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 →
Monday June 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST 12 - IBM Room
Discover how to migrate IBM i environments with minimal downtime across on-prem, remote, or cloud targets using three different migration strategies: advanced partition mirroring, assisted save/restore, and the manual method. This session details architectures, technical requirements, and workflows for each approach.
I’ve spent the last 25 years working deep within the IBM Power ecosystem. My focus is simple: helping businesses build the most reliable and efficient environments possible, usually with IBM i as the centerpiece, but often incorporating AIX, Linux, and the necessary IBM Storage... Read More →
Monday June 15, 2026 11:50 - 12:50 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
The pace of change and innovation is accelerating with the advent of AI. IBM i, as an integrated solution platform, has a strong strategy and roadmap for the future. In this session, Steve Will, IBM i CTO and Chief Architect will partner with Kris Whitney, IBM i Chief Engineer, to explain the strategy, show the roadmap, and highlight the ways in which IBM collaborates with the IBM i community to set the direction of the platform.
AI agents are quickly becoming a practical tool for automating workflows, assisting developers, and simplifying system administration. In this session, we will walk through how to build an effective AI agent specifically for IBM i. We will start with high-level concepts, including what an AI agent is, how it differs from traditional automation, and what makes IBM i a unique and powerful environment for agent-based systems. From there, we will cover concrete patterns, tips, and best practices for designing agents that can safely and reliably interact with IBM i resources such as the database. The session will focus on real use cases, including system administration tasks like performance and security monitoring, as well as developer productivity workflows. Throughout the presentation, we will demonstrate working agents in action, showing how these concepts translate into practical solutions that IBM i developers and administrators can start applying today.
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.
Monday June 15, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
The IBM i development team has just delivered a brand new release - IBM i 7.6 along with several Technology Refreshes. These deliveries are just full of new enhancements targeted to help your business applications run more securely. In this session, Tim will detail a number of the new enhancements, helping you understand what's new and how you can leverage many of these new features to bring your applications, systems, and business forward.
Often we like to wait upgrade, we are going to show you why IBM i 7.6 may be the release to break that trend!!! Attend this session to see the must-have technologies for your IBM i.
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 →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
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.
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.
Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
Organizations running IBM i environments are increasingly looking for ways to accelerate modernization, strengthen resilience, and maximize the value of their platform investments. IBM i subscription bundles include valuable services such as Advisory Connect and IBM Expert Labs assets, but many clients are not fully aware of how to take advantage of them. In this session, you will learn how to unlock the full value of these resources and incorporate them into your IT strategy. We will explore how Advisory Connect provides direct access to IBM experts for guidance on architecture, modernization, security, and operational best practices, while Expert Labs assets can help accelerate implementation, troubleshooting, and optimization projects. Join us to understand what services are available within IBM i subscription bundles, how to engage with these resources effectively, and practical examples of how organizations are using them to drive faster outcomes and stronger platform value.
Eric Barsness is theGlobal Resiliency Practice Leader for IBM i in Expert Labs and an IBM Master Inventor. Eric specializes in IBM i resiliency, performance and scalability and has led various IBM i performance teams for most of his career. Eric has been improving customer's IBM i... Read More →
IBM i clients around the world in industries such as retail, distribution, consumer products, and more continued to innovate throughout 2025. These organizations leveraged open source technologies and infused AI into their business processes to modernize operations, automate routine tasks, and boost productivity in new ways. From smarter automation to cloud optimization, IBM i continues to evolve as a platform for innovation and growth. Join Brandon Pederson, IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager, and Steve Will, IBM i Chief Technology Officer and Distinguished Engineer, to explore how clients are using IBM i to modernize, integrate AI, and drive digital transformation. You will leave the session with new ideas to advance your business, practical examples of AI-driven innovation, and inspiration to take your IBM i strategy to the next level.
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 →
What does High Availability mean, what are the metrics? Why does it do much more than secure your data and how does it work? What options are available and which is the best product out there?
In the tradition of previous Technology Refreshes (TR), the database team is deliveringenhancements on the same cadence. Attend this session to hear about the manyenhancements to SQL on i, SQL Query Engine, IBM i Services and more. This session will coverthe new and enhanced Db2 for i capabilities added to IBM i 7.4 and IBM i 7.5 over the mostrecent IBM i Technology Refreshes.This session will include something for everyone and anyone who uses the IBM i.
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.
Tuesday June 16, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
Join us for a session where we will explore the new components and concepts related to partitioning IBM Power Systems. You will learn how these components are interconnected, how to set them up, and how to manage and upgrade them. We will cover components such as the Hardware Management Console (HMC), the Flexible Service Processor (FSP) or eBMC depending on your processor generation, and the Advanced Systems Management Interface (ASMI). Additionally, we'll discuss firmware in your machine and how to perform necessary updates in both LPAR environment and standalone machines. You'll also receive tips on upgrading and establishing communication between the HMC and FSP/eBMC, as well as insights into the role of ASMI. By the end of the session, you will have current knowledge about these crucial hardware features of IBM Power Systems & IBM i.Learning Objectives1) Understand how to upgrade and update your HMC.2) Understand how to upgrade your FSP or eBMC.3) Learn how everything connects and interacts.
Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
This session addresses key performance considerations and common misconceptions that often lead to confusion when tuning IBM i systems.Topics include:CPU utilization – what it really means and how to interpret it correctlyDisk I/O scenarios – understanding the differences between synchronous and asynchronous I/ODisk page faults – when they matter and when they don’tSQL vs. native DB access – performance implications and best practicesThe presentation concludes with a simple, practical example illustrating job characteristics and performance statistics, helping you separate myth from reality and make informed decisions.
Morten Buur Rasmussen is a performance Specialist at IBM Technology Expert Labs. Morten has 40 years of experience in the computing field. He started working with the S/38 and AS/400 in 1988 as programmer. Before joining the Lab Services and Expert Labs, he worked for IBM Denmark... Read More →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST 03 - RHÔNE 1
In 2026, encryption is no longer optional - it is a mandatory requirement for compliance, security frameworks (like NIS2), and protecting sensitive data. Yet, for many administrators, the world of certificates and the Digital Certificate Manager (DCM) can still feel intimidating.This session is designed to take the stress out of TLS. To understand why we are doing this, we start by adopting a hacker's perspective, analyzing unencrypted network traffic to see just how exposed clear-text connections really are.Once the risk is clear, we build the solution using modern tools. We will demystify the jargon - explaining what Certificates, CSRs, and CAs actually are - and show how to leverage the new Navigator for i alongside the DCM to manage your security environment effectively. Finally, we put theory into practice. We will walk through handling certificates from all common sources: whether you need to create a Local CA, import an existing Corporate/Windows Certificate, use a purchased Public Certificate, or automate everything via Let's Encrypt. We wrap up with modern operational tricks, such as securing Host Servers and monitoring certificate validity using SQL.Key Takeaways / Learning
Objectives: 1. Understand the Threat: See firsthand why "clear text" is a security breach waiting to happen by looking at network traces. 2. Master the Terminology: Gain a solid grasp of certificate concepts so you can navigate the DCM and Navigator for i with confidence. 3. Implement & Harden: Learn how to introduce encryption to your system and secure critical endpoints like Host Servers and Web Servers (regardless of the certificate source).4. Modern Operations & Automation: Discover how to leverage Let's Encrypt for free, automated certificates and use native SQL services to prevent expiration outages.
Tom is an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i, bringing a fresh, young perspective to the platform. Currently completing his Master's degree in Technical Informatics, he has been working as a freelance systems administrator and consultant for IT service providers and end customers for... Read More →
Tuesday June 16, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST 07 -RHÔNE 4
The IBM i team wants to try something with the participants of COMMON Europe. We have a chance, at this conference, to collaborate with you on the kinds of things you'd like to see IBM i accomplish with AI in the future. Come to this session to participate as we use collaboration and design concepts to dream about what IBM i might do in the future.
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.
In many IBM i environments, mission-critical business processes continue to rely on traditional 5250 green-screen interfaces, leading to challenges with knowledge transfer, skills shortages, and modernization pressures. This session explores a technical pattern for achieving secure, 100% reproducible AI-driven automation of real 5250-based workflows. By recording and analyzing actual operator interactions (keystrokes, screens, validations), these processes can be transformed into structured, documented representations—such as JSON-based microservice schemas—that capture exact input/output behaviors, validation rules, and flow logic without exposing underlying RPG/COBOL source code. These representations serve dual purposes: (1) enabling local AI models to execute the processes identically to a human operator (ensuring zero deviation and full auditability), and (2) acting as a living knowledge base for natural-language querying (e.g., "Explain the customer creation steps" or "Where do validation failures commonly occur?"). The approach leverages local AI deployments (no cloud data leakage), fine-grained security controls (e.g., JWT tokens and role-based access), and automated documentation generation to support onboarding, process optimization, and regression testing. Attendees will gain insights into the architectural building blocks, recording techniques, schema design principles, integration with IBM i security models, and practical considerations for maintaining fidelity in AI-assisted execution.This session provides technical guidance on bridging legacy IBM i processes with modern AI capabilities while preserving trust, compliance, and operational integrity in an era of workforce transitions.
Are you ready to adopt AI-based Assistants and Agentic AI tools on your IBM I? While these technologies are enticing and extremely powerful, there are limitations and pitfalls to factor into your AI strategy. During this session Carol Woodbury will discuss what the security considerations are that one must make when embarking on an AI project, how should one configure an Agent on IBM i and what guardrails you can put up to ensure it doesn’t go rogue, what auditing and logging is available to have visibility into AI activity on IBM i, how sessions using mapepire (e.g., MCP servers) manifest themselves in the audit journal, as well as what bad actors are doing with AI and how to protect your organization.
