Topic: Observability Insights

POWERUp 2026 in New Orleans was an exhilarating experience, showcasing the largest IBM i community event globally. Held at the New Orleans Marriott from April 27-30, it featured hands-on training and cutting-edge tech innovations. Keynote speaker Hillery Hunter, IBM Power's general manager, captivated the audience with insights into AI, Git, VS Code, open source, and IBM Bob, linking them to COMMON's Project 2030. Her demos on AI integrations for enterprise apps were particularly inspiring. The event offered diverse sessions, from quick tech dives to full-day workshops, including hands-on labs on open-source tools and VS Code for IBM i development. The expo hall was a hub for IBMers and vendors showcasing transformative solutions. Community-building events, like the COMMON Problem Solving and Pups and Cups, emphasized networking and fun. With New Orleans' unique atmosphere, the conference was a launchpad for innovation and connections, leaving attendees, including Marek Walczak, empowered and inspired.

The IBM i platform, vital for enterprise IT, faces challenges due to aging professionals and a scarcity of younger talent skilled in its use. This skills gap, highlighted by Fortra's survey, is a pressing issue as many IBM i experts near retirement.

IBM i legend Dawn May outlines IBM i's unique strengths in observability and telemetry while exploring ways to extend those capabilities to other environments. Introduced in the late 1980s, the AS/400’s advertised strength was applications.

Let's face it: everybody likes to work in their comfort zone. And for a lot of companies working in the IBM i ecosystem, that means talking with other people in the IBM i world. So it’s no surprise that companies within the IBM i ecosystem have found comfort in collaborating with peers by sharing best practices, co-developing solutions, or partnering on projects. While this approach has its merits, the rapidly evolving digital landscape demands a broader outlook. To remain competitive and foster meaningful innovation, IBM i companies must actively build relationships with organizations in verticals such as logistics, shipping, healthcare, and beyond.

iBM i can run for years "without issues"... until one day everything looks like an issue at once. This post explains why threshold-based monitoring often misses the real causes of IBM i incidents - and how a behavioural approach (baseline + context) reduces alert noise and speeds up root-cause diagnosis.