IBM i ACS version update, new IBM i AI blog and guide, Mapepire database driver, the inflection point for IBM i modernization, RPG vs embedded SQL file handling choices, challenges in hiring IBM i talent, V8 JSON.stringify performance boost, Node‑RED 4.0 features, AI’s impact on human skills, Kisco iEventMonitor security enhancements, and EDI modernization webinar series.
Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly
- IBM i Brief: ⚙️ IBM i ACS Version 1.1.9.9.
- AI: 📢 IBM i launches new AI blog. 📘 A Comprehensive Guide to using AI with the IBM i. 🔄 Mapepire bridges IBM i database connectivity gaps.
- Career: 👨💻 The IBM i inflection point: modernize or fall behind.
- Development: 🔧 RPG developers face file handling choices.
- Hiring: 🔍 Struggling to find IBM i talent?.
- Open Source: ⚡ V8 supercharges JSON.stringify. 🔧 Node-RED 4.0 revolutionizes flow development.
- Trends: 🔷 AI reshapes human skills value.
- Vendor: 🔒 Kisco enhances IBM i monitoring. 📢 Take Control of Your EDI: A 3-Part Webinar Series
IBM i Brief
⚙️ IBM i ACS Version 1.1.9.9 The latest Access Client Solutions update introduces enhanced connectivity options and performance improvements for IBM i administrators. There is more information here as well.
AI
📢 IBM i launches new AI blog Jesse Gorzinski, architect of AI with IBM i and open source veteran, introduces a new blog featuring expert insights. After serving as the AI architect for 15 months, he’s showcasing IBM’s progress integrating AI with IBM i, including watsonx.ai connectors, the Mapepire data layer, and an SDK for accessing AI from RPG. The blog will explore machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI applications with IBM i, with 20 topics already queued for publication. 📘 A Comprehensive Guide to using AI with the IBM i
Ready to dive into AI on the IBM i but not sure where to start?
🔄 Mapepire bridges IBM i database connectivity gaps
What is Mapepire?
A modern database driver providing streamlined Db2 for i access and a cloud-friendly way to access Db2 for i databases.
This lightweight open-source solution addresses node-odbc issues while leveraging a stable JDBC backend.
Here is a Q&A that covers everything you need to know about Mapepire on the IBM i.
Career
👨💻 The IBM i inflection point: modernize or fall behind
As we stand at a critical inflection point for IBM i systems, RPG developers face a clear choice: embrace modernization or not.
Today’s IBM i ecosystem is rapidly evolving with AI integration, open-source tools like Node-RED and Mapepire, and enhanced connectivity options.
The most successful developers will be those who bridge traditional RPG expertise with modern capabilities in API development, cloud architecture, and AI implementation.
This isn’t about abandoning your valuable RPG knowledge—it’s about leveraging it alongside contemporary technologies to create more powerful, integrated solutions.
As we cover in each issue of Talsco Weekly, the tools and resources to evolve are readily available.
The time is now to seize this opportunity to transform your skills and secure your place in the future of IBM i development.
Development
🔧 RPG developers face file handling choices
Here is a comparison of native RPG file handling and embedded SQL on IBM i systems.
- Native RPG shines with record-oriented access and straightforward opcodes like CHAIN and READ, perfect for simple lookups and batch processing.
- SQL excels with complex joins, set-based operations, and multi-table queries.
Both approaches can work together under commitment control to ensure data integrity.
Hiring
🔍 Struggling to find IBM i talent?
Does finding the right IBM i talent keeping you up at night?
Often times, managers do not even know what is possible when it comes to the IBM i, or what the best path forward should be.
Talsco bridges the talent gap by providing IBM i experts who combine legacy system knowledge with modern technical capabilities, including cloud architecture, API development, and open-source development.
Would you like a second opinion?
Open Source
⚡ V8 supercharges JSON.stringify
V8’s JSON.stringify performance boost offers IBM i developers faster data serialization, critical for API integrations and data exchange operations.
How could JSON.stringify be used in an IBM i use case?
It could be used to convert legacy RPG data on IBM i to JSON for web integration. Extract RPG data (e.g., from DB2), transform it into JavaScript objects using Node.js, then serialize with JSON.stringify(data) for API transmission to web clients. Use the replacer parameter to handle RPG-specific formats (e.g., dates) and try-catch for errors.
The V8 JavaScript engine has made JSON.stringify more than twice as fast through several clever optimizations. Engineers created a side-effect-free fast path for common use cases, specialized string handling with SIMD acceleration, and added an “express lane” using hidden class flags.
They also upgraded the number-to-string conversion with Dragonbox algorithm and implemented a segmented buffer approach. These improvements benefit web apps across all platforms in Chrome 138.
🔧 Node-RED 4.0 revolutionizes flow development
The major upgrade introduces update notifications, enhanced flow documentation, and improved palette management.
Node-RED is a low-code tool for event-driven applications that simplifies collecting, transforming, and visualizing data. Its intuitive flow-based approach makes application building accessible regardless of technical background, serving everything from home automation to industrial systems.
Developers can now see which nodes have documentation through intuitive icons, while metadata in exported flows identifies missing dependencies when sharing.
Key node improvements include:
- RFC4180-compliant CSV processing
- additional timestamp options
- customizable config nodes within sub-flows.
This release creates a more robust environment for both individuals and teams.
Possible IBM i Use Cases
- Integrate RPG data with modern web dashboards.
- Automate data sync between DB2 and cloud.
- Streamline legacy order processing to e-commerce APIs.
- Connect IBM i to IoT for real-time monitoring.
Trends
🔷 AI reshapes human skills value
Unlike many other technology trends, AI represents a fundamental shift in how work is done.
While it shares some characteristics with previous innovations, AI’s ability to learn, reason, and create is unprecedented.
However, it is predicted that:
AI will create more jobs than it eliminates, similar to how spreadsheets generated 600,000 accounting positions while eliminating 400,000 bookkeeping roles.
Human skills like analytical thinking, resilience, and creativity will remain most valuable through 2030, outranking technical abilities.
Vendor
🔒 Kisco enhances IBM i monitoring
Version 9.01 of iEventMonitor brings significant security updates including CEF SIEM formatting, LEEF format improvements, and expanded alert information for watch tasks.
The update also introduces built-in OS dependency checks for IBM PTF monitors, strengthening system oversight capabilities.
Existing customers can request the PTF via email, while new users can acquire the solution through Kisco’s website.
This release underscores Kisco’s ongoing commitment to robust IBM i security monitoring and management.
📢 Take Control of Your EDI: A 3-Part Webinar Series Eradani’s three-session webinar series offers practical EDI modernization strategies to reduce costs and improve partner onboarding efficiency.
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