COMMON POWERUp 2026

IBM i OS 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 OS systems 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. This session will take a look at the foundations of Ethernet and TCP/IP and how they are built up within the IBM i OS. We will look at your communications adapters, Line Descriptions, and IP addresses, subnets, routes and more including the commands and interfaces used to manage these. As time allows we may also look at some of the most commonly used networking servers Telnet and FTP and cover their basics of configuration, management and even troubleshooting.

Learning Objectives:

Learn about the building blocks of IBM i Network Communications configuration and how they fit together. - Communications Adapters - Line Descriptions - IP Interfaces/Addresses - Routes - TCP/IP Start Up - and more...

In a world where artificial intelligence is becoming more and more prominent, how will your business adapt and thrive? Your journey can start here, with an exploration of IBM's strategy and offering set. In this session, we will explore the available AI technologies and what they mean for IBM i.

Learning Objectives:

An understanding of AI tools to build out your company's strategy with AI

A beginner level and generalized explanation of the modern face of Artificial Intelligence: the Large Language Model (LLM) coupled with the Transformer architecture. Fairly rigorous in places (Danger! Math!), but the overall tone of the presentation is a colloquial and metaphoric.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding LLM architecture 2. Understanding Transformer architecture 3. Understanding the strengths and limitations of this approach to AI.

Inspired by longtime presenters at the Summit, this discussion looks at the most popular tweaks, hacks and just plain good practices the for IBM i PHP community to enjoy. Sometimes you just need a shopping list of things to watch out for and many of the tips that are scattered throughout these presentations are consolidated in a single place. Performance, security and best practices and more will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

1) Many key points of PHP will be explored 2) Performance tips will be reviewed 3) Common mistakes to overcome in PHP development

Modernizing COBOL applications to RPG IV can be faster and safer with static analysis, automation, and AI —but it still requires solid engineering. This session explains how analysis tools identify data flow, dependencies, and shared logic before conversion begins. We’ll explore how to combine AI automation with proven analysis and programming discipline to transform COBOL business logic into clear, maintainable RPG IV code. Real examples show planning, testing, and incremental rollout techniques that minimize risk. Attendees will learn how to balance automation, analysis, and AI methods for dependable, low-risk modernization on IBM i. A case study using actual COBOL code will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

`-Understand how static analysis clarifies COBOL logic and dependencies before conversion. -Learn how to combine AI automation with static techniques for accurate modernization. -Apply disciplined planning and testing to ensure reliable COBOL-to-RPG transitions.

Obtaining information from external systems or data servers has come a long way since the introduction of EDI in the 1980s! Today, heaps of publicly available web service APIs offer a much more flexible and easier-to-integrate method for pulling pertinent data into your IBM i applications. Whether it be commodity prices, financial data, current weather information, demographic statistics or whatever else you can think of, there's no shortage of information available on the internet that could complement portions of your company's business, adding valuable real-time information to your user applications.

In this session we'll put this concept to work in a hands-on fashion. The presenter will use real-world examples to demonstrate how IBM i developers can quickly find and access public web service APIs to pull data into an RPG program or UI tool using SQL.

Attendees will see three simple 5250-based interactive examples in action, along with source code they can try on their own systems.

Learning Objectives:
- Introduce the concept of pulling data from external web services, and how best to find them
- Understand the difference (and benefits) of using SQL to pull data from RESTful web services, versus "old school" SOAP-based ones
- Master the steps required to integrate a web service-consuming SQL statement into an RPG program or dashboard tool

Understand the different ways to save your system, such as using BRMS, Flashcopy, or traditional native commands. Along the way, tips will be given on best practices and ensuring you have what it takes to recover. Your recovery is only as good as your backup, lets make sure you are backing up the right stuff.

Learning Objectives:

1) The various Save commands 2) Restricted state and your console 3) What makes up a full System Save 4) Tape libraries pros and cons. 5) What is Flashcopy and what are its requirements.

IBM Made a huge number of enhancements to the CL language starting with V5R3 through i 7.1. WHile the changes slowed after that most CL programmers ignore all these changes and continue to write unreadable code with gotos and tags. Come to get a detailed look at examples of the new functions including DOFOR, DOWHILE, DOUNTIL and SELECT, and how they allow programming CL in a much more structured format, and allow you to banish goto to the bit-bucket. Learn about the many new process flow options and variable types in the CL language such as integer, signed integer, and pointer variables and how to use them. Get tips on how to simplify the compiling of CL programs and command objects. Find out how to provide direct feedback to IBM on your needs for the CL language -- they want to know if these changes are helping you and what to enhance next.

Learning Objectives:

Learn what IBM has added to the CL language since your learned it Learn how to leverage some of these enhancements to better access user spaces and APIs Learn what IBM has added to Command objects in recent releases.

Do you have what you need to recover from a disaster? It is too late to know if you have good backups when a disaster happens. Lets identify various types of disasters, how we store our backups, and what is needed for a recovery. We will start with the save, discuss the people you need, and where and how your recovery will occur. There are more things to a recovery than just your tapes.

Learning Objectives:

1) Understand what is required for a recovery 2) Know who is need to recover your system, where will we do the recovery, and what did you actually save. 3) items you should have in your recovery plan.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) can feel like a hassle. Users groan at the extra steps, while IT teams wrestle with implementation. On the other hand, Single Sign-On (SSO) is often seen as the holy grail of convenience: one login, seamless access. But what does SSO really look like on the IBM i platform? And how is it different from MFA—not just in function, but in purpose? This session will break down the key differences between SSO and MFA, and dive into how SSO works specifically on IBM i. We’ll explore common protocols like Kerberos, SAML, and OAuth, and look at some Identity Providers (IDPs) such as MS Entra, Okta, and IBM Security Verify. You’ll learn which use cases are best suited for SSO, when MFA still makes sense, and how to align both with your broader security strategy.

Learning Objectives:

`- What are the differences between SSO and MFA - What SSO might look like on the IBM i - Protocol trade-offs

Move on from tape drives, cartridges, and courier services. In this session, you'll learn how Cloud Storage Solutions (ICC) can securely back up your IBM i systems to the cloud—simplifying your backup process and reducing reliance on legacy infrastructure. If you're already in PowerVS, then cloud storage isn't just convenient—it’s essential. We'll walk through how to use Backup, Recovery, and Media Services (BRMS) with ICC to transfer virtual save media to and from the cloud. You'll also see how ICC can support your hybrid strategy, whether you're bridging on-prem and cloud environments or looking for a reliable way to move data to the cloud.

With the last releases and technology refreshes IBM provided a bunch of new IBM i and Db2 Services. A lot of these Services provide functionalities that are not directly available in RPG or can only be implemented in RPG by calling complex System APIs and/or by using pointer handling for accessing the data. However, IBM provides new SQL services mostly located in the SYSTOOLS schema that can write data into the IFS, delete old spool files and even transform a spool file into a PDF document. With other services the SQL queries can be executed and the result saved as Excel-Sheets or *.csv files. Even eMails can be easily sent with the aid of an IBM i service. And the best, we can put all together This session will show a sub-set of SQL and IBM Services which can easily be embedded in any programming language that supports SQL and, in this way, can make live much easier.

Learning Objectives:

In this session you’ll learn how specific SQL Services can be implemented with embedded SQL in RPG or Cobol and how the formerly complex source code can be reduced.

In this session we will put Project Bob to work. We will do a live demo of Project Bob, how the powerful interaction between the developer and the AI tooling can help you solve problems, gain insight and understanding that was not possible in the past. We will explore several user cases on how Project Bob can be leverage by the Architect as well as the core programmer.

Learning Objectives:

Project Bob

Discover how AI agents can transform your daily system administration workflows on IBM i. This session introduces practical approaches to building agents that automate routine tasks, monitor system health, and respond to operational issues—all while leveraging the IBM i MCP server for seamless integration. You'll learn how to create both individual agents for specific tasks and orchestrated teams of agents that collaborate to solve complex administrative challenges. Through real-world examples, we'll demonstrate agents handling everything from performance monitoring and job scheduling to capacity planning and automated troubleshooting. Whether you're analyzing system logs, or optimizing Db2 for i performance, you'll leave with actionable knowledge to implement AI-powered automation in your own environment. This session is designed for system administrators who want to enhance their productivity without becoming AI experts, focusing on practical implementations using open-source tools and the official IBM i MCP server.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the architecture and capabilities of AI agents specifically designed for IBM i system administration, including how agents interact with IBM i APIs, CL commands, and Db2 for i through the MCP server interface. Implement individual AI agents for common administrative tasks such as system monitoring, job queue management, and performance analysis using practical patterns and best practices. Design multi-agent teams that collaborate to handle complex workflows, including how agents communicate, share context, and coordinate actions across different administrative domains. Evaluate appropriate use cases for AI agent automation in your environment, distinguishing between tasks best suited for agent-based solutions versus traditional scripting approaches. Deploy AI agents using the IBM i MCP server framework, including configuration, security considerations, and integration with existing system management tools and processes.

Learn about the latest updates and tools to manage your IBM i. IBM Navigator for i is the strategic tool for managing the IBM i operating system. In this session we will demo using some great Navigator wizards, how to configure TLS for the many servers on the IBM i. Learn how to deal with user profiles across multiple systems, we will even do a quick demo on how to configure MFA. Plus your questions.

Learning Objectives:

Learn best practices for managing and securing the IBM i

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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