COMMON POWERUp 2026

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

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

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

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.

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.

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