge lies - and how to use it to thrive in the AI era. You’ll discover how timeless human skills like creativity, empathy, communication, and judgment are not only irreplaceable, but also essential to getting the best results from AI - transforming it from a threat to an incredibly powerful ally!

Learning Objectives:

Through humor, relatable stories, and real-world examples, Steve will show you how to: - Apply human strengths to communicate better with people and AI - Collaborate effectively when your “teammates” include intelligent technology - Negotiate and resolve conflict with confidence and empathy using AI as your personal coach - Build stronger relationships with people – and yes, with your AI assistants! - Market yourself and your value in the age of automation - Stay adaptable, confident, and indispensable as work continues to evolve - Turn your human edge into your ultimate advantage!
Speakers
avatar for Steven Wolk

Steven Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son
Steven Wolk is the CTO for PC Richard & Son. Founded in 1909, PC Richard is a family owned and operated chain of over 65 appliance, electronics, and mattress superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Steve's deep background in retail began on the sales floor while in college... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony L
  Developing Business Skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI)

1:00pm CDT

SQL for the RPG Programmer “How To”: Working with SQL Services
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony K
Evaluation Survey
SQL is THE recommended interface from applications into your data. This session focuses on how using SQL services extends what you can do in these application. This session Includes services added with IBM i 7.6.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn what SQL services are and where to get more information 2. Focus on SQL services that are most useful for developers
Speakers
avatar for Vern Hamberg

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 →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony K
  General Programming, Database

1:00pm CDT

What’s New with Open Source & IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony I-J
Evaluation Survey
Open source solutions have been on the IBM i platform for many years but recently the number of solutions deployed here has blossomed. Join Mike as he explores the latest news regarding packages and solution features available in IBM i Open Source Package Management and beyond.

Learning Objectives:

1) Review updates to the popular languages like PHP, Python and Node.js. 2) Explore new(er) packages available via the ACS: Open Source Package Management. 3) See examples of how the community is contributing to IBM i open source.
Speakers
avatar for Mike Pavlak

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Programmers.io
Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony I-J
  General Programming

1:00pm CDT

IBM i Migrate While Active Operating System
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony M-N
Evaluation Survey
Migrating critical workloads to new infrastructure or cloud environments has traditionally required significant downtime and complex planning. With Migrate While Active, organizations running IBM i can now move production systems to cloud environments while keeping applications running and business operations uninterrupted. In this session, we will explore how IBM i Migrate While Active enables near-continuous system availability during migrations by synchronizing production data between the source and target systems in real time. You will learn how the process works and how the approach can reduce downtime from days to minutes or hours depending on environment size and network bandwidth. Join us to understand the architecture behind this solution, the supported migration scenarios, and best practices for planning and executing a successful migration. 

Speakers
avatar for Kris Whitney

Kris Whitney

IBM
Kris Whitney is a Senior Technical Staff Member at IBM Rochester. He is currently the IBM i Chief Engineer
avatar for Brandon Pederson

Brandon Pederson

IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager, IBM

Brandon Pederson is the Product Marketing Manager for IBM i and Modernization within the IBM Power business. Prior to this role, Brandon was Content Marketing Manager for IBM WebSphere and Content and Community Manager for IBM Power. He has a degree in Marketing from Concordia Uni... Read More →
avatar for Yan Zhuo

Yan Zhuo

IBM i Product Management Leader, IBM
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Balcony M-N
  NDA, High Availability Resilience

1:00pm CDT

Designing Your Own IBM i Commands (CMDs): From Simple to Powerful
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 1
Evaluation Survey
Tired of typing long CL commands or repeating the same operational tasks? IBM i gives you the power to create your own commands — complete with prompts, keywords, and integrated help — that look and behave just like IBM’s built-in ones. In this session, you’ll learn how to design and build your own custom CL commands (CMD objects) from start to finish. We’ll start with simple examples that wrap CL programs, then move to more advanced topics such as validation programs, command processing programs (CPPs), and creating user help text. Using practical demonstrations, Simon will show how custom commands can simplify operations, enforce standards, and make your IBM i environment more user-friendly. By the end of the session, you’ll be ready to design your own commands to automate your shop’s most common tasks — and make your coworkers think IBM shipped them that way.

Learning Objectives:

After attending this session, participants will be able to: - Understand the structure and components of IBM i command objects (CMDs). - Create custom commands that call CL or RPG programs. - Define command parameters and default values using keywords. - Use command processing programs (CPPs) and validity-check programs (VCPs).
Speakers
avatar for Simon Hutchinson

Simon Hutchinson

Founder & author, RPGPGM.COM
Simon Hutchinson has worked with IBM midrange servers and the RPG programming language since 1988—starting in the U.K. and continuing in the U.S. for over 35 years. He is best known for his long-running blog, RPGPGM.COM, where for more than 12 years he has shared practical insi... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 1
  Programmer Tools, Programmer Tools

1:00pm CDT

Modern DevOps on IBM i - Builds, Tests, and Impact Analysis
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 7-8
Evaluation Survey
Join me as we explore how to achieve end-to-end automation on IBM i, covering builds, tests, and impact analysis using open source tools (ibmi-ci, Source Orbit, and itest). The session will walk through a practical example of setting up a modern DevOps pipeline in GitHub. Imagine creating a pull request that automatically triggers a build, generates an impact analysis report, runs your test cases, and produces code coverage — with all results sent directly to the pull request for reviewers to see with ease.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how objects get built from a Git repository • Explore what the modern development life cycle looks like with Git • Learn how to automate your builds, tests and impact analysis with GitHub Actions
Speakers
avatar for Sanjula Ganepola

Sanjula Ganepola

Software Developer - IBM i App Dev & AI Toolchain, IBM
Sanjula Ganepola is a Software Developer at IBM working on IBM i application development tools. As an open-source advocate, he is an active contributor and maintainer of several Visual Studio Code extensions including IBM i Project Explorer, Code for IBM i, IBM i Testing, Source Orbit... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 7-8
  Programmer Tools, DevOps, Programmer Tools

1:00pm CDT

VS Code and Code for IBM i Hidden Gems
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 2
Evaluation Survey
Thanks to the Code for IBM i open source extension, VS Code became an IDE of choice for whoever wants to do some development on IBM i. Less expansive (as in "free") and more modern than RDi, it's already a daily driver for IBM i professionals and enthusiasts alike. But what does it have to offer we barely know? What are the less-known features that can make a developer's life easier? The legend tells that it's even possible to work locally on IBM i source code synchronized with Git or to use Visual Explain right from VS Code. But the best is yet to come and see for yourself! Whether you are a seasoned developer or just curious, join me to discover or rediscover the hidden gems that VS Code has to offer. Don't be a stranger and bring your questions along!

Learning Objectives:

`- Learn new ways of using VS Code for developing on IBM i - Hear it from one of the top contributor of the Code for i project - Discover how to use VS Code more efficiently - Live tips & tricks
Speakers
avatar for Sébastien Julliand

Sébastien Julliand

Tech Lead R&D, I AND ME - IT TRAINING
Hi, I'm Seb! I am the R&D Tech Lead for i and me - IT Training and Solutions GmbH and an active contributors to IBM i open source projects.

Let's talk about anything related to software development, on IBM i or not, it doesn't mater to me. RPGLE, Java, TypeScript...I love them all... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 2
  Programmer Tools, Programmer Tools, Programming: General

1:00pm CDT

IBM i Mythbusting
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 1-2
Evaluation Survey
You can’t do that on IBM i! Or so they may say. We’ll explore some common misconceptions, urban legends, and outright lies about our favorite platform, and of course we’ll also try to take down a running system for fun. The floor’s open for suggestions, stories, and a bit of fun while we try everything that you’re too afraid to try on your own system.

Learning Objectives:

n/a
Speakers
avatar for Nathan Williams

Nathan Williams

Senior Systems Engineer, CloudFirst Global
As a Senior Systems Engineer on the Service Delivery team at CloudFirst, Nathan provides support and advice on new hardware installations, system migrations, OS upgrades, SAN and VIOS implementations, and more. He has been in an IT support role of one form or another since the mid-1990s... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 1-2
  Systems Management

1:00pm CDT

Why and How to read a Job Log
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 5
Evaluation Survey
When a job runs on IBM i it generates various status messages. When things go 'bump' the job issues additional messages. Where do those messages appear? Most of them appear in the job log, making the job log the 'go to' for identifying issues or determining status of the job.  In this session we will review how to control the job log detail and disposition. We'll show you ways to read the job log. We'll also discuss the differences between active and completed jobs and give some thinking about dealing with a large number of job logs.

Learning Objectives:
Learn how to control joblogs, when they are produced and how much detail is provided.  Learn how to read the joblog and get the most detail.  Learn how to identify who or what answered an error message and when that was done.
Speakers
avatar for Larry Bolhuis

Larry Bolhuis

Principal IBM Power Systems Architect, Service Express
Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982.After 2 years working with early PCs and servers her began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36 He moved to AS/400 at its introduction In 1988. Early in his career he was a developer, then migrated to networking, system design, upgrades and general systems... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 5
  Systems Management

1:00pm CDT

From Core to Cloud: Modernizing IBM i Applications Without Losing What Works
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 9-10
Evaluation Survey
Modernization extends the power of IBM i by integrating core applications with APIs, web interfaces, and cloud-native services. Transforming proven systems into agile, scalable platforms helps organizations improve performance, reduce risk, and accelerate digital innovation. Learn how strategic modernization roadmaps turn legacy investments into legendary business outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand modernization pathways that integrate IBM i applications with APIs, web, and cloud services. 2. Learn how to plan modernization projects that balance innovation with business continuity. 3. Gain insight into real-world modernization frameworks that reduce risk and maximize return on legacy investment.
Speakers
avatar for Raymond Hammell

Raymond Hammell

Lightedge
Raymond Hammell brings a wealth of experience in Cloud, High Availability, and Disaster Recovery Solutions. His expertise lies in defining Cloud Solutions, rigorous DR and HA Plan testing, and architecting solutions for both Fortune 100 corporations and SMEs. As a certified Master... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 9-10
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, IT Strategy

1:00pm CDT

Using Podman/Docker containers
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 3
Evaluation Survey
Podman (and its peer, Docker) provide a powerful way to leverage containers for everything from development to full-scale production. In this session, we will explore the unique value of containerization and cover some of the basic features of these tools.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the value of Linux container tooling and gain a basic understanding of how to use them.
Speakers
avatar for Adam Shedivy

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM
Adam is a software Developer working on Agentic AI solutions for IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Galerie 3
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

2:00pm CDT

Scavenger Hunt
Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Preservation Foyer near Registration Desk
Join the hunt on Thursday afternoon! COMMON is hosting another scavenger hunt this year. Find clues and do tasks all while exploring New Orleans. Create or join a team of 3-5 players and be the first to find all the clues and post your completed tasks!
Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Preservation Foyer near Registration Desk
  Conference Events

2:30pm CDT

Coffee Break
Thursday April 30, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Preservation Foyer

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:30pm - 3:00pm CDT
Preservation Foyer
  Conference Events

3:00pm CDT

IBM Bob Success Stories: As told by the community
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony I-J
Evaluation Survey
IBM Bob was first talked about back in October.  For then till GA a select group of folks from the IBM i community have take the opportunity to put Bob to work.  This is their stories.  How has Bob changed how they approach problems, projects and task, and how IBM Bob has made a difference.
Speakers
avatar for Marina Schwenk

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer/Analyst IBM i Admin, Innovative Software Solutions

avatar for Todd Stewart

Todd Stewart

Application Architect, Heartland Co-op
Todd has worked in IBM midrange computing since 1989, developing applications from the System/34 to IBM i on Power. He has held roles including Developer, Analyst, Project Lead, Solutions Delivery Manager, and Application Development Director in the retail, and bonding/insurance industries... Read More →
KH

Karl Haggart

Architect, OMF
avatar for Tim Rowe

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA
Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony I-J
  Artificial Intelligence (AI), DevOps

3:00pm CDT

Fun with JSON Publishing: Letting SQL Do the Dirty Work
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 3-4
Evaluation Survey
If you've ever been tasked as a developer with creating complex responses for an internal or external web service, you've likely explored multiple avenues for generating JSON from your IBM i programs. From constructing responses manually in your RPG code, to using various publicly available toolkits like YAJL, RPG NextGen, etc., there are a myriad of ways to create JSON strings with all the requisite curlies, commas, colons, quotes and hard brackets. If you're on IBM i OS 7.2 or higher, there's yet another avenue you can explore in which you let SQL do all the JSON construction work for you. The biggest benefit of this approach becomes most apparent when your JSON response requires arrays, and especially nested subarrays. Coding such responses can be a bit tedious when done on a record-by-record basis in your program, whereas by using some nifty functions you can can let SQL assemble your JSON response automatically. In this session we'll review the basics of JSON publishing functions such as JSON_Object, JSON_Array, JSON_ObjectAgg and JSON_ArrayAgg. We'll explore some practical use examples for publishing your business data in JSON, letting SQL do all the dirty work.

Learning Objectives:

* Learn the syntax of the most commonly used SQL JSON publishing functions * Understand the differences between a standard SQL select statement and an SQL statement constructing a JSON response * See how to integrate these SQL functions into an RPG program
Speakers
avatar for Robert Swanson

Robert Swanson

Senior Partner, CNX
Rob has worked as an in-the-trenches IBM i developer since 1992, with the past 15 years focused on developing modernization efforts for legacy systems written in RPG. Currently serving as Senior Partner for CNX Corporation in Chicago, Rob is a strong advocate of introducing highly... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 3-4
  Database, Database, Programming: RPG

3:00pm CDT

Using SQL to Overcome Challenges when Consuming XML (Case Study)
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 5
Evaluation Survey
In the new world of mobile data collection by field specialists, we ran head-on into special characters as well as emojis. This case study tells the tale of overcoming the hurdles we were stumbling over to deal with them.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn what issues can be raised when using mobile devices to collect information from the field 2. Learn how XML support in Db2 for i was used to resolve these issues
Speakers
avatar for Vern Hamberg

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 →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 5
  Database, Programming: RPG

3:00pm CDT

Integrated File System Real Life Stories
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 2
Evaluation Survey
The integrated file system has become more embedded in everyday processing for many customers over the years, each with unique environments and specialized workloads. This session will discuss real life scenarios of file system usage and some common problems experienced by customers. Latest 7.6 updates to file system security will be included.

Learning Objectives:

Understand some of the common problems experienced with the file systems and solutions to those problems.
Speakers
avatar for Justin Nelson

Justin Nelson

Advisory Software Engineer, IBM
Justin Nelson is a software developer within IBM i development. He has worked on the IBM i since joining IBM in 2015. He is a member of the integrated file system & servers (IFS) team and specializes in the Network Client File System (QNTC), host servers, and Network Authentication... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 2
  IFS

3:00pm CDT

Rethinking Recruitment: Transforming How You Hire, Mentor, and Grow IBM i Talent!
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony L
Evaluation Survey
If you’re struggling to find skilled IBM i developers or administrators, maybe the problem isn’t the talent pool - it’s where and how you’re looking. This session challenges the common misconception that it’s difficult to attract new talent to the IBM i platform. Drawing from real-world success stories, we’ll explore how hiring for intrinsic qualities - curiosity, problem-solving ability, determination, and passion for learning - can allow you to grow exceptional IBM i professionals from people with no prior experience on the platform. You don’t need people who already know IBM i - you need smart, driven people, with great communications skills, who love learning and never give up. We’ll discuss how building the community you want to hire from starts long before a job posting goes live: through mentoring, engaging with user groups, and giving back to the broader IBM i community. We’ll also cover the importance of providing modern tools and meaningful projects to keep your IBM i developers engaged and inspired - while leading your organization toward building truly modern IBM i applications. You’ll learn strategies for promoting change within your company so IBM i isn’t thought of as a legacy platform, but a legendary one - where innovation, reliability, and modern thinking come together to power your business into the future.

Learning Objectives:

`- How to rethink hiring on IBM i by focusing on potential and mindset, not experience. - Practical strategies to cultivate a pipeline of passionate IBM i talent through community engagement. - Proven methods for mentoring and retaining developers who become enthusiastic advocates for the platform. - Actionable approaches to modernize your tools, workflows, and development practices on IBM i. - How to lead organizational change that transforms IBM i from legacy perception to legendary reality.
Speakers
avatar for Steven Wolk

Steven Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son
Steven Wolk is the CTO for PC Richard & Son. Founded in 1909, PC Richard is a family owned and operated chain of over 65 appliance, electronics, and mattress superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Steve's deep background in retail began on the sales floor while in college... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony L
  IT Strategy, IT Leadership & Management

3:00pm CDT

IBM i Network Troubleshooting & Diagnostics
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 6
Evaluation Survey
BM i network communications has changed a lot since the AS/400 primarily communicated to workstations and printers using Twinax and to other computer systems using specialized communications lines. In some ways things are more complex because our IBM i nodes communicate to a lot of other devices in many different ways, but in other ways things are simpler today because nearly all network communications are built on top of the foundation of Ethernet and TCP/IP. Your IBM i Networking health is very important and is how most of your data and applications are accessed. Your IBM i may be fully up and running, but if network issues prevent business units from utilizing these applications and data the IBM i will be perceived as being down. This session will take a look at approaches to monitoring this IBM i OS Networking health and it's interaction with the network, how to collection diagnostic data and how to troubleshoot problems.

Learning Objectives:

Build tools in your IT toolbox to troubleshoot network communications issues involving IBM i.
Speakers
avatar for Wayne Bowers

Wayne Bowers

IBM i Global Support, IBM
Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 6
  Networking

3:00pm CDT

Broaden Your Reporting Capabilities Using Python
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 1
Evaluation Survey
One can only imagine just how many Excel sheets or other reports are generated on a daily basis. Are these reports portraying information in the best way possible? Is there anything we can do to help make this information more easily understood? Over the recent years, there has been quite the craze over data analytics and the importance of data that we should question our reporting standards. In this session we will cover the usage of Python and its readily available open source modules that can help us improve our reports.

Learning Objectives:

1. How to create a Python script and call it (with parameters) 2. Learn of Python modules that may be of interest 3. How to generate/alter/merge Excel reports 4. How to generate PDF's, images, and graphs
Speakers
avatar for Mike Zaringhalam

Mike Zaringhalam

Developer, PC Richard & Son
Have you ever wanted to meet someone who started Hawaiian Shirt Fridays at their work place? 
If the answer is 'Yes!', then feel free to reach out with any questions you have regarding Hawaiian shirts... Or IBM i related topics. 
My main focuses are RDi, DB2, Modernization, and D... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 1
  Python, Programmer Tools, Programming: General, Programming: Python, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

3:00pm CDT

RPG and the IFS
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony K
Evaluation Survey
How to get started using the Integrated File System from your RPG programs. The IFS is typically used for reading and writing "PC-style" (stream) files on the IBM i, and is an important tool for integrating with open source software, other platforms and and business partners. In today's world, it is indispensible.

Learning Objectives:

1. How to open stream files in your RPG program 2. How to read/write data to stream files with and without CCSID translation 3. How to process directory entries
Speakers
avatar for Scott Klement

Scott Klement

Managing Partner, ORC LLC
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony K
  RPG, Integrated File System (IFS), Programming: RPG, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

3:00pm CDT

Audit Journaling with Navigator for i
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 4
Evaluation Survey
Audit journaling on IBM i doesn’t have to be complicated. With IBM Navigator for i, configuring and analyzing audit data is easier than ever. This session will demonstrate how Navigator streamlines audit setup with just a few clicks and simplifies the process of consuming and interpreting audit journal entries. We’ll also highlight performance enhancements that accelerate data analysis and expand the possibilities for leveraging audit data in security and compliance efforts.

Learning Objectives:

`- Learn how to configure audit journaling on IBM i using Navigator for i with minimal effort - Understand how to efficiently consume and analyze audit journal entries through Navigator - Explore performance enhancements and new capabilities that expand the potential of audit data analysis
Speakers
avatar for Ann Wilkerson

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM
Ann Wilkerson is a lead user interface developer in IBM i. She joined the Rochester lab in 2021 and has since worked on Navigator, IBM i Services, and IBM i Migrate While Active. Her focus areas include security, networking, and the IFS.
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 4
  Security, Systems Management

3:00pm CDT

Locking Down Your Data: Best practices for Encryption on IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 9-10
Evaluation Survey
Encryption is your last line of defense against data breaches but implementing it effectively on IBM i requires the right knowledge and strategy. In this session, we’ll go beyond the “why” and dive into the “how.” We’ll cover what is sensitive data and what data you should be encrypting. We’ll cover the technical methods for encrypting sensitive data on IBM i, from disk level encryption to integrated encryption solutions. We’ll also explore key management, performance trade-offs, compliance considerations, and practical scenarios where one approach might be more effective than another. Attendees will walk away with actionable knowledge to evaluate encryption methods and sustainable encryption strategy for their IBM i environment.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding of the available encryption methods on IBM i How to evaluate your encryption requirements Actionable list of next steps to start your encryption implementation
Speakers
avatar for Sandi Moore

Sandi Moore

Sr. Solutions Engineer & IBM Power Champion, Fortra LLC
Sandi Moore is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Fortra with over 20 years of experience supporting systems monitoring and security software. She works extensively with IBM i environments and has been involved in product demonstrations, implementations, support, training, research, and... Read More →
avatar for Megan Olson

Megan Olson

Software Developer and Product Manager, Fortra
Megan Olson is a Software Engineer and Product Manager at Fortra. Megan began her career at Fortra in 2021 as a Software Engineer Intern after earning her degree in Software Development in 2020. She has a strong technical focus on system security, product development, and driving... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 9-10
  Security, Database, Programming: General, Security

3:00pm CDT

Fix Management
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 1-2
Evaluation Survey
Keeping your system up to date and secure requires knowledge of IBM Fixes. Here will will discuss what the Fixess are, how to get them, and how to apply them. We will also discuss the different types of Fixes and how to develop a Fix strategy for your organization.

Learning Objectives:

1. What is a Fix and the different types of Fixes 2. Build a Fix strategy that works for your company 3. How to acquire and apply the Fixes and Fix groups. 4. Using virtual image catalogs to save time on Fix application
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Jacob

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 →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 1-2
  Systems Management

3:00pm CDT

Keep Your System up to Date with Image Catalogs - How they Changed My Life!
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony M-N
Evaluation Survey
Perform OS upgrades and PTF installs the modern way with Image Catalogs! This has become the standard way to install on IBM i, but what are you really doing? What can image catalogs be used for and how best to handle them? If you are not used to image catalogs come and see how they can change your life!

Learning Objectives:

What are Image Catalogs and how do you create them? What can they do? How can they change YOUR life?
Speakers
avatar for Jeff Carey

Jeff Carey

Midrange Engineer III - IBM i, Lightedge
Jeff Carey is an IBM i professional with over 30 years of experience on the platform, specializing in system administration. He currently is a Midrange Engineer for Lightedge, a company providing managed services for IBM i, VMware, Nutanix, AIX, AWS and Azure. He is on the Board of... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Balcony M-N
  Systems Management, Systems Management

3:00pm CDT

Keeping Your IBM i System Clean with SQL
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 7-8
Evaluation Survey
Maintaining a clean IBM i environment is essential for performance, compliance, and long-term system reliability. While traditional CL commands can handle many housekeeping tasks, SQL offers a faster, more flexible way to identify and manage unused objects, audit logs, journal receivers, and other system clutter. In this session, attendees will learn practical SQL techniques to streamline system maintenance, uncover inefficiencies, and automate cleanup tasks. Real-world examples will demonstrate how a few well-crafted queries can make a significant impact on system health, freeing up space and reducing administrative effort.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to: - Identify and remove unused or redundant objects using SQL. - Locate and safely delete detached journal receivers and old audit data. - Clean up job logs, message queues, and spool files efficiently. - Automate routine system maintenance tasks with SQL scripts for ongoing efficiency.
Speakers
avatar for Simon Hutchinson

Simon Hutchinson

Founder & author, RPGPGM.COM
Simon Hutchinson has worked with IBM midrange servers and the RPG programming language since 1988—starting in the U.K. and continuing in the U.S. for over 35 years. He is best known for his long-running blog, RPGPGM.COM, where for more than 12 years he has shared practical insi... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 7-8
  Systems Management, Database, Integrated File System (IFS), Systems Management

3:00pm CDT

A Practical Solution and Lessons Learnt from Connecting IBM watsonx Assistant to IBM iDb2 for i
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 3
Evaluation Survey
We've all heard that AI will revolutionize the way we do business, but how can we connect that AI inspired future technology to our present day systems of record hosted on IBM i and Db2 for i. In this session we will to demonstrate to an intermediate level audience on how to solve this business problem. Linking AI technology with our IBM i backend systems, securely and in real time. With practical tips and a working proof of concept delivered within the session, attendees will be better informed and ready to build their own connected watsonx Assistants.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn approaches to connecting IBM watson X and watsonx orchestrate to Db2 for i data, securely. 2. Learn from our experience on what works and what doesn't work when connecting AI and Db2 for i. 3. Resources to get you started with building your own IBM watsonx assistanct consuming IBM i Db2 for i data.
Speakers
avatar for Steve Cast

Steve Cast

Practice Director/Treasurer Common Europe, Fresche Solutions
I lead the European team at Fresche Solutions, one of the world's largest IBM i dedicated teams outside of IBM.

In my role as Practice Director of Fresche Europe, I continue to build on the success of my 40+ years of working in this sector, by combining the comprehensive IBM i too

... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Galerie 3
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i

4:15pm CDT

Group By, Having and multi-dimensional Grouping
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 1-2
Evaluation Survey
An SQL SELECT can be much more than a simple SELECT * FROM query. Among others it includes with the GROUP BY clause a powerful data aggregation capability. A bunch of aggregate functions allows to count or summarize rows, to calculate the average over multiple rows, to determine the minimum and maximum row value. The GROUP BY clause may be widely known and used, but the HAVING clause which goes hand in hand with the GROUP BY is often a mystery. There may be other secrets waiting for being revealed … or did you know you can create all kinds of sub-totals and grand-total with an SQL GROUP BY?

Learning Objectives:

In this session you’ll learn the basic use of the GROUP BY and HAVING clauses as well as the use of multiple aggregate functions. You’ll also discover how NULL values can affect the result returned by aggregate functions. It will be demonstrated how easily all kinds of sub-totals and grand-totals can be built. You’ll also learn how to use the CASE clause for building pivot tables
Speakers
avatar for Birgitta Hauser
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 1-2
  Database, Database

4:15pm CDT

Make Today Matter!
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony M-N
Evaluation Survey
Every new day arrives with fresh potential, yet it’s all too easy to slip into routine, delay important actions, or wait for the perfect moment that never seems to come. What if you could break that cycle and turn each day into something meaningful, productive, and energizing? This session will inspire you to take ownership of your choices, strengthen your relationships, and use practical systems and tools to manage your time, energy, and focus with confidence. Join us to explore what holds us back - from hesitation and missed opportunities to outdated habits and the myth of “one of these days.” You will learn how to create momentum, stay organized, build deeper connections, and make purposeful decisions that move you forward. With a blend of motivation, practical strategies, and real-world examples, this session will help you transform your typical day into one that counts.

Learning Objectives:

`- How to recognize the value of each day and live with intention and enthusiasm - Techniques to direct your focus toward what truly matters and boost your productivity - Ways to use simple tools and repeatable systems to stay organized and reduce the mental load
Speakers
avatar for Steven Wolk

Steven Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son
Steven Wolk is the CTO for PC Richard & Son. Founded in 1909, PC Richard is a family owned and operated chain of over 65 appliance, electronics, and mattress superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Steve's deep background in retail began on the sales floor while in college... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony M-N
  Developing Business Skills, Developing Business Skills, Personal Development

4:15pm CDT

Security as a developer, why should I care?
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony L
Evaluation Survey
Security is the hottest topic in today's society and yet many developers don't have it in the forefront of their minds. We will look at todays trend, risks and why you as a developer should develop with security in mind.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding security as a developer Bring awareness to some of the possible security bugs you can introduce into your code.
Speakers
avatar for Marina Schwenk

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer/Analyst IBM i Admin, Innovative Software Solutions

Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony L
  General Programming

4:15pm CDT

Stored Procedures for Hybrid Development
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 9-10
Evaluation Survey
Accessing business logic from Open Source application and off platform has evolved a great deal over the years. In this session we’ll look at some of the reasons for centralizing this business logic in the database via Db2 Stored procedures. We’ll look at RPG and SQL procedures and work through examples of how these are used from exhibit languages like PHP and Python.

Learning Objectives:

1) Learn how to create and execute stored procedures in SQL and HLL (RPG). 2) See examples of how to use Db2 Stored Procedures in OSS languages. 3) Review tips and best practices when working with Db2 Stored Procedures.
Speakers
avatar for Mike Pavlak

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Programmers.io
Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 9-10
  General Programming, Database

4:15pm CDT

Using AI ethically: an open discussion
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 3
Evaluation Survey
While the capabilities of artificial intelligence will drive plenty of new business value, it's important that moral principles are still applied. In this guided (but open) discussion, we will talk about several ethical points to consider, soanning the obvious and hidden.

Learning Objectives:

Ethics in AI
Speakers
avatar for Charles Guarino

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems
Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.

He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame and a proud recipient of the Al Barsa Memorial Scholarship Award. Additionally, he participates on COMMON’s Strategic Education Team. Other professional endeavors have included the roles of President and monthly Q&A host... Read More →
avatar for Jesse Gorzinski

Jesse Gorzinski

STSM and Senior Business Architect - AI and Open Source, IBM
Experienced business architect from IBM and a specialist in the IBM i platform. My passion is enabling enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence and open source technologies.
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 3
  General Programming, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IT Strategy, Personal Development, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

4:15pm CDT

I never thought of THAT, so I DO Need HA!
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony K
Evaluation Survey
There are MANY things that you did NOT plan for that would cause you to need an HA, or at LEAST a DR system. Virtually every one of these are items from my personal customers, not made up or 'read it on the internet!' You will be surprised and potentially even shocked by some of these occurrences.. Despite your security policies, the quality of your building, reliability of power and cooling, you cannot think of everything.

Learning Objectives:

You will realize that you cannot prevent every disaster, so you MUST have (at least!) a "Plan B!"
Speakers
avatar for Larry Bolhuis

Larry Bolhuis

Principal IBM Power Systems Architect, Service Express
Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982.After 2 years working with early PCs and servers her began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36 He moved to AS/400 at its introduction In 1988. Early in his career he was a developer, then migrated to networking, system design, upgrades and general systems... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony K
  High Availability Resilience, High Availability Resilience, Systems Management

4:15pm CDT

Live Demo: Deploying and Managing PowerHA on IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 7-8
Evaluation Survey
Join us for a hands-on, interactive session that walks through the end-to-end deployment and management of PowerHA on IBM i using Independent Auxiliary Storage Pools (IASPs). We’ll begin by creating an IASP and demonstrate how to migrate applications and data into it effectively. From there, we’ll explore how to build a highly available solution using either IBM Power Virtual Server with Global Replication Services or IBM FlashSystem’s Asynchronous Policy-Based Replication. This session will also cover key concepts and best practices for managing PowerHA environments across internal, external, and cloud storage infrastructures. To bring it all together, we’ll perform a live role swap to showcase real-time failover capabilities.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how to deploy PowerHA 2. Gain practical insights into migrating applications and data to an Independent Auxiliary Storage Pool (IASP). 3. Learn techniques for synchronizing security and configuration objects across HA environments. 4. Observe a live role swap and learn how to manage failover scenarios in real-time.
Speakers
avatar for Brian Nordland

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 →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 7-8
  High Availability Resilience

4:15pm CDT

Becoming a Power User with ACS
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 1
Evaluation Survey
In this award-winning session, we’ll go beyond the basics of IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) to uncover ways to make the tool work harder for you. After reviewing the core functionality, I’ll demonstrate some of the customizations I use every day to boost productivity and streamline my workflow. Whether you’re brand new to ACS or a seasoned user, you’ll walk away with practical tips, tricks, and user-driven ideas you can immediately put into practice.

Learning Objectives:
Understand the core functionality of IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS). Learn how to apply customizations within ACS to increase efficiency and productivity. Discover creative ways other users enhance ACS and identify techniques you can adapt for your own environment. Walk away with practical tips and tricks you can immediately implement in your daily workflow.
Speakers
avatar for Gregory Simmons

Gregory Simmons

Software Engineer, PC Richard & Son
Gregory Simmons is a Software Engineer at P.C. Richard & Son. He is a COMMON certified Application Developer – ILE RPG on IBM I on Power. He is also a registered instructor with IBM’s Academic Initiative and an RPG and IBM i instructor at Scott Regional Technology Center, where... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 1
  Programmer Tools

4:15pm CDT

Debugging IBM i from VS Code
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 5
Evaluation Survey
Are you troubled when debugging from VS Code? Do you experience feelings of dread when starting the Debug Service? Have you or your coworkers actually been struggling to debug ILE from VS Code? If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Just register for this webinar and get in touch with the professionals - Debuggerbusters !

Woops, wrong movie! But right topic!

It is time to learn how to properly debug ILE from VS Code - and believe it, it's not that hard once everything is set up correctly! So...who you gonna call? Seb Julliand! Seb has a long history (as in "love and hate relationship") of interfacing the IBM i Debug Service with Code for IBM i and knows quite a bit about it. From the architecture of the debugger to an actual live debugging session, Seb will take you on grand debugging tour:

- Prerequisites
- How it works
- Configure and start the debug service from iNavigator
- Common pitfalls
- How to debug a program call
- How to work with Service Entry Points
- Variables, Breakpoints, Confitions, Watch

Join this session to finally be comfortable when it comes to debbugging from your favorite IDE.

Ain't afraid of no questions!
Speakers
avatar for Sébastien Julliand

Sébastien Julliand

Tech Lead R&D, I AND ME - IT TRAINING
Hi, I'm Seb! I am the R&D Tech Lead for i and me - IT Training and Solutions GmbH and an active contributors to IBM i open source projects.

Let's talk about anything related to software development, on IBM i or not, it doesn't mater to me. RPGLE, Java, TypeScript...I love them all... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 5
  Programmer Tools

4:15pm CDT

Demystifying DCM
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony I-J
Evaluation Survey
In this session we will explain what digital certificates are, how they work, and how to manage them on IBM i with Digital Certificate Manager (DCM). We will cover the basics of cryptography, hashing, signatures, SSL/TLS, PKI, Certificate Authorities, and more.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the basics of public-key cryptography 2. Understand the purpose for digital certificates 3. Understand how to store and manage certificates in DCM
Speakers
avatar for Patrick Behr

Patrick Behr

Senior Consultant & Instructor, Seiden Group & imPower Technologies
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Balcony I-J
  Security, Systems Management

4:15pm CDT

Ransomware and IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 3-4
Evaluation Survey
Today, there are no known ransomware viruses that run directly on IBM i. However, that does not mean that the IBM i is not at risk. In this practical session, you will learn how to keep your IBM i system safe from Ransomware attacks. Don't miss this critical session! COMMON GOLD medal session.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the threats to IBM i Implement practices to protect the IBM i from those threats
Speakers
avatar for Robert Andrews

Robert Andrews

Principal Security Consultant, IBM
Robert Andrews is a Principal Security Consultant, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM), and Team Lead for the IBM i Security Expert Labs team in Rochester, MN. An IBM Certified Thought Leader and The Open Group Distinguished Technical Specialist, Robert has specialized in IT security... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 3-4
  Security, Security

4:15pm CDT

Navigator for i from a Developer's Perspective
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 4
Evaluation Survey
Think IBM Navigator for i is just for system administrators? Think again! Navigator for i is a versatile, web-based interface that offers powerful tools for all IBM i users—including developers. In this session, you'll get an overview of how Navigator works and discover specific features that can simplify and enhance your development workflow. From accessing system information to managing objects and reviewing job details, Navigator provides developers with a modern and efficient way to interact with IBM i.

Learning Objectives:

`- Gain a foundational understanding of IBM Navigator for i and its relevance to developers - Learn how to use Navigator’s features to streamline development tasks and improve productivity
Speakers
avatar for Ann Wilkerson

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM
Ann Wilkerson is a lead user interface developer in IBM i. She joined the Rochester lab in 2021 and has since worked on Navigator, IBM i Services, and IBM i Migrate While Active. Her focus areas include security, networking, and the IFS.
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 4
  Systems Management, Programmer Tools

4:15pm CDT

AI-based Code Understanding and Modernization
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 2
Evaluation Survey
In this session we will look at the state of the art in both AI-driven application documentation and understanding, as well as AI-driven code modernization. We will help the audience understand how to get started and dispel many of the common myths around GenAI and explain why a more sophisticated Agentic AI approach is necessary.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about AI-driven application understanding. 2. Learn about the latest in AI-based code transformation. 3. Learn about how to get started in setting either of these up.
Speakers
avatar for Chris Koppe

Chris Koppe

SVP Strategy Services, Fresche Solutions
Chris Koppe is responsible for developing client transformation strategies at Fresche Solutions. He has led the development of legacy management strategies for hundreds of companies, across a variety of platforms, languages, databases, and technologies. This insight has allowed Chris... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 2
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i

4:15pm CDT

How to build effective agents for IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 6
Evaluation Survey
Discover how to build AI agents for IBM i from the ground up in this hands-on exploration of modern agent development. This session takes you on a practical journey from creating your first simple agent using open source frameworks to designing full-featured enterprise solutions that integrate with IBM i environments. You'll learn how to leverage tools like the IBM i MCP server to build agents that can interact with Db2 for i, automate system administration tasks, and enhance developer workflows. Whether you're a system administrator looking to automate routine operations, a database admin seeking to optimize query performance, or a developer wanting to bring AI capabilities to your IBM i applications, this session provides the foundational knowledge and practical patterns you need to start building effective agents today. By the end of this session, you'll understand the complete agent development lifecycle and be equipped with reusable patterns and best practices for implementing your own AI-powered solutions on the IBM i platform.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the core architecture and components of AI agents, including how they process requests, make decisions, and interact with IBM i systems Implement a functional agent from scratch using open source frameworks that can execute Db2 for i queries and system commands Configure and leverage the IBM i MCP (Model Context Protocol) server to enable seamless agent integration with enterprise IBM i environments Apply proven design patterns and best practices for building reliable, maintainable agents that address real-world system administration and database management challenges Evaluate different agent deployment strategies and select the appropriate approach based on use case requirements, from simple automation scripts to full enterprise solutions
Speakers
avatar for Adam Shedivy

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM
Adam is a software Developer working on Agentic AI solutions for IBM i
Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Galerie 6
  Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Database, DevOps, Programmer Tools, Security, Storage Technologies, Systems Management

6:00pm CDT

Closing Reception
Thursday April 30, 2026 6:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Generations Hall
We’re wrapping up POWERUp 2026 with a celebration at Generations Hall! Enjoy a night of live music with Amanda Shaw, delicious food, drinks, and a festive parade as we come together to celebrate our community and and incredible week of learning and connection.
Thursday April 30, 2026 6:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Generations Hall 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130
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