IBM i Services
IBM i Services are SQL views, table functions, procedures and functions that IBM ships inside the operating system, so you can read system information with a SELECT instead of coding to a system API. Most live in the QSYS2 schema, and they are how AI agents read an IBM i box: every tool in IBM's own IBM i MCP Server is a SQL statement against a service such as QSYS2.SYSTEM_STATUS or QSYS2.NETSTAT_INFO.
What are IBM i Services?
They are ready-made SQL objects that IBM builds into the operating system. IBM describes them as system services you reach through system-provided SQL tables, views, procedures, functions, and global variables. IBM says they give you an SQL interface to access, transform, order, and subset the information without needing to code to a system API. Think of the old way as phoning the front desk and writing down whatever you are told. IBM i Services hand you the guest book instead, so you can sort it, filter it and add it up yourself.
Why do AI agents need them?
An AI agent cannot sit at a green screen and type a command. It can run SQL. IBM's own IBM i MCP Server says it enables AI agents to interact with IBM i systems through the Model Context Protocol, and that it provides secure, SQL-based access to Db2 for i databases. MCP, short for Model Context Protocol, is the open way an agent asks a program for a tool. Open the tool files in that project and each tool turns out to be one SQL statement against an IBM i Service.
Tools in the IBM i MCP Server performance toolset
| Agent tool | Service it runs | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| system_status | QSYS2.SYSTEM_STATUS | CPU, memory and I/O for the partition |
| system_activity | QSYS2.SYSTEM_ACTIVITY_INFO | What is running right now |
| memory_pools | QSYS2.MEMORY_POOL | Pool sizes and active threads |
| remote_connections | QSYS2.NETSTAT_INFO | How many remote connections are established |
| http_server | QSYS2.HTTP_SERVER_INFO | Connections and requests per HTTP server |
Read from the performance.yaml tool file in IBM's ibmi-mcp-server project on GitHub. The sample connection runs through Mapepire on port 8076, and the server needs Node.js 18 or newer.
How many services are there?
IBM i Services counted in SERVICES_INFO, by release
Counts by Vern Hamberg of OneMain Financial, taken from SERVICES_INFO, in his POWERUp session on May 21, 2025. At 7.6 that total is 112 views, 101 table functions, 36 procedures, 21 functions and 4 tables. Db2 for i Services are counted on their own and sit at 50.
How do I find the one I need?
Three steps to find a service
- Query the listRun SELECT * FROM QSYS2.SERVICES_INFO. IBM says this table returns information about system-supplied services.
- Filter by categoryNarrow SERVICE_CATEGORY to the area you want, such as PERFORMANCE or SECURITY, then read SERVICE_SCHEMA_NAME and SERVICE_NAME to get the full name to call.
- Copy the exampleThe EXAMPLE column holds an example SQL script that uses that service, so you can paste it and run it.
Check EARLIEST_POSSIBLE_RELEASE too. IBM says it gives the earliest release, in VxRxMx format, where a version of the service is available, which saves a failed call on an older partition.
What can go wrong?
A service only returns what the signed-on user profile is allowed to see, so an AI agent inherits that profile's limits. QSYS2.SYSTEM_STATUS is the plain example. IBM says the caller needs *USE authority to the QSYS/QPMLPMGT service program for most of its columns, and *JOBCTL special authority for others. Without that authority those columns come back null instead of throwing an error, so an agent can hand you an empty answer and sound sure about it.
Related Terms
IBM i
IBM's operating system for Power servers running traditional AS/400-lineage business applications, with Db2 for i built directly into the OS.
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.
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.
Mapepire
An open-source database access layer for Db2 for i, created by IBM and introduced in an August 2024 IBM blog post as a lighter, cloud-friendly alternative to ODBC and JDBC. A server daemon runs on IBM i and Node.js, Python, Java, and .NET Core clients connect to it over Secure WebSockets.
Model Context Protocol
An open standard, released by Anthropic on November 25, 2024, that defines a client-server architecture for connecting AI applications to external data sources, tools, and prompts over JSON-RPC 2.0. IBM's IBM i MCP Server is an implementation of it for Db2 for i and other IBM i resources.
IBM PASE for i
PASE for i is the AIX runtime built into IBM i, and it is where the open-source software behind most AI work on the platform actually runs. It ships as option 33 of 5770-SS1, has been a no-charge option since V5R2M0, and it hosts the yum-installed Node.js and Python builds under /QOpenSys/pkgs, including the Mapepire server that IBM's IBM i MCP Server connects through on port 8076.