IDUG NA 2026: Full Schedule

This session is about deep dive technical details of how Z data is integrated with other platforms and solutions. This is an architectural, use case and product level technical session. There will be latest news from the zSW Development and Product Management in the context of Data Management, focused on Db2 for z/OS.
The goal of this session is

What are data modernization Challenges – Past, Present, Future
IBM Z Data and AI Enterprise Architecture
Architectural alternatives to provide Db2 for z/OS data into other platforms for data modernization story
Core Products, Virtualization, Data Integration and AI Techniques
Replicate, Direct Access, Virtualization – Pros & Cons.
Technical and Business Use Cases with Capabilities
Roadmaps and Future direction of IBM

Speakers

Cuneyt Goksu

Executive IT Specialist, IBM

M. Cüneyt Göksu is an Executive IT Specialist for IBM® Z solutions in the context of Data and AI in IBM Germany Development Lab as a member of Center of Excellence team. He holds MBA, bachelor’s degree and PhD in Computer Science. He has been working with Db2 for z/OS and IBM... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
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Track A, Technical Session

Audience Intermediate
Subject Cross Platform
Area Best Practices, Data Movement and Analytics, Data Movement and Integration, Latest and Features z/OS

10:20am EDT

B6 | Db2 SQL Extensions: AI Models, Vectors, Lakehouse and more

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

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A look at new SQL Extensions delivered in releases leading up to 12.1 along with what is new in 12.1 itself. We will take a dive into how Db2 is being extended with AI capabilities including ability to access external AI models through SQL. Learn how Db2 is being extended with vector store capabilities and integrating with both open data formats and open table formats through data lake table extensions.

Speakers

Mike Springgay

STSM Db2 Architect, IBM

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
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Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Modernization in Development

10:20am EDT

C6 | Mining db2mon

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

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The folks at the Db2 Lab provide us with a great tool to monitor Db2. It's free and already installed with Db2. This session will show you how db2mon works and how to use it. Then, we'll discuss how to run it in different ways for different use cases. Next, we'll present a way to run db2mon for historical data gathering and trend analysis. Finally, we'll show examples of the data db2mon provides and what to look for in various performance scenarios.

Speakers

Ken Shaffer

Db2 Consultant, Aerodata, Inc.

Ken has been a Db2 Consultant for over 20 years, specializing in LUW systems. He has worked on a variety of large databases for large corporate and government clients. Most of these projects have involved deploying and supporting mission-critical applications where constant availability... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
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Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Best Practices, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories, Utilities

10:20am EDT

D6 | Db2 z/OS Index Strategy: Architecture, Usage, and Recovery

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

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Not all indexes are created equal. We explore the architectural differences between Partitioned, Non-Partitioned (NPSI), and Data-Partitioned (DPSI) indexes and when to deploy each for performance. Crucially, we explore each type's optimal recovery strategy so you can stop guessing between Rebuild and Recover.

Speakers

Ahmed Hamed

Software Engineer, Broadcom

Ahmed Hamed is a Software Engineer at Broadcom, specializing in the development and mission-critical support of Db2 Backup and Recovery solutions for z/OS. With nine years of experience in the software industry, the last seven are dedicated to the mainframe ecosystem. Ahmed focuses... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
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Track D, Technical Session

Audience Beginner
Subject z/OS
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, Utilities

10:20am EDT

E6 | Is It the End of DBAs for Db2 for z/OS?

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 6

For decades, Db2 for z/OS DBAs have served as the platform’s human control plane, balancing availability, performance, recoverability, security, and change at enterprise scale. Today, automation, smarter tooling, and AI-driven recommendations are reshaping that role by reducing repetitive work and accelerating insight. But does that mean the DBA is disappearing?This session examines the past, present, and future of Db2 for z/OS administration to distinguish what can be automated from what still requires human expertise. It explores how autonomics, integrated monitoring, and operational AI are moving DBAs from manual execution toward policy, architecture, governance, and decision-making.Attendees will gain a practical view of where AI adds value, where it can mislead, and why deep Db2 expertise remains essential for interpreting signals in context, managing trade-offs, and responding when the unexpected happens.

Speakers

Chad Reiber

Software Engineer, BMC Software

With a career spanning decades in IT and databases, Chad Reiber serves as a Sr. Principal Software Engineer at BMC Software. Starting as a developer at AT&T in 1983, he quickly transitioned into the database administration field, gaining extensive experience with IMS, IDMS, and Db2... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
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Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices

10:20am EDT

F6 | Modern React Backend Testing: Replacing Fragile Mocks with SQLite for Db2‑Backed APIs

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 7

Modern engineering teams move fast, but brittle tests, flaky mocks, and sluggish integration pipelines can slow even the strongest React + Node backends to a crawl. Database testing is often the first casualty—SQL tests get skipped because they require a persistent Db2 instance, complicating CI/CD and slowing development. This session presents a battle‑tested alternative: using SQLite as an ephemeral, SQL‑compatible stand‑in for Db2 to deliver fast, reliable, production‑like backend tests. You’ll learn how to spin up isolated in‑memory databases, seed realistic data, run true end‑to‑end API tests, and automate teardown without touching production infrastructure. We’ll cover schema alignment, SQL‑driven test design, and strategies for keeping tests blazing fast as your backend grows. If you want to test backend logic as it actually runs—not as mocks pretend it runs—this talk will give you the practical patterns and real‑world insights to elevate your testing strategy and ship with confidence.

Speakers

David Morris

Solutions Architect, Leidos

Highly regarded engineering leader, specializing in IT modernization with a proven track record in driving strategic IT governance and architectural transformation for federal agencies. Expert in developing and implementing enterprise reference architectures, enhancing data protection... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
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Track F, Technical Session

Audience Intermediate
Subject AppDev
Area AppDev, Automation, Modernization in Development, Working with SQL

10:20am EDT

IDUG Db2 for LUW Essentials

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 2C

Speakers

Les King

Owner, Professor, Les King Learning, Seneca College

Les King is a part-time professor at multiple Ontario Colleges, offering courses in Mathematics, Programming and Data Management. Les has also been an instructor at the University of Toronto in the Mathematics department. Les effectively draws a connection between what the marketplace... Read More →

Sponsors

LearnQuest

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 2C

Essentials, Essentials

Audience Beginner
Subject LUW

10:20am EDT

IDUG Db2 for z/OS Essentials

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 2A

Speakers

Luis Antonio Alguera

Db2 for z/OS Essentials Instructor, LearnQuest

Luis Alguera, MSBA, is an IBM instructor, technology consultant, and data science professional with more than 15 years of experience delivering IBM training and consulting services. He has extensive experience with Db2 database administration across distributed and mainframe environments... Read More →

Sponsors

LearnQuest

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:20am - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 2A

Essentials, Essentials

Audience Beginner
Subject z/OS

11:30am EDT

A7 | Real-word value: Db2 for z/OS Customer Experiences

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

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This session will concentrate on customer experiences in Db2 13 and positioning of the next release of Db2. Where are most customers at in their Db2 13 experience, Function Levels, exploitations. What are the items customers are exploiting, utilizing and lessons learned in the endevor. Session will be a mixture of Db2 DBA and System Programmer viewpoints.

Speakers

Anthony Ciabattoni

IBM Db2 for z/OS SWAT Team Leader, IBM

Anthony Ciabattoni is an IBM Certified Executive IT Specialist and the current leader of the Db2 for z/OS SWAT Team, based out of the IBM Silicon Valley Lab. With over 32 years of hands-on experience working with Db2 for z/OS, Anthony brings deep technical expertise and a strong customer-focused... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
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Track A, Technical Session

Audience Intermediate
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Database Resiliency, Latest and Features z/OS

11:30am EDT

B7 | Db2 LUW Back to Basics - Backup and recovery

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

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In this presentation we will examine in detail the backup and recovery options available to DBAs for their Db2 environments. How to tune these utilities will be discussed and results will be reviewed from numerous tests. We will see what is the “art of the possible” from using local files, COS, Storage based copies, etc. … We will take a close look at the new version enhancements and how they can improve your backup and recovery experience.

Speakers

Dale McInnis

STSM, Db2 Client Adoption Engineering, IBM

Dale McInnis is an STSM in Db2 development from the IBM Toronto Canada Lab. He has a B.Sc.(CS) from the University of New Brunswick and a Masters of Engineering(M.Eng) from the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing his PhD in computer science. Dale joined IBM in 1988 and... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
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Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, Database Resiliency, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Operations

11:30am EDT

C7 | The Breach You Didn't See Coming: Why DAM is Your Early Warning System

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

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Security is often treated as an afterthought—apps launched without proper controls, cloud environments spun up outside organizational standards, third-party vendors granted excessive access to sensitive data. These missteps vary in form, but they all share a common denominator: data. And for attackers, data is the only thing that truly matters.
Regardless of how strong your perimeter defenses are, once an attacker gets inside, your ability to detect and respond quickly becomes critical. That’s where Guardium Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) comes in. DAM helps organizations understand what “normal” looks like—enabling real-time detection of anomalies, suspicious behavior, and potential breaches before serious damage is done.
In this session, we’ll explore how implementing IBM Guardium can reduce risk, improve incident response, and stop data leaks before they happen. Because when everything else can be bypassed, your best defense is knowing your data patterns.
Key scenarios we’ll examine include:- Privilege escalation and misuse- High-volume data extraction- Cross-site scripting (XSS) via database inputs- OS command injection through vulnerable queries- Abuse of privileged accounts- Unauthorized access to restricted or sensitive data- Password spraying and brute-force attempts- Anomalous behavior outside of baseline operations- Change reconciliation failures (e.g., Guard App event correlation)
For each use case, we’ll analyze:- What the attack looks like in terms of raw database activity- How DAM tools can be tuned to detect these patterns- Alerting and response workflows for containment and remediation

Speakers

Tim Tait

Senior Consultant, Data Protection, Pellera Technologies

Tim works for IBM Platinum Business Partner and IBM 2024 Global Digital Defense Partner of the year Pellera Technologies. He is a Senior Security Consultant within the Data Protection practice, focused on professional services for the IBM Guardium suite of products. He has over 15... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
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Track C, Technical Session

Audience Intermediate
Subject Cross Platform
Area Best Practices, Security and Compliance

11:30am EDT

D7 | Why UTS Conversion Can’t Wait Anymore

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

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The future of Db2 for z/OS is Universal Table Spaces (UTS) with IBM signaling that the next version of Db2 will no longer support legacy structures.
At the same time, Db2 itself is evolving toward UTS, with catalog and directory objects already being prepared for conversion through future Db2 13 function levels—reinforcing that UTS is the long-term foundation of the platform.
Despite this, many environments continue to delay conversion. The result is growing data volumes, increased complexity, and higher risk when the transition eventually becomes unavoidable.
This session focuses on why UTS conversion is essential. Beyond the “why,” we will dive into the “how”—sharing real-world examples of conversion failures and lessons learned from the field.

Speakers

Rahul Bajaj

Software Engineer, Broadcom

Rahul is a Db2 for z/OS professional at Broadcom Inc., working as part of the Db2 tools development team. His work focuses on supporting and evolving database management solutions that power critical enterprise systems.

Sreenivas Javvaji

Software Engineer, Broadcom

Sreenivas Javvaji is an experienced mainframe professional specializing in Db2 for z/OS at Broadcom. As an R&D Engineer, he focuses on the maintenance and optimization of Broadcom Database Management Solutions, helping global enterprise customers ensure the stability and performance... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
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Track D, Technical Session

Audience Intermediate
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, User Stories

11:30am EDT

E7 | Modernizing Db2 HADR Automation: Migrating from TSA to Pacemaker with Ansible DevOps

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

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Many Db2 environments rely on Tivoli System Automation (TSA) to manage High Availability Disaster Recovery (HADR) clusters. While TSA has long provided reliable automation for Db2 failover, modern Linux clustering standards and DevOps practices are increasingly shifting organizations toward Pacemaker-based cluster management and infrastructure automation.
This session presents a real-world migration approach for transitioning Db2 HADR environments from TSA to Pacemaker, while leveraging Ansible automation to standardize cluster deployment, configuration, and operational management.
Attendees will learn how to design a repeatable DevOps-driven framework that automates the provisioning of Pacemaker clusters, integrates Db2 HADR resources, and validates failover behavior across environments. The presentation will demonstrate how Ansible playbooks can be used to automate cluster setup, resource configuration, fencing policies, and operational testing, enabling consistent and scalable deployments.
The session will also highlight common challenges encountered during TSA-to-Pacemaker migrations, including cluster configuration pitfalls, resource dependencies, and operational considerations for maintaining availability during the transition.
By the end of the session, participants will gain practical guidance, automation patterns, and lessons learned for modernizing Db2 high-availability environments using Pacemaker and DevOps practices.

Speakers

Mohan Saraswatipura

Senior Consultant, DBA Automation

Mohankumar Saraswatipura is an IBM Gold Consultant specializing in database solutions. His background demonstrates versatile expertise in database architecture and administration, particularly with Db2 environments.

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
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Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Database Resiliency, Modernization in Operations

11:30am EDT

F7 | Bob meets Db2 for z/OS

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

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After completing an assessment of IBM’s Bob, using Db2 for z/OS use cases, I was amazed and disappointed. This introductory session summarizes key items found during the assessment. I’ll demonstrate a Db2 for z/OS client and a System Profiles GUI created, both without writing a single line of code.

Speakers

Paul Bartak

Distinguished Engineer, Rocket Software

Paul Bartak has been working with Db2 for z/OS since V1.2 as a customer and as a solution provider across industries. As a Distinguished Engineer, with Rocket Software, Paul is focused on the tools used to maximize z/OS platform value, with an emphasis in database administration... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
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Track F, Technical Session

Audience Beginner
Subject z/OS
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning

12:30pm EDT

Lunch

Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Lunch

Audience All

2:00pm EDT

A8 | Db2 for z/OS Modernization Update & Strategy

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

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Db2 for z/OS continues to advance with new capabilities that simplify development, automation, and operations across the enterprise.
Join this session to explore the latest modernization updates including Db2 auto-discovery of configuration parameters, future exploitation around Configuration as Code, new APIs to support continuous integration and continuous deployment of database schema changes, and IBM Db2 Agents.

Speakers

Sueli Almeida

IBM Certified Thought Leader, IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Sueli Almeida is an IBM Certified Thought Leader and member of Db2 for z/OS development located at the IBM Silicon Valley Lab in San Jose, California. She has extensive experience with DB2, including database administration and systems programming. She has worked on DB2 for z/OS advanced... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
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Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Automation, Best Practices, Database Resiliency, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations

2:00pm EDT

B8 | From Software Engineer to AI Architect: The Blueprint I Wish I Had

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

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Twenty-one years ago, I joined IBM as a software developer. I knew nothing about AI. Today I am the AI Architect and Master Inventor of IBM Db2, leading vector search, in-database machine learning, and LLM integration.
How did the journey happen? Not the way I thought it would be.

In this talk, I will share the blueprint I wish someone had given me earlier in my career: seven skills that took me from software engineer to AI architect. I will be honest about which ones moved me forward and which I learned too late. Some are technical. Most are not. They include learning AI from mentors, building communication as a craft, and learning to focus in an attention-fractured industry.

If you are an experienced software engineer wondering how to make the move into leading AI work, this talk is for you.

Speakers

Sheikh Quader

AI Architect and Master Inventor, IBM Db2, IBM

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
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Track B, Technical Session

2:00pm EDT

C8 | Db2 as Containerized Deployment

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

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Db2 containerization makes Db2 more flexible, scalable, and cloud-native by running it in containers managed by Kubernetes. As Kubernetes is constantly evolving, so does Db2U, our Db2 Universal Container. Come and learn the great deal of innovative work coming your way, in terms of the next-gen capabilities of Db2U.

Speakers

Mohammed Shafiur Rahman

Advisory Software Engineer, IBM

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Automation, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Operations

2:00pm EDT

D8 | Making Better Connections - A Db2 Client Primer

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 5

Db2 can be accessed from a wide variety of client platforms and languages. But information on the best way to achieve this access is often hard to find. This presentation will examine what Db2 clients are available and then look at the best way to configure connections from these clients. As well as the basic Db2 clients it will look at language and framework specific adapters as well.

Speakers

Philip Nelson

Senior Database Software Engineer, Lloyds Banking Group / ScotDB Limited

Philip Nelson has worked with Db2 since 1989. He likes to explore new functionality and is always exploring new techniques for enhancing Db2 usage. He is a frequent presenter at IDUG and has also supported IDUG in many other ways, including the IDUG EMEA CPC and the Content Commi... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject Cross Platform
Area AppDev, Best Practices

2:00pm EDT

E8 | Real-World Db2 Performance Insights: Native ISPF Panels and SQL on z/OS

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 6

This presentation will demonstrate how ISPF panels and SQL are used to enhance IBM Db2 tools such as Omegamon PDB and CQM history tables. The Db2 V13 Utility history tables and In-house written Db2 health checks will also be presented. These solutions have been implemented at Navy Federal Credit Union with Db2 V12 and V13 mission critical applications.

Speakers

Steven Loesch

Principle Data Engineer V, Navy Federal Credit Union

Db2 Database Administration and Programming since 1988. Every Version of Db2. Navy Federal Credit Union, 2019-Present Db2 DBA, Database Design and Performance Management, Db2 V12-V13.Anixter Inc., 2010-2019 Db2 DBA, Database Design and Performance Management, Migrated Db2 V9-V12.Db2... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
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Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS

2:00pm EDT

F8 | The Db2 Fantastic Four: How Optimization, Performance, Cost, and AI Come Together in the Modern Database Experience

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 7

The panel frames this discussion around the aspects most critical to enterprise database operations—the “Fantastic Four”: system capacity, performance optimization, cost management, and AI-driven analysis. Panelists will share real-world experiences and practical insights on applying AI to analyze database telemetry, anticipate workload changes, optimize resource utilization, and support data-driven decision-making at scale.By bringing together perspectives from multiple organizations, this session highlights how AI-enhanced database management is evolving from reactive monitoring to intelligent, predictive operations, helping enterprises improve reliability, efficiency, and business outcomes while managing growing data demands.

Speakers

Jyotsna Chatradhi

Sr. Manager Engineering, Broadcom

Jyotsna Chatradhi is a Senior Engineering Manager on the MSD UXUI team. She has been with Broadcom for nearly a decade, with over 20+ years of engineering experience across diverse industries. Jyotsna is an inventor with five published patents in her field and actively contributes... Read More →

Chris Crone

Distinguished Engineer, Broadcom

Chris is a Distinguished Engineer for Database Technology and a lead architectfor the Data Management portfolio within the Mainframe Division of BroadcomSoftware Group. He oversees strategy and architecture decisions for theBroadcom database products IDMS and Datacom, as well as for... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
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Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject Cross Platform
Area Best Practices

2:00pm EDT

IDUG Badging

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Magnificent 2B

Sponsors

IDUG

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Magnificent 2B

Badging, Certification & Badging

Audience All
Subject LUW

3:00pm EDT

Coffee Break

Tuesday October 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Tuesday October 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Break

Audience All

4:30pm EDT

A9 | DB2 z/OS ZPARMs: Overview, Best Practices, and Recommendations

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 3

With over 300 Db2 for z/OS subsystem parameters (zParms) constantly shifting, keeping your mainframe optimized can feel like chasing a moving target. Defaults change, deprecated parameters vanish, and critical new tuning options quietly debut - leaving many organizations running on legacy configurations that secretly drain performance and inflate costs. When was the last time you truly audited yours? Join this session to demystify the modern zParm landscape, uncover hidden configuration traps, and walk away with a battle-tested blueprint of industry best practices to supercharge your Db2 environment.

Speakers

Michal Bialecki

Db2 technical consultant, Broadcom

Michal Bialecki is a Db2 Technical Consultant at Broadcom, bringing over 20 years of experience to the role. Prior to joining Broadcom in 2025, he spent two decades working remotely for IBM Silicon Valley Lab, where he served as a member of Db2 z/OS Development SWAT team with John... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
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Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices

4:30pm EDT

B9 | Db2: Explain EXPLAIN

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

Technical details to Db2 LUW usage and optimization of queries
There are many sessions about the EXPLAIN facility in Db2 LUW, but they all lack the concise statements to find the right SQL queries, set everything up, do the EXPLAIN and draw the right conclusions by examples and working statements to copy-and-paste.This is a back-to-basics session, enhanced with experiences from real situations and best practices.This session was presented at IDUG NA 2025 in Atlanta. It was in the Top10 of the user sessions. I will update the material to version 12.1 and preferrably include details regaring AI optimizer

Speakers

Roland Schock

Principal, tasdevil Consulting

Roland is installing, using and tuning Db2 on distributed since 1993 or Version 2.1 for OS/2. After working for 25+ years for ARS Computer und Consulting GmbH as a Db2 expert he is now an independent consultant.His expertise and engagement for the community allowed him to be IBM Champion... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
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Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, User Stories, Working with SQL

4:30pm EDT

C9 | All you need to know about Pacemaker and Db2 HADR for any Cloud Deplyoment

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 4

Db2 databases support the High Availability needs of many customers today. Db2 v11.5.5.0 saw the general availability of High Availability with Pacemaker on the Linux platform, providing a newer, Cloud-ready alternative to the TSA implementation. Newer releases have added support for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud environments.This workshop will give you hands-on experience for managing a Db2 HADR with Pacemaker Cluster on AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or IBM Cloud. The session will cover the Cloud-specific implementation of Fencing mechanisms and Virtual IP (VIP) addresses across different cloud platforms. Key topics include: Implementation of Route 53 for DNS-based VIP management, Setup of Disk Fencing, Qdevice (Quorum Device) for enhanced split-brain prevention.

Speakers

Thomas Rech

Architect Db2 SAP Dev. & Client Adoption Engineering, IBM

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW

4:30pm EDT

D9 | Db2 DDF and DBATs and Connections re-explained from a user perspective

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 5

Distributed client applications (from a server) are the most important and common of new workload using Db2 Z.
There are many concepts and terms thrown around which we often too often gloss over without a complete understanding.
This presentation will re-explain basic terms from my user perspective plus share some experiences learned (the hard way?) over recent years.
This presentation covers THREADS and DBATS and CONNECTION. What they mean and how they work and what our Db2 can tell us about their usage and importance.

Speakers

Brian Laube

Db2 DBA, Manulife Financial

Brian Laube is an application DBA for Db2 Z working for Manulife Financial in Canada. Brian has experience with performance monitoring, SQL, application developement, security and everything else in the mainframe world.
Brian has been an IBM Champion since 2017. Brian is one of the directors of the Central Canada Db2 User Group which still holds an annual TWO day in-person user-group event! Brian Laube has presented at many IDUG conferences since 2015 in both NA and EMA. Brian is a volunteer with... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AppDev, Back to Basics, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories

4:30pm EDT

E9 | Basic Automation, Or, How To Make The Database Do Your Job For You

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 6

In today’s busy environment, there is a lot of pressure to automate as much as possible. To that end, and lacking AI tools to do my job, I have come up with a few shortcuts that allow me to automate some normally onerous tasks. In this presentation, I will describe and document some tasks I have automated in my shop. Hopefully some of this will prove useful.

Speakers

Mark McNary

DBA, umb bank n.a.uu

I have been working with DB2 since 1989 in a variety of positions, from heads-down development, to systems design to database design and DBA work. . I love to talk about databases in general, and especially DB2. I also have extensive experience with Oracle, SQL Server, and Sybase... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
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Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Automation, Back to Basics, User Stories

4:30pm EDT

F9 | Data curation as strategic advantage

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 7

Organizations that have optimized institutional data through governance, stewardship, and quality management are AI‑ready by design. Leveraging that institutional data both internally and externally for competitive advantage opens possibilities at scale never before imagined. This session will discuss:
Tool adoption without data maturity creates risk: Weak data foundations lead to unreliable results, reduced transparency, and diminished business value.AI builds on existing data foundations: Incremental enhancements—such as data scraping, enrichment, and feature refinement—are most effective when layered on curated data stores.Efficient access to data still matters: AI tools need immediate access to data.Data curation presents as a DBA responsibility: DBAs control data curation through standard operating procedures and best practices. Decision engines still matter: AI outputs are only as effective as the decision logic, controls, and context in which they operate.AI is an evolution of data expertise, not a replacement: The role of data professionals becomes more critical, installing guardrails in automation and scalable intelligence.This session reframes AI success as the amplification of long‑standing data discipline. Attendees will gain practical insight into what they are doing today, for better or worse, that is curating data and what approaches they can apply to improve AI positioning. Best practices in database management are not a preparatory step for AI, but translate directly into sustainable AI advantage.

Speakers

Anne Hoelscher

Senior Director, BMC

Anne Hoelscher is a Senior Director of Product Development with many years of mainframe experience, starting in Db2 V1.2. Her early years were focused primarily on Db2 data management, architecture, and enterprise-scale data processing including consulting with new to Db2 customers... Read More →

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience Intermediate
Subject z/OS
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Back to Basics, Best Practices

5:30pm EDT

Evening Reception

Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Reception

Audience All

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