DbToo
DbToo lets RPG programs and Db2 for i data call AI models and outside services such as watsonx, Ollama and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. It is an experimental open-source SDK from IBM, and IBM says not to run it in production yet.
IBM calls DbToo experimental. Its documentation says it is "still in bringup state and should not be deployed to production."
What DbToo lets RPG do
It gives RPG programs and Db2 for i data a direct line to outside AI and messaging services. For example, its watsonx_generate function calls IBM watsonx's 8 billion parameter Granite 3 model.
Services it can call
| Kind | Services |
|---|---|
| AI models | IBM watsonx, Ollama, Wallaroo, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints such as llama.cpp, LM Studio, LocalAI and vLLM |
| Messaging | Kafka through Confluent, Slack, Twilio SMS |
Install details
- Compiles into an RPG-callable library named dbsdk_v1
- Built with gmake
- Runs under PASE
- Needs QIBM_DB_SECADM function usage authority to install
Related Terms
Db2 for i
The relational database management system built into every IBM i operating system, tightly integrated with IBM i rather than a separately installed database product.
RPG
Report Program Generator, the primary business application programming language on IBM i and its AS/400 predecessors, still running the majority of production logic in most IBM i shops.
watsonx
IBM's platform for AI and data, spanning watsonx.ai (foundation models and generative AI), watsonx.data (data store), and watsonx.governance (AI governance), with watsonx Assistant and watsonx Orchestrate built on top.
IBM Granite
IBM's family of open-weight foundation models, released under the Apache 2.0 license, that underpins watsonx.ai and serves as the base model fine-tuned for RPG and IBM i in watsonx Code Assistant for i and IBM Bob.
IBM i MCP Server
An open-source, IBM-published server implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP), letting AI agents and LLMs query Db2 for i data and take defined actions on IBM i using natural language. In beta since October 2025.