IBM i Encryption Key Management – Part 1
IBM i Encryption Key Management is evolving beyond traditional platform-bound approaches, as organizations seek stronger control over how encryption keys are generated, stored, and used. While IBM i provides robust native encryption capabilities, modern security architectures increasingly demand centralized and scalable solutions. With the enforcement of regulatory frameworks such as the Central Bank of Sri…
How fzf Transformed My Productivity on macOS and Linux
If you spend a significant amount of time in the terminal, you know how frustrating it can be to locate files, commands, directories, or even Git branches quickly. I used to rely heavily on find, grep, command history, and manual navigation. It worked—but it was slow and inefficient. Everything changed when I discovered fzf. Today,…
IBM Bob Launch Date Announced
IBM Bob 1.0.0 helps developers solve enterprise problems within real codebases while offering proactive improvement insights Published: 20 February 2026 Planned availability date 24 March 2026 Overview IBM Bob is an AI Software Development Lifecycle partner that is designed to augment existing workflows, helping developers understand, plan, improve, and work confidently with real codebases, while…
How the 2026 IBM i Marketplace Survey Resonates with Sri Lanka’s BFSI Sector
For over a decade, the IBM i community has looked to the annual marketplace survey to benchmark trends and plan for the future. The 2026 IBM i Marketplace Survey Results by FORTRA, representing the viewpoints of 320 IBM i professionals worldwide, reveals a significant shift in the landscape. While stability and reliability remain the platform’s…
Mapepire: A Modern Approach to Db2 for i
The IBM i community recently welcomed a new member to its open-source family: Mapepire. Named after a South American pit viper (pronounced MAH-pup-ee), this tool isn’t something to fear. In fact, it’s a venomous strike against the legacy headaches often associated with database connectivity. It addresses the complexities of traditional ODBC and JDBC drivers, offering…
The Compliance Gap Between IBM i Administrators and Security Teams
In the world of enterprise IT, the IBM i (formerly AS/400) is a powerhouse of reliability. However, it often exists as an island. On one side, you have the IBM i Administrators, the guardians of uptime and performance. On the other, the Security and Compliance Officers, the guardians of data integrity and regulatory standards. IBM…
IBM i Object Ownership Chains: A Hidden Privilege Escalation Risk
IBM i security discussions usually focus on special authorities, exit programs, and object-level permissions. Very few discussions go deep into object ownership chains, even though they can silently bypass carefully designed authority models. Ownership chains exist by design. They simplify application execution. But in real environments—especially legacy-heavy systems—they create unintended privilege escalation paths that remain…
Navigating the New Era of Data Privacy: A Comprehensive Roadmap for Sri Lankan Banks
To stay compliant and protect consumer trust, here is a detailed roadmap of the actions banks must take, categorized by technology and deadline. As Sri Lanka accelerates its digital economy, the financial sector finds itself at the intersection of innovation and intense regulation. To safeguard consumer trust, banks must now align with a triple-layer framework:…
Starting, Signing On, and Stopping the System Safely – IBM i Operations for Beginners (Part 2)
One of the reasons organizations trust IBM i is its stability. An IBM i system can run for months—or even years—without a restart. Still, certain maintenance tasks, configuration changes, or recovery situations require you to stop and start the system correctly. In this post, I’ll explain how IBM i starts, how users sign on, and…