IDUG NA 2026: Full Schedule

In a world powered by Db2, the rapid evolution of AI makes it hard to separate fact from fiction. Are DBAs being replaced? Will AI rewrite COBOL? Can we afford to ignore quantum encryption? Join our session to cut through the noise, demystify the biggest industry myths, and get real answers directly from industry leaders. Bring your questions!

Speakers

John Campbell

Distinguished Technical Consultant, Broadcom

John is an IBM Alumni, a retired IBM Distinguished Engineer, and now works as a Distinguished Technical Consultant for Broadcom Inc. He has worked with Db2 for z/OS for over 40 years and has extensive experience with Db2 in terms of systems, database and application design. He specialises... Read More →

Tracy Hutcheson

Director, Data Management, Broadcom

Namik Hrle

CTO & MSD Fellow, Broadcom

Sponsors

Broadcom

Monday October 26, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Triumph C/D

Keynote, Keynote

Audience All

10:00am EDT

Coffee Break

Monday October 26, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT

Triumph C/D

Monday October 26, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Break

Audience All

10:20am EDT

A1 | Spotlight: Db2 for z/OS Trends and Directions

Monday October 26, 2026 10:20am - 10:35am EDT

Magnificent 3

Come to listen to the architects of Db2 for z/OS explain overall strategy, review recent new features delivered in Db2 and also take a look at the future - where Db2 is going and why. We will talk about planning for the next version and you will learn what you need to know and actions you should start to take now to prepare for the future of IBM's flagship database.

Speakers

Haakon Roberts

DE, CTO, IBM

Haakon Roberts is an IBM Distinguished Engineer based at the Silicon Valley Laboratory in San Jose, California. He is the chief architect for Db2 for z/OS and Tools and CTO of IBM z Data & AI. He holds several patents and is a leading expert in database management, data integrity... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 10:20am - 10:35am EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Db2 Spotlight

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Latest and Features z/OS

10:20am EDT

B1 | Db2 LUW Spotlight Session

Monday October 26, 2026 10:20am - 10:35am EDT

Magnificent 1

Hear from the lab leadership on the latest shipped + announced Db2 content, and our perspective and vision for the future. We'll cover key enhancements in the latest modpacks (12.1.4 / 12.1.5) and give you a sneak peak at what's coming in 12.1.6 and beyond.

Speakers

Satya Krishaswamy

Director, Hybrid Data Management Development, IBM

Monday October 26, 2026 10:20am - 10:35am EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Db2 Spotlight

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Latest and Features LUW

10:20am EDT

C1 | Growing the Next Generation of Db2 Professionals: Frameworks for the Future

Monday October 26, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 4

Organizations running Db2 increasingly face a shortage of experienced administrators while environments grow more complex. This session explores a structured approach to developing new Db2 professionals using guided learning, hands-on labs, and coaching from experienced practitioners. We’ll share lessons learned from building scalable training models that accelerate time-to-productivity for new Db2 administrators.

Speakers

Mark Bylok

IBM Systems Tech Training Manager, IBM

Mark Bylok leads IBM Systems Training programs focused on developing technical skills for enterprise platforms including IBM Z, Power, and Storage. His work centers on building scalable learning paths, hands-on labs, and mentorship models that accelerate the development of new system... Read More →

Shelly Meierarend

IBM Z and LinuxONE Client & University Academic Global Skills Leader, IBM

Monday October 26, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Special Interest Group

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area User Stories

11:30am EDT

A2 | What’s New in Db2 for z/OS Performance

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 3

Db2 for z/OS continues to advance through continuous delivery, introducing functional and performance enhancements that improves application availability, compatibility and operational efficiency. Effectively exploiting these capabilities requires understanding not only what has changed, but how the changes interact with workloads, subsystem configuration, and the underlying IBM Z platform.
This session provides a technical deep dive into recent Db2 for z/OS feature enhancements, and how these updates influence performance areas such as CPU consumption, concurrency behavior, and subsystem scalability. It will cover applicable monitoring and instrumentation updates and guide the tuning decisions.
Attendees will leave with concrete technical guidance, exploitation considerations, and best practices for applying recent Db2 for z/OS enhancements.

Speakers

Akiko Hoshikawa

Db2 for z/OS development, IBM

Akiko Hoshikawa is a Distinguished Engineer at IBM’s Silicon Valley Laboratory, specializing in performance, AI-driven optimization and advanced data technologies. She leads initiatives that integrate artificial intelligence with Db2 for z/OS. Akiko’s work focuses on simplifying... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Latest and Features z/OS, Performance and Monitoring

11:30am EDT

B2 | Db2 LUW - Latest from the Lab

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

Learn about the latest developments in Db2 ecosystem coming out of the Labs. A refresher on whats been delivered already. A deep dive into the most recently released mod packs. And catch a sneak peak at our future plans.

Speakers

Mike Springgay

STSM Db2 Architect, IBM

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Latest and Features LUW

11:30am EDT

C2 | A 50 Cent tour of DB2

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 4

With fewer schools teaching DB2 for z/OS, it often falls on the DBAs to provide instruction for the programming staff. This is a very basic introduction to DB2 concepts and vocabulary, aimed at the novice user of DB2, or anyone who must train novice users.

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 →

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

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

11:30am EDT

D2 | Db2 Practically Speaking: 40 Years in the Trenches

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 5

In this engaging and experience-rich session, Craig Mullins shares hard-earned lessons from four decades working with Db2 in real-world environments. The session goes beyond theory to explore what actually works—and what doesn’t—when managing, tuning, and evolving mission-critical Db2 systems and applications. Drawing on stories from the field, Craig highlights key pitfalls, performance insights, and practical strategies that have stood the test of time, offering attendees actionable guidance they can apply immediately in today’s complex data landscape.
In essense, this session is a walkthrough of things I have learned throughout my career as a developer, a DBA, an industry analyst, and a consultant. It will discuss best practices and experiences with an eye toward offering practical advice for all Db2 practitioners.

Speakers

Craig Mullins

Principal Consultant, Mullins Consulting, Inc.

Craig S. Mullins is a data management strategist, researcher, and consultant with over four decades of experience with database systems. He is president and principal consultant of Mullins Consulting, Inc. focusing on mainframe, data, and database issues. He has worked with Db2 since... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories, Working with SQL

11:30am EDT

E2 | Conversations with IBM Bob On Database Modernisation

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 6

IBM Bob makes a huge difference to understanding, modernising and administering systems developed with Db2 (both LUW and z/OS) as the underlying database. I will talk about my real-world experiences bringing IBM Bob into my workflow and the benefits it made in terms of efficiency and quality of the outcomes. I will also explain why I turned from an AI sceptic to enthusiast once I got hold of the right tools.
After struggling to get value out of other AI assistants when modernising and administering Db2 applications (both LUW and z/OS), I turned to IBM Bob when it became available. Having become an "AI assistant cynic" I quickly became a real enthusiast. IBM Bob understands the technology I am working with and provides real value, but in a way that leaves me always in control. This presentation describes my journey from initial experimentation to real world business value. I'll describe how IBM Bob facilitated system understanding, assisted with structural change and application modernisation.

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 →

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject Cross Platform
Area Modernization in Development, User Stories

12:30pm EDT

Lunch

Monday October 26, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Monday October 26, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Lunch

Audience All

2:00pm EDT

A3 | Db2 for z/OS Utilities - What's New?

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 3

There have been several useful enhancements made in Db2 for z/OS utilities in recent years. This session will explain what has been delivered and how best to take advantage of these new features. We will also provide some insight into future plans leading up to the next version of Db2.

Speakers

Haakon Roberts

DE, CTO, IBM

Parker Weber

Senior developer, Rocket Software

Parker Weber is a senior developer within the Db2 for z/OS utilities team with primary responsibility for the REORG utility - the utility that is of crucial importance and central to Db2's online schema strategy.

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Latest and Features z/OS

2:00pm EDT

B3 | Db2 LUW V12: New Security Features and Changes

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 1

This session will cover the new features in Db2 12.1 security, covering 12.1.3, 12.1.4 and 12.1.5. Attend to hear about new auditing capabilities, including audit to cloud object storage, and directly to CSV files. You will also learn about new JWT authentication enhancements features online key retrieval. 12.1.5 sees the completion of the reduce file permission feature started in 12.1.2 that really locks down a Db2 instance. You will also hear about new Quantum Safe Crypto support in TLS.

Speakers

Greg Stager

Senior Software Developer, DB2 Engine Development - Security, IBM

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Latest and Features LUW, Security and Compliance

2:00pm EDT

C3 | Challenges for the Successful Db2 13 Lock Structure Async Duplex Implementation at Itaú Unibanco

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 4

Ensuring high availability and resilience is a core requirement for modern enterprise data platforms. In Db2 Data Sharing environments, lock structures are a fundamental component for maintaining system stability and consistent performance under continuous, mission-critical workloads.
At Itaú Unibanco S.A., Db2 for z/OS supports essential banking applications operating 24x7, across transactional and batch workloads in a large-scale production environment. As part of its ongoing resilience and architecture evolution strategy, Itaú adopted the Db2 Lock Structure Asynchronous Duplex capability.
This implementation strengthened the platform’s resilience posture by increasing fault tolerance, enhancing operational continuity during infrastructure maintenance, and reinforcing overall system stability.
In this presentation, specialists from Itaú and IBM share practical insights from the initiative, including architectural motivations, implementation considerations, testing approaches, and results achieved. The discussion highlights how close collaboration between client and vendor supported the successful adoption of advanced Db2 z/OS capabilities in a complex enterprise environment.

Speakers

Paulo Rogério Petrachini

Db2 z/OS Specialist, Banco Itaú Unibanco S.A.

Paulo Rogério Petrachini has worked with Db2 z/OS for over 30 years, acting both as a Systems Programmer and DBA in large private banks in Brazil, which have complex and heavy Db2 mission-critical workloads processing in data-sharing groups.

José Eduardo Pol

IBM Certified Expert Technical Specialist & IBM Premium Support, IBM Brasil

José Eduardo Pol, is a consulting IT specialist certificated, with over 30 years of experience working at IBM Brazil supporting clients in a variety of subject in Db2 for z/OS area. Currently works as Db2 for z/OS IBM Premium Support for a large Bank in Brazil acting as focal point... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Database Resiliency, User Stories

2:00pm EDT

E3 | Amazon RDS for Db2 Service Deep Dive: Architecture, Operations, and Best Practices

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 6

Amazon RDS for Db2 addresses growing demand for Db2 cloud migration by delivering a fully managed service with push-button deployment — provision a production-ready Db2 instance in minutes, not days. Automated patching, backups, scaling, and failover eliminate undifferentiated heavy lifting. This deep dive covers RDS for Db2 through the Well-Architected Framework: Operational Excellence, Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, and Cost Optimization. Attendees learn how a managed service reduces admin burden, improves uptime, and frees teams to focus on innovation. Leave with a blueprint for modernizing Db2.
Self-managed Db2 means manual patching, complex HA, and rising costs. Amazon RDS for Db2 fixes that — deploy production-ready Db2 in minutes with a fully managed service.This deep dive covers RDS for Db2 through the Well-Architected Framework: Operational Excellence (automated patching, backups, monitoring), Security (encryption, IAM, VPC), Reliability (Multi-AZ, cross-region DR), Performance Efficiency (right-sizing, storage tuning), and Cost Optimization (Reserved Instances, TCO savings vs. self-managed).Live demos and customer patterns show how to provision, secure, and optimize RDS for Db2 for production. Migrating from Linux or AIX? Optimizing an existing deployment? Leave with a well-architected blueprint for Db2 as a managed service on AWS.

Speakers

Ashish Prasad

Solutions Architect, AWS

Ashish Prasad is a Solutions Architect with a focus on relational database (Db2, Oracle, PostgreSQL) and analytics at AWS. He works with AWS customers and certified partners to provide technical assistance and design customer solutions on cloud migration projects, helping customers... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, Modernization in Operations

2:00pm EDT

F3 | Debugging SQL PL - Without a Debugger

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 7

Db2 enables developers to write Procedures, Functions, and Triggers using SQL PL (SQL Procedure Language). While IBM does provide a debugger that can be used to debug SQL PL, users may not want to run a debugger in production. This session will explore alternatives to using the Unified Debugger. At the end of this session, you should be able to use the techniques discussed in this presentation to Debug an SQL PL application (Procedure, Function, or Trigger).

Speakers

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 →

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AppDev, Back to Basics, Working with SQL

2:00pm EDT

IDUG Badging

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Magnificent 2B

Sponsors

IDUG

Monday October 26, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Magnificent 2B

Badging, Certification & Badging

Audience All
Subject LUW

3:00pm EDT

Coffee Break

Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Break

Audience All

3:20pm EDT

A4 | JC Greatest Hits, War Stories and Best Practice 2026

Monday October 26, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm EDT

Magnificent 3

This session will share experience from client studies and engagements: sharing proven recommended best practice; learning good, bad and ugly; providing answers ti important, frqeeunt or difficuly questions. This session will cover the following topics: Complacency about component failure and ability to absorb workload failover in a dat asharing environment; missed opportinity for elapsed time performance improvementnfor skip sequnetial batch processing; misteps in evaluating the performance benenfit of CICS-Db2 thread reuse and RELEASE(DEALLOCATE); SQL coding to avoid update anomaly when using cursor stability isolation; misadventures when using High Performance DBATs;monitoring WLM policy achievement; options for mass data recovery following logical data recovery and data loss; performance issue with remote DDF batch workload; tuning ogf GBPs; thorough Disaster Restart testing.

Speakers

John Campbell

Distinguished Technical Consultant, Broadcom

Monday October 26, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Database Resiliency, Latest and Features z/OS, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories

3:20pm EDT

C4 | Enabling Mainframe Data for Next-Gen Innovation

Monday October 26, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm EDT

Magnificent 4

The future of enterprise innovation depends on unlocking the full potential of your mainframe data. Today, critical business data is siloed across Db2, IMS, VSAM, and other legacy sources slowing progress and consuming up to 80% of analysts’ time in preparation instead of insight. Traditional ETL and data warehouses can’t keep pace with the demands of real-time analytics, AI, and cloud-native applications.
This session explores how a unified data virtualization layer connects your mainframe data to the digital ecosystem—securely, instantly, and without costly replication. Imagine real-time access to all your enterprise data through RESTful APIs, JDBC, ODBC, and SQL—fueling advanced analytics, machine learning, and next-gen applications.
Join us to explore how your organization can move beyond silos and embrace a future of agility, speed, and innovation. The next era of data-driven transformation starts now—are you ready?

Speakers

Jim Wankowski

Principal Solutions Advisor, Rocket Software

Jim Wankowski is an accomplished technology leader and Principal Solutions Advisor at Rocket Software, specializing in IBM Data Virtualization Manager for z/OS (DVM) and OMEGAMON AI for Db2. As the global lead technical resource for DVM, Jim partners with major enterprises worldwide... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Data Movement and Integration, Modernization in Development

3:20pm EDT

F4 | SQL Oldies but Goodies and the Power of the SQL Rewrite

Monday October 26, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm EDT

Magnificent 7

There have been so many enhancements in Db2 SQL for developers in the last 3 or 4 versions that many developers have never really taken advantage of. This presentation picks my personal favorites that I believe all developers should get knowledgeable on and possibly applied to current and future applications. Developers should be informed of all of newer features in Db2 and this presentation is a great summary for this topic. When it comes to performance, often times the answer to better performance is rewriting queries different ways, and redesigning programs differently. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of some great SQL enhancements, application table designs, along with getting stronger in the SQL language. This is a great session for developers on Db2 LUW or Db2 z/OS. Developers 'Get Empowered'.

Speakers

Tony Andrews

Mainframe developer, Db2 SQL Performance and Tuning, Db2 trainer, P&T Solutions, Inc.

Tony Andrews has more than 30 years’ experience in the development of relational database applications. Most of this time, he has provided development and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Tony has written literally thousands of queries and programs... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject Cross Platform
Area AppDev, Back to Basics, Best Practices, Latest and Features z/OS, Working with SQL

4:30pm EDT

B5 | Introducing Db2 Serverless - the database service for the AI Era

Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

In this session we will show you how application building with a serverless database gives you superpowers. Serverless databases are built for the AI Era handling the workloads of the future and turning you into a 10X Engineer. We will show you how to develop applications for Db2 from prompt to production and demonstrate how a serverless database tackles AI and Machine driven workloads all while reducing cost and effort. Join us for this groundbreaking session and experience the future of Db2 SaaS services!

Speakers

Andrew Hilden

Chief Architect Db2 SaaS, IBM

Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse, Modernization in Development

4:30pm EDT

D5 | DBA 2.0 - Making Change the DBA's Advantage

Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 5

The role of the DBA has evolved over the years. As businesses across the globe embrace digital transformation, and customer expectations increase, the traditional rules of engagement must be reconsidered, and the DBA remains a key lynch-pin in the Agile journey to DevOps. This presentation will review the old rules of engagement, and express the importance of communication, trust, embracing change, and automation tools in modern software development in the age of AI.

Speakers

Marcus Davage

Lead Product Developer, BMC Software Ltd

I’m a senior engineering leader with more than 35 years working across IBM Z, Db2 for z/OS, and large‑scale enterprise systems — helping organisations cut cost, reduce risk, and modernise. My career has focused on solving the kinds of performance, scalability, and architectural... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, AppDev, Automation, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations

4:30pm EDT

F5 | You should concentrate (your literals) - Dynamic SQL performance tips

Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 7

In today's world, dynamic SQL usage is on the rise.The presentation will show ways to enhance dynamic SQL performance,Focusing on CSWL feature with actual big savings achieved.Skeleton:Dynamic vs static SQL Literals vs parameter markersDSC Cost vs benefit LimitationsCSWL How does it work Cost vs benefit Where can I use it Real life savings from mataf Limitations Should I use it globally?

Speakers

Shay Miller

DBA, FIBI

I'm a DBA of DB2 for zOS for 25 years, both system DBA and application DBA.I've worked as a DBA in the IDF and for the last 18 years in FIBI.
I've attended IDUG EMEA 2015 at Dublin.I've attended and presented a session in IDUG NA 2024 at Charlotte.
I hold the following IBM certif... Read More →

Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AppDev, Best Practices, Latest and Features z/OS, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories, Working with SQL

5:30pm EDT

IDUG Welcome Reception

Monday October 26, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Monday October 26, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Reception

Audience All

7:00am EDT

Breakfast

Tuesday October 27, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT

Triumph A/B

Tuesday October 27, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT
Triumph A/B

IDUG, Breakfast

Audience All

9:00am EDT

K2 Hosted by IBM at TechXchange

Tuesday October 27, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

IBM TechXchange

Sponsors

IBM

Tuesday October 27, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
IBM TechXchange

Keynote, Keynote

Audience All

10:00am EDT

Coffee Break

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT

Triumph C/D

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Break

Audience All

10:20am EDT

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

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

Magnificent 1

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
Magnificent 1

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

Magnificent 4

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
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Best Practices, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories, 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
Magnificent 6

Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices

11:30am EDT

B7 | Db2 LUW Back to Basics - Backup and recovery

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

Magnificent 1

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
Magnificent 1

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

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

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

Magnificent 6

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
Magnificent 6

Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Database Resiliency, Modernization in Operations

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

Magnificent 3

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
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

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

2:00pm EDT

C8 | Db2 as Containerized Deployment

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

Magnificent 4

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

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
Magnificent 6

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

Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 7

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
Magnificent 3

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
Magnificent 1

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

Tuesday October 27, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track E, Technical Session

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

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

7:00am EDT

Breakfast

Wednesday October 28, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT

Triumph A/B

Wednesday October 28, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT
Triumph A/B

IDUG, Breakfast

Audience All

9:00am EDT

K3 IDUG Women in Technology (WIT)

Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Triumph C/D

Sponsors

Broadcom

Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Triumph C/D

Keynote, Keynote

Audience All

10:00am EDT

Coffee Break

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT

Triumph C/D

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Break

Audience All

10:20am EDT

A10 | Revisiting Parallelism: Targeted Use of zIIP Processors for Db2 Queries

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 3

This presentation explores the nuances of query parallelism in Db2, focusing on how to effectively tune queries for optimal zIIP exploitation. Attendees will gain insights through real-world query examples, highlighting the critical distinction of query access paths between iterative and merge strategies that are key to achieving successful query parallelism. Practical use cases will illustrate these principles in action, showcasing tangible improvements. Additionally, we will discuss how ChatGPT can assist in the query tuning processs. Join us to rediscover the power of parallelism and leverage zIIP processors to their fullest potential.

Speakers

Thomas Baumann

Data Evangelist, Swiss Mobiliar

As Data Evangelist at Swiss Mobiliar in Bern, Switzerland, Thomas is dedicated to optimizing databases and managing database risks. When he's not in the office, he can be found sharing his expertise on database optimization and risk management at various speaking engagements. Thomas... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories, Working with SQL

10:20am EDT

B10 | Hard Lessons Learned with High Performance DBATs for Db2 for z/OS

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 1

High Performance DBATs (HP DBATS) is a very important performance feature of Db2 for DDF workloads. If applied and used intelligently this feature can generate significant savings in CPU resource consumption. This session will cover the following topics: what is a connection?; what is a DBAT (THREAD)?; thread (DBAT) pooling and DRDA inactive connections; what are High Performance DBATs; good candidate application workloads for High Performance DBATs; general guidance for configuring High Performance DBATs; performance metrics and monitoring; WLM and High Performance DBATs; Issues; Summary.

Speakers

John Campbell

Distinguished Technical Consultant, Broadcom

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories

10:20am EDT

F10 | AI as a partner for the Db2 Professional

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 7

Db2 professionals manage complex and mission-critical data environments where troubleshooting, performance analysis, and knowledge discovery can be time-consuming. In this session, we explore how GenAI can assist Db2 professionals by helping understand database structures, maintain environments and accelerate problem diagnosis. Through practical examples, we demonstrate how AI can act as a partner, augmenting expertise and helping teams work more efficiently while maintaining the reliability expected from enterprise Db2 systems.

Speakers

Claire Connor

Principal Presales Consultant, Geniez AI

Claire Connor is a Principal Presales Consultant at Geniez AI, specialising in agentic AI and mainframe modernisation. With deep experience across IBM, managed service providers, and hybrid‑cloud strategy, she helps enterprises bridge legacy systems with cutting‑edge AI. Claire... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject AI / ML
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Best Practices, Modernization in Operations

11:30am EDT

G11 | IDUG Db2 LUW Expert Panel

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Expert Panel, Expert Panel

Audience All
Subject LUW

11:30am EDT

A11 | RTS-/Utility History and preparations for Vnext

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 3

This presentation will cover how to benefit from using Real Time Statistic (RTS) and Utility History. I will explain a useful established example of Real Time Statistic History, share which usecases are covered by RTS History and why RTS Temporal out of the box is not sufficient for everyone.
Second part will share some necessary preparations for Vnext and will cover one path and best practices to get rid of deprecated non-UTS tablespaces, what to consider and why utility history is really helpful. It will give some early experiences on FL509 support to migrate remaining Catalog&Directory tablespaces. Relevant topics like “workfile separation” will be covered as well.

Speakers

Ute Kleyensteuber

Principal Product Owner, Commerzbank AG

Ute Kleyensteuber is a Principal Product Owner, Senior Infrastructure Engineer and Director at Commerzbank AG in Germany, responsible for Db2 for z/OS since more than 35 years. Knowing and working with Db2 since Version 1.2 I've extensive experiences of Db2 in terms of system- and... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Latest and Features z/OS, User Stories

11:30am EDT

B11 | Let Me Make This as Clear as Robert: Explaining Often-Misunderstood Db2 for z/OS Buffer Pool & Group Buffer Pool Concepts

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 4

Some aspects of Db2 for z/OS BP & GBP technology are plain as day; others, less so. Questions we get from Db2 users worldwide have highlighted for us things that a lot of folks - even very experienced Db2 people - get wrong. In this session we'll try to bring clarity to oft-misunderstood areas of Db2 for z/OS BP & GBP technology.

Speakers

Anna McKee

Technical Enablement Specialist, IBM

Anna McKee is a Technical Enablement Specialist in the IBM Z Ecosystem Infrastructure, where she manages and supports all Db2 for z/OS subsystems. She works with hundreds of independent software vendors to deliver the latest SMPE maintenance, perform Db2 installations and configurations... Read More →

Mark Rader

Db2 for z/OS Specialist, IBM

Mark Rader is a Db2 for z/OS specialist in the IBM Z Worldwide Systems Center (WSC, and formerly Washington Systems Center). Mark has applied his Db2 for z/OS experience with clients across a wide variety of projects, with emphasis on availability, performance and Db2 for z/OS data... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Latest and Features z/OS

11:30am EDT

D11 | BMC Db2 High Speed Utilities - What's new !!

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 5

A review a of recent enhancements to the BMC Db2 High Speed Utilities

Speakers

Michael Cotignola

Db2 Solutions Engineer, BMC Software

Already on file

Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Utilities

12:30pm EDT

Lunch & Passport to Prizes Drawing

Wednesday October 28, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Wednesday October 28, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Lunch

Audience All

2:00pm EDT

A12 | From complexity to operational intelligence : modernizing database administration with AI on IBMZ

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 3

SQL Data Insights (SQL DI) in Db2 13 for z/OS brings built‑in AI directly into the database, enabling organizations to discover patterns, detect anomalies, and generate insights using familiar SQL—without moving data or building complex pipelines.
This session provides practical guidance on getting started with SQL DI, beginning with Db2 instrumentation data as a high‑value entry point. It will also demonstrate how to extend insights by ingesting VSAM data through Data Virtualization Manager.
In addition, the session highlights recent SQL DI enhancements, including a unified embedding model, SQL-based AI access, and incremental training capabilities—enabling teams to seamlessly embed AI into existing Db2 workflows.
The session concludes with an overview of Industry Starter Kits, featuring prebuilt datasets, vector tables, and AI queries that accelerate adoption and help organizations quickly realize high‑value use cases.

Speakers

Akiko Hoshikawa

Db2 for z/OS development, IBM

Jae Lee

Db2 for z/OS Development, IBM

Jae Lee is a Senior Software Engineer at the IBM Silicon Valley Lab, specializing in the development of Db2 AI for z/OS, SQL Data Insights, and the Db2 RDS component.

Catherine Wu

Program Director, IBM Db2 for z/OS Development and Product Management, IBM

Catherine (Yan) Wu is the Program Director for Db2 for z/OS at IBM’s Silicon Valley Lab, leading Db2 for z/OS development and product management. A skilled engineering leader, her expertise spans database management, data governance, machine learning, and enterprise design thinking... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject AI / ML
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Data Movement and Analytics, Working with SQL

2:00pm EDT

B12 | Supercharge Your Db2 Databases: Moving to Amazon RDS and Integrating AWS AI/ML

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 1

Whether you’re evaluating data movement paths for your Db2 databases or are interested in efficiently operating your already migrated Db2 databases on Amazon RDS, we’ve got you covered. In this session, learn about data movement paths, including those with minimal downtime, for Db2 databases. Explore real-world examples to learn best practices that help ensure high availability, optimize performance, and meet your compliance needs. Bring your questions and challenges—this interactive talk offers you the opportunity to hear directly from AWS experts and collaborate with your peers. Plus, see how to supercharge your applications by integrating AWS AI/ML services like Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Sagemaker directly with RDS for Db2. Join us to turn your database into a launchpad for innovation.

Speakers

Andrew Hilden

Chief Architect Db2 SaaS, IBM

Ashish Prasad

Solutions Architect, AWS

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Automation, Best Practices, Data Movement and Analytics, Data Movement and Integration, Database Resiliency

2:00pm EDT

C12 | Efficiently Finding and Fixing High Resource Consuming SQL

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 4

This presentation will demonstrate how to find, analyze and tune the top 40 expensive queries. Special emphasis will be on finding the cursors that could benefit from multi-row fetch. In addition, discussions on designing perfect indexes, MQTs and AQTs, along with manual query rewrite, SQL exploitation and most important, proper use.

Speakers

Sheryl Larsen

President, Sheryl M Larsen LLC

Sheryl Larsen is an internationally recognized researcher, consultant and lecturer, specializing in DB2 and is known for her extensive expertise in SQL. Sheryl has over 30 years’ experience in DB2, has published many articles, several popular DB2 posters, and co-authored a book... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AppDev, Back to Basics, Best Practices, Latest and Features z/OS, Modernization in Development, User Stories, Working with SQL

2:00pm EDT

E12 | Autonomous Auditing of Native Db2 Security Features

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 6

Are you challenged with tasks having to provide audit reports detailing who has access to which objects and who has which privileges – even worse, who had access 3 months ago ?Many Db2 sites are using a log tool to accomplish these tasks – but are you aware of the relatively new capabilities in Db2 dealing with security information stored in the catalog ?We will dive into what Db2 has to offer natively and how you can handle regulatory requirements in an easier way augmenting your current processes.

Speakers

Steen Rasmussen

Customer Services Consultant, Broadcom

Steen Rasmussen is a Customer Services Consultant currently instrumental in the ongoing development and support of the Broadcom Db2 solutions. In 1985 Steen started as an IMS/DB2 DBA at a major insurance company in Denmark working with all aspects of DB2 - like tuning, application... Read More →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track E, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Automation, Latest and Features z/OS, Security and Compliance

2:00pm EDT

F12 | Cost Optimization Strategies for Db2 in Public Cloud

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Magnificent 7

As organizations continue modernizing enterprise database environments and moving workloads to public cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, controlling operational cost has become one of the most critical success factors for cloud-based Db2 deployments.
This session provides a practical deep dive into cost optimization strategies for IBM Db2 environments running in public cloud infrastructures. Using real-world customer experiences and operational lessons learned, we will explore how to optimize compute, storage, networking, licensing, high availability architectures, backup strategies, and operational automation while maintaining enterprise-grade performance, resiliency, and security.
The session will cover common hidden cost drivers in cloud Db2 environments, including overprovisioned infrastructure, inefficient storage configurations, excessive replication traffic, backup retention overhead, idle standby resources, monitoring inefficiencies, and cloud-native operational challenges.
Attendees will learn actionable techniques for reducing cloud spend while improving operational efficiency through automation, observability, workload optimization, right-sizing strategies, and intelligent HA/DR design decisions.
This presentation is ideal for Db2 DBAs, cloud architects, infrastructure teams, SRE engineers, and technical leaders responsible for designing, operating, or optimizing Db2 environments in public cloud platforms.

Speakers

Mohan Saraswatipura

Senior Consultant, DBA Automation

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Db2 Cloud and Warehouse

2:00pm EDT

IDUG Badging

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Magnificent 2B

Sponsors

IDUG

Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Magnificent 2B

Badging, Certification & Badging

Audience All
Subject LUW

3:00pm EDT

Coffee Break

Wednesday October 28, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Wednesday October 28, 2026 3:00pm - 3:20pm EDT
Triumph C/D

IDUG, Break

Audience All

4:30pm EDT

G13 | IDUG Db2 z/OS Expert Panel

Wednesday October 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 3

Wednesday October 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Expert Panel, Expert Panel

Audience All
Subject z/OS

4:30pm EDT

A13 | Your AI Toolbox in Db2: Picking the Right Model When Everyone's Telling You to Use an LLM

Wednesday October 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 4

The AI problems landing on the desks of DBAs and application developers this year don't all need the same model. Some call for a Large Language Model. Others need a forecasting model, a clustering algorithm, or an embedding model. Plenty can be solved by predictive techniques that have been working quietly for years. One drawer of the toolbox has been getting all the attention. The skill that matters most, knowing which tool fits the problem, has gone quiet. If your data lives in Db2, much of the toolbox is already there.This session lays the toolbox out on the table. Two axes, what data you have and whether you have labels, organize the AI landscape into a 2×2 you can hold in your head: predictive and unsupervised models for structured data, the same for unstructured data, plus embeddings and generative AI.Then we map every drawer to a Db2 capability you can use today. In-database machine learning for classification, regression, and clustering. Native vector storage and similarity search. Built-in integration with external embedding and language models. Python frameworks for retrieval-augmented applications and AI agents. We close with production patterns we've seen ship, across the full range of model types and use cases.Whether you live in SQL or Python, you'll leave knowing which tool to reach for, and where to start.

Speakers

Shaikh Quader

AI Architect and Master Inventor, IBM Db2, IBM

Wednesday October 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW

4:30pm EDT

B13 | Wrapping up Db2 11.5

Wednesday October 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

While Db2 12.1 has been out for some time with great new content, most companies are still using Db2 11.5 which has tremendous business value. Prior to upgrading to Db2 12.1 clients should take advantage of what is in 11.5 and get the most ROI with what they already have. In this session we'll go through an overview of the high value capabilities of Db2 11.5 - covering 11.5.0 through 11.5.9. This will include availability, recoverability, performance, warehouse, security, multi-model, AI capabilities and more.

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 →

Wednesday October 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse, Latest and Features LUW

7:00am EDT

Breakfast

Thursday October 29, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT

Triumph A/B

Thursday October 29, 2026 7:00am - 9:00am EDT
Triumph A/B

IDUG, Breakfast

Audience All

9:00am EDT

B14 | Db2 12.1: Ready for the Deployments and Workloads of the Future

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Magnificent 1

In this session we'll take a look at the capabilities that have been added to Db2 over the past years to prepare Db2 to meet client demands of today and the future. This will include modern deployment options such as cloud and containerized deployments - but - we'll spend more time on modern workloads such as data virtualization, multi-model support, NoSQL support, how to handle mixed workloads and, of course, AI. Many clients are using Db2 for traditional OLTP, operational and analytic workloads - but - are you getting the full value of your Db2 investment and footprint ? All these high value capabilities are there and included in your current license base. Lets unpack what they are.

Speakers

Les King

Owner, Professor, Les King Learning, Seneca College

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations

9:00am EDT

C14 | Supercharging Db2 with Generative AI: From Natural Language Queries to Autonomous Performance Optimization

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Magnificent 4

Enterprises are under pressure to deliver faster insights, streamline operations, and reduce the complexity of managing large Db2 environments. Generative AI is emerging as a practical accelerator across development, administration, and performance engineering. This session will show how teams can harness AI to translate natural language questions into accurate Db2 queries, explore schemas and dependencies without digging through documentation, and diagnose performance issues with recommendations that mirror seasoned experts. We will walk through real use cases that demonstrate how GenAI can simplify workloads, cut troubleshooting time, and improve SQL efficiency, giving developers, DBAs, and performance analysts a powerful new set of tools to boost productivity and unlock the full value of Db2.

Speakers

Chris Crone

Distinguished Engineer, Broadcom

Brett Morris

Distinguished Engineer, Broadcom

Brett Morris is a Distinguished Engineer specializing in UI/UX and agentic workflows designed to elevate Broadcom Mainframe products. With 30 years of experience in architecting and developing software, his expertise spans Enterprise Content Management, search, analytics, and business... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

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

9:00am EDT

D14 | Agentic Data Operations: Autonomy Over Automation

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Magnificent 5

When a Db2 or IMS issue occurs, resolution often relies on time-critical manual analysis. This session explores how agentic AI is evolving the operational model for IMS and Db2—moving beyond scripted automation toward more adaptive, AI-assisted approaches for handling complex runtime scenarios. Through a live demo grounded in real client feedback from a large financial services organization, we demonstrate how these approaches can reduce time to resolution and improve operational efficiency. We also examine how AI-assisted decisioning can support routine maintenance, ensuring actions are recommended within defined rules, governance boundaries, and measurable value.
Co-presented with Anshul Agrawal, this technically focused session will also be submitted to IBM TechXchange.

Speakers

Marcus Davage

Lead Product Developer, BMC Software Ltd

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject AI / ML
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Automation, Modernization in Operations

10:00am EDT

Coffee Break

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT

Magnificent Foyer

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:20am EDT
Magnificent Foyer

IDUG, Break

Audience All

10:20am EDT

A15 | Db2 for z/OS Config-as-Code: Automated Subsystem Configuration Discovery and Provisioning

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 3

In this session, we will introduce a z/OS middleware configuration tool (zconfig), which is an automation tool that in a very intuitive way, will help you to discover the configuration parameters of any of your Db2 subsystems. Additionally, you will be able to provision new Db2 subsystems with a configuration like the one just discovered.
Bringing configuration-as-code and automation to Db2 for z/OS environments modernize how to perform operational processes towards your Db2 subsystem management.
Join this session to learn practical approaches to modernizing your Db2 subsystem management.

Speakers

Sueli Almeida

IBM Certified Thought Leader, IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Shirley Xiao

Db2 Software engineer, IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Shirley Xiao is a Software Developer working on Db2 for z/OS at IBM. She started her career at IBM working on Db2 Data Manager and now focuses on modernizing Db2 through automation, tooling, and DevOps practices. Her work includes building Db2 automation tools, integrating Db2 with... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

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

10:20am EDT

D15 | Db2 Z and the CIA

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 5

Db2 Z and the CIA is a powerful informational combination. To be clear, the CIA is the Compliance Information Analysis product available for free to many users of Db2 Z (if you have Broadcom products). Broadcom introduced the CIA as a subproduct of ACF2. It is now an independent product available to most users of their products. The CIA provides a series of Db2 tables that can contain all the information from your external-security-manager (ESM), whether it is ACF2, RACF, or TopSecret. Once your ESM is loaded into the CIA, it is relatively more accessible to the curious end-user! SQL SELECT can be used to easily build interesting and useful and focused reports about your security configuration. This presentation will go over the basics of mainframe security and the basics of the CIA and how to build and populate. Finally, interesting CIA tables and views (and sample SELECTs) will be highlighted to show why it is useful.

Speakers

Brian Laube

Db2 DBA, Manulife Financial

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, Security and Compliance, User Stories, Working with SQL

10:20am EDT

F15 | Screening in a Virtualized Production Environment

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT

Magnificent 7

Most IT experts know the catchphrase “Never change a running system” very well, especially once you experience that a small change can have a significant impact. Anyway, “The only constant is change” is very true as well. Even if we don’t touch an application for enhancements, we’ll face security updates, software updates, hardware updates, configuration changes and data growth.
Before moving to a new machine, applying (Db2) APARs, changing schema, or SQL, it’s common to test in a sand-box, or development system – very good, but here come the challenges:
1st There are quite a few regulations that affect reliable testing of changes and they all have one in common – DON’T USE PRODUCTION DATA!!!
2nd Without real data, or with data masked and sanitized, we’ll very likely see different results than running one and the same query in production.
This session explains how you can reliably, and resource-friendly, simulate your entire production environment, WITHOUT production data and even on a different machine.
We’ll cover prescreening changes in the following areas:

environment changes, like upgrading to a new machine, or adding more resources
application changes, like SQL queries and schema
data changes, like amount and distribution

The capabilities introduce a whole new world of "what if" opportunities and especially protect you from testing that doesn’t focus on what counts: the resulting performance in your production environment.

Speakers

Ulf Heinrich

Director Solutions Delivery, SEGUS Inc

Ulf Heinrich specialized in Db2 recovery and operations, managing cost reduction and 24×7 operations. As a consultant at large customer sites, he has implemented database maintenance procedures and recovery strategies, and also experienced the pitfalls of recovery scenarios under... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Modernization in Development, Performance and Monitoring

11:30am EDT

A16 | Wowe Zowe...APIs not AIs

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 3

I have a passion for all things mainframe especially Db2 for z/OS.
I like to tell non-technical folks what I do is make the mainframe & its databases a little easier to work with—and maybe a little less intimidating for the next generation of users.”
“honestly—when people hear ‘mainframe,’ they don’t always think modern, developer-friendly, and easy to integrate with.
But that’s exactly what we’re going to challenge today.”
“What I’m hoping to show you is that modernization isn’t about replacing the mainframe—it’s about unlocking more value from it, making it easier to use, and integrating it seamlessly into how we already build and deliver applications today.”
“So whether you’re deeply familiar with the platform, or just curious about how it fits into a modern development lifecycle—there should be something useful here for you.”

Speakers

Chris Muncan

Lead Mainframe DBA, Sun Life

I started my career by accident by saying I want to learn COBOL as a fresh college graduate. Best mistake of my life. Now nearly 20 years on the mainframe with the first 10 years as a COBOL/CICS/Db2 developer and fell in love with Db2 and worked with Db2 since V9.

I am an Infrastructure DBA working on Db2 for z/OS at Sun Life Financial, a global insurance provider., Main responsibilities are taking the Db2 DBA space to the next level by exploiting the capabilities of current tools along with adopting new modern technology & tooling such as... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 3

Track A, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Automation, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations, User Stories

11:30am EDT

B16 | Db2 for z/OS Applications now Empowered by OpenTelemetry

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

IBM System Z and Db2 for z/OS applications are essential to the successful operations and business workflows for major companies. Join our discussion on OpenTelemetry and its powerful impact on observability across your entire business environment. Whether you're a System Reliability Engineer or an Application Developer, this session is for you!Here's what you'll learn:

An overview of the OpenTelemetry observability framework and how it helps generate, process, and distribute telemetry data.
How Db2 for z/OS supports OpenTelemetry and how you can leverage it for your applications.
How OpenTelemetry support aligns with the broader platform, i.e. IBM System Z and Db2 for z/OS, to enhance your operations.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your understanding and implementation of OpenTelemetry within Db2 for z/OS and its futures.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your understanding and implementation of OpenTelemetry within Db2 for z/OS and its futures.

Speakers

Sueli Almeida

IBM Certified Thought Leader, IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Derek Tempongko

Back-End Developer, IBM Silicon Valley Lab

Derek Tempongko is a Senior Software Engineer on the Db2 for z/OS distributed development team at the IBM Silicon Valley Laboratory. With over 20 years of experience in Distributed Data Facility (DDF), presented at previous IDUG events, authored a Redpaper on TLS/SSL which has been... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Automation, Best Practices, Database Resiliency, Latest and Features z/OS, Modernization in Operations, Performance and Monitoring

11:30am EDT

C16 | Mainframe Ransomware Resilience: Not only about Recovery

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 4

This session explores a practical strategy for protecting mainframe data from ransomware by combining prevention, immutable backup design, and automated recovery. While strong identity controls and privileged-access protection remain the first line of defense, organizations also need resilient recovery options when logical corruption or credential-based attacks succeed. The presentation examines the strengths and limits of software-based and hardware-enabled immutable copies, including snapshots, safeguarded copies, and cyber vault architectures, and explains why backup frequency alone does not eliminate the risk of recovering corrupted data. It then addresses the critical recovery questions every enterprise must answer: when corruption began, which recovery point is trustworthy, and how to restore business-critical data without sacrificing post-backup transactions. The session concludes with an approach that pairs immutable storage for backups and transaction logs with automated forward recovery for Db2, IMS, and VSAM, helping organizations reduce data loss, strengthen cyber resilience, and align with growing regulatory expectations for isolated, restorable backups under frameworks such as DORA and industry guidance on resilient recovery.

Speakers

Chad Reiber

Software Engineer, BMC Software

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Database Resiliency

11:30am EDT

D16 | Agentic AI on the Mainframe: Autonomous Db2 Workflows Without Custom Infrastructure

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 5

AI agents are moving beyond chatbots and code suggestions. The next frontier is agentic AI — systems that autonomously plan multi-step tasks, invoke tools, handle branching logic, and execute end-to-end workflows with minimal human intervention. This session shows how that capability applies directly to Db2 for z/OS operations today, using tooling already available in your environment.
The architectural foundation is simpler than it appears: a well-documented CLI is already an agent interface. The Zowe CLI ecosystem — including its Db2 plugin and the richer vendor-supplied extensions published to the Zowe conformance catalog — gives an AI agent a complete, auditable means to act on the mainframe. The agent does not wait for step-by-step instructions; it reasons over the task, selects the right tool from its available plugin set, chains the necessary operations, and executes.
This session presents a layered agent architecture purpose-built for Db2 workflows in production environments:
Execution layer: A base skill encoding the Zowe CLI interface — translating agent intent into exact, logged commands with safe defaults enforcedDomain layer: A Db2-specific reasoning layer encoding your object model, naming conventions, environment topology, and operational runbooks — the institutional knowledge that typically lives in a senior DBA's headGuardrail layer: Explicit constraints on what the agent executes autonomously versus what requires human sign-off, scoped by environment, subsystem, or operation classWe will demonstrate this using vendor-supplied database management plugins available in the Zowe ecosystem. By exposing operations like DDL generation, schema comparison across subsystems, validation, deployment, and object migration through a CLI interface, an agent can autonomously execute workflows that previously required manual expert coordination — generating DDL for a target object, comparing it against a reference subsystem, validating dependencies, and staging the deployment artifact as a single orchestrated task.
We will also show how the compounding architecture scales across your full mainframe stack. Institutional knowledge encoded once — for Db2, for your SCM tool, for your CICS or MQ environment — becomes a reusable agent capability. Each domain layer builds on the same execution foundation, and the agent chains them together as the workflow demands.
Attendees will leave with a concrete architecture for deploying agentic AI on Db2 z/OS, practical guardrail patterns that make autonomous execution safe in production, and a clear understanding of how the depth of the Zowe plugin ecosystem — open-source and vendor-supplied alike — becomes a direct multiplier for what an AI agent can accomplish.

Speakers

Sridhar Pratik Shanmugam

Staff Software Engineer, Broadcom

Sridhar Pratik Shanmugam is a Staff software engineer at Broadcom with over 13 years of experience in software automation, quality assurance, and enterprise test framework architecture. He specializes in applying modern AI and agentic workflows to mainframe operations, with deep hands-on... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject AI / ML
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Automation, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations

11:30am EDT

E16 | Db2 Always On Architecture

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Magnificent 6

In this presentation we will discuss the resiliency offerings for DB2 and how they can be combined to provide an Always On architecture. What are the process changes required, how to I determine what needs to be done and what can I do today. The IBM Always On architecture allows you to run your client facings systems 24 by 7 by 365 with zero downtime.

Speakers

Dale McInnis

STSM, Db2 Client Adoption Engineering, IBM

Thursday October 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track F, Technical Session

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Back to Basics, Database Resiliency

12:40pm EDT

IDUG Closing Comments

Thursday October 29, 2026 12:40pm - 1:15pm EDT

Triumph C/D

Sponsors

IDUG

Thursday October 29, 2026 12:40pm - 1:15pm EDT
Triumph C/D

Keynote, Keynote

Audience All

1:15pm EDT

Lunch for Workshop Attendees

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:00pm EDT

Magnificent Foyer

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 2:00pm EDT
Magnificent Foyer

IDUG, Lunch

Audience All

2:00pm EDT

B201 | From Db2 First Responder to Emergency Technician - The problem determination master workshop

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Magnificent 1

Db2 delivers a wide range of tools for problem determination. Those tools range from the new Log Analysis Capability in IBM Db2 Genius Hub to classical tools that can and should be used for deeper analysis. As the Db2 community constantly welcomes new database administrators and application developers, an effecient tooling and its use is required for those new community mambers. The session will share tools and best practices for the first occurrence data capture (FODC) tools available for DBAs and developers. This session will cover the first steps in the process of problem determination and problem source identification (PD/PSI). It provides hands-on and practical examples for the strategy and process to encircle and find problems by asking the right questions.

Speakers

Thomas Rech

Architect Db2 SAP Dev. & Client Adoption Engineering, IBM

Sponsors

IBM

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Magnificent 1

Track B, Workshop

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, Performance and Monitoring

2:00pm EDT

C201 | Db2 for z/OS modernized: Visual Studio Code deep dive

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Magnificent 4

4 hours Hands-on-lab workshop (BYOD - Bring Your Own Device)
Transition from legacy "green screen" interfaces to a modern, high-performance environment using Visual Studio Code. This workshop provides a deep dive into Zowe Explorer and the Code4z extension pack, streamlining both system and database management. You will learn to handle z/OS core tasks - including dataset and USS file operations, job submission, and CLI terminal commands - alongside essential Db2 DBA tasks like schema management and SQL execution. We will also cover best practices for managing VS Code setups and profiles to ensure your workflow is optimized for daily enterprise use. Master these modern tools to simplify and accelerate your Db2 operations.

Speakers

Jim Endler

Technical Consultant, Broadcom

Jim Endler is a Principal Technical Consultant at Broadcom who focuses on helping customers manage and optimize their Db2 for z/OS environments. He works closely with them to improve database performance and modernize operations through automation, ensuring mainframe systems remain... Read More →

Toine Michielse

Client Services Management | Mainframe Software Division | Broadcom, Broadcom

Toine Michielse believes the future of the mainframe depends on building bridges – between platforms, between generations, and between past and present ways of working.
A four-time IBM Champion and long-time advocate for modernization, Toine has reimagined what it means to be a Db2 for z/OS administrator in the era of DevOps and hybrid cloud. His message resounds: to move forward, we don’t need to discard the platform’s strengths; we need to... Read More →

Sponsors

Broadcom

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Hands-On Lab

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area AppDev, Best Practices, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations

2:00pm EDT

D201 | Hands-On Lab: Building AI Systems with Db2

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Magnificent 5

IBM Db2 offers a wide range of AI features, both built-in and external tools, for creating AI systems and solutions. These include over 200 built-in AI stored procedures and tools that work seamlessly with open-source AI ecosystems. In this workshop, participants will explore Db2’s AI support and use a selection of these features to implement practical AI models. The workshop consists of two parts. In the first module, participants will learn how to develop a supervised AI model using Db2’s built-in AI stored procedures. The entire model development and usage will be done using SQL within the database. In the second module, participants will learn how to create a Python model using popular Python packages outside of the database, and then deploy that model back into a Db2 database. By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained fundamental skills and hands-on experience in utilizing these AI capabilities. They will be able to apply these skills to their future AI projects. This workshop is designed to be beginner-friendly and does not require participants to have extensive knowledge in AI. Basic SQL skills and some Python programming skills are sufficient for attending and benefiting from this workshop.

Speakers

Shaikh Quader

AI Architect and Master Inventor, IBM Db2, IBM

Sponsors

IBM

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Hands-On Lab

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, AppDev

2:00pm EDT

E201 | Performing AI-powered SQL Queries on Db2 for z/OS

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Magnificent 6

In this hands-on lab, you'll explore advanced AI capabilities for relational data, including support for unstructured text, offloaded model training, and incremental model retraining. By combining unsupervised deep learning with traditional SQL queries, you'll learn how to perform similarity, dissimilarity, clustering, analogy, and commonality analysis directly on your Db2 for z/OS data.
Through practical exercises, you'll discover hidden relationships across tables and views, uncover actionable insights from enterprise data, and use AI-powered SQL queries to address real-world business challenges. You'll see how these techniques can be applied across industry-specific use cases to identify similar records, segment customers, detect outliers, and make more informed, data-driven decisions.
Make sure to bring your own device.

Speakers

Artem Minin

Technical Specialist, IBM

Artem is currently a Technical Specialist in IBM's WorldwideSystems Center, a team of Subject Matter Experts that provide leadingedge technical sales assistance for the design, implementation, andsupport of solutions that leverage IBM Z. Specifically, Artem is responsible for helping... Read More →

John Goodyear

z Systems Technical Support Specialist, IBM

Jae Lee

Db2 for z/OS Development, IBM

Jae Lee is a Senior Software Engineer at the IBM Silicon Valley Lab, specializing in the development of Db2 AI for z/OS, SQL Data Insights, and the Db2 RDS component.

Sponsors

IBM

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track E, Hands-On Lab

Audience All
Subject z/OS

2:00pm EDT

F201 | Optim High Performance Unload for Db2 for LUW: Accelerating Data Access and Modern Workloads

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Magnificent 7

Efficient data extraction is critical for analytics, migrations, and modern application integration. Optim High Performance Unload (HPU) provides a powerful, flexible, and lightning-fast way to unload Db2 data without impacting production workloads. This session will explore how HPU can be used for faster unloading and migrating data by using direct access methods to deliver unmatched performance compared to traditional unload utilities. In addition, we will demonstrate how HPU can recover data directly from backup images in the event of table loss, ensuring business continuity and minimizing downtime. Attendees will learn best practices for optimizing unload tasks, and handling large-scale migrations to cloud or hybrid environments. Real-world case studies will highlight performance gains, reduced disk space consumption, and simplified operations. Whether you are a DBA, or architect, this session will equip you with practical strategies to maximize the value of HPU in your enterprise.

Speakers

Vincent Arrat

Product Manager, Infotel

Vincent Arrat has been developing and supporting Optim High Performance Unload (HPU) for more than 25 years, bringing unmatched expertise in the product’s design and capabilities. With his deep knowledge of HPU, Vincent helps organizations define the best strategies to achieve their... Read More →

Cintia Ogura

Technical Support Leader for Db2 Tooling Products, IBM Corporation

Supporting Db2 Tools Products for more than 29 years, Cintia brings deep expertise in database administration and enterprise data management, with a passion for helping DBAs and architects maximize the value of Db2 tools by sharing real-world experiences. In recent years, she has... Read More →

Sponsors

IBM

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Workshop

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area Data Movement and Analytics, Data Movement and Integration, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse, Utilities

2:00pm EDT

IDUG Badging

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Magnificent 2B

Sponsors

IDUG

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Magnificent 2B

Badging, Certification & Badging

Audience All
Subject LUW

3:45pm EDT

C202 | The Hidden Mistakes That Hurt Db2 for z/OS Query Performance

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT

Magnificent 4

Even well‑written SQL can slow Db2 for z/OS when subtle mistakes slip through. In this hands‑on lab, attendees will work with preloaded queries that showcase common pitfalls—over‑indexing, missing or stale statistics, inefficient joins, unnecessary sorting, and predicate mismatches. You’ll identify the issues, apply targeted fixes, and validate improvements using metrics, access path analysis, and supporting tools.
Beyond immediate speedups, this lab reinforces a repeatable diagnostic approach that strengthens day‑to‑day tuning and sets the stage for AI‑assisted operations—where consistent, high‑quality data enables smarter automation and more reliable outcomes.

Speakers

Carlos Davis

Solutions Advisor, Rocket Software

Carlos Davis is a Solutions Advisor at Rocket Software with more than 20 years of hands-on experience powering mission critical Db2 environments across a wide range of industries. As a trusted advisor to his clients, he helps organizations maximize performance, minimize risk, and... Read More →

Sponsors

Rocket

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT
Magnificent 4

Track C, Hands-On Lab

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Back to Basics, Best Practices, Database Resiliency, Working with SQL

3:45pm EDT

D202 | Db2 z/OS Housekeeping Best Practices

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT

Magnificent 5

This 4 hours workshop - knowledge transfer session will be conducted by following presenters: Toine Michielse, Michal Bialecki, Emil Kotrc, Denis Tronin
In the world of Db2 for z/OS, "set it and forget it" is a recipe for performance degradation and wasted storage. As data volumes explode and batch windows shrink, traditional housekeeping—REORG, RUNSTATS, and IMAGE COPY—must evolve from manual chores into a streamlined, automated strategy.
This deep-dive workshop provides a comprehensive blueprint for modern Db2 maintenance. We will move past the basics to explore how to balance object availability with optimal performance. Attendees will learn how to leverage the latest utility enhancements to reduce CPU consumption, manage multi-terabyte objects, and ensure that the optimizer always has the "ground truth" through intelligent statistics collection.

Speakers

Toine Michielse

Client Services Management | Mainframe Software Division | Broadcom, Broadcom

Denis Tronin

Product Manager, Broadcom

Denis Tronin is a seasoned Product Manager in Broadcom’s Mainframe Software Division, bringing years of experience in product management and software development. His work focuses on mainframe technologies, specifically in Data Management and DevOps domains. He plays a key role... Read More →

Sponsors

Broadcom

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT
Magnificent 5

Track D, Workshop

Audience All
Subject z/OS
Area Best Practices, Latest and Features z/OS, Utilities

3:45pm EDT

E202 | Unlock the Power of Managed Data: The Amazon RDS for Db2 Immersion Day Hands-on Experience

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT

Magnificent 6

Are you ready to move beyond managing infrastructure and start innovating with your data? This hands-on workshop provides a deep dive into migrating and modernizing IBM Db2 workloads using Amazon RDS for Db2. Participants will gain practical experience in executing seamless migrations from platforms like Linux, AIX, or z/OS while ensuring high availability and optimized performance.Beyond the migration, you will explore how to unlock the value of your data by integrating AWS AI/ML services. You'll learn to build intelligent applications using Amazon Bedrock powered by your live RDS for Db2 data. By the end of this session, you will have a clear blueprint for transforming your legacy databases into a modern, AI-ready data foundation.

Speakers

Andrew Hilden

Chief Architect Db2 SaaS, IBM

Ashish Prasad

Solutions Architect, AWS

Sponsors

AWS

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT
Magnificent 6

Track E, Hands-On Lab

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Automation, Best Practices, Data Movement and Analytics, Database Resiliency, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse

3:45pm EDT

F202 | Bridging Structured and Unstructured Data: Hybrid AI Queries with Db2

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT

Magnificent 7

This hands-on lab will explore how Db2 integrates vector data with structured relational data to support AI-driven use cases. Through guided exercises, attendees will combine unstructured text-derived vectors with traditional data and apply similarity search across both. The lab shows queries that merge SQL filtering with vector similarity to enable semantic search, recommendations, and intelligent data retrieval.

Speakers

Wilfried Hoge

Senior Customer Success Engineer Data Platform, IBM

Wilfried Hoge is an IT Architect for Data Platforms at IBM, where he leads data platform solutions for the public sector in Germany. As a technical expert, he leverages his extensive experience to help organizations build modern data architectures as a reliable foundation for analytics... Read More →

Andreas Weininger

Principal Information Architecture Technical Specialist, IBM

Andreas Weininger is part of the Information Architecture team of IBM in Munich. He has more than 20 year of experience with scalable solutions for data intensive solutions focussing especially on the performance aspects. He is a regular speaker at database and data warehousing events... Read More →

Sponsors

IBM

Thursday October 29, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm EDT
Magnificent 7

Track F, Hands-On Lab

Audience All
Subject LUW
Area AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Development, Working with SQL