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.
What IBM i is
IBM i is the operating system that AS/400 shops run today. It runs on IBM Power hardware and ships with Db2 for i inside it. When someone says the AS/400 is still running the business, this is the software they mean.
Why IBM i is not the whole server
A Power server can be split into partitions, and IBM i is usually one of them. That matters for AI. An IBM i partition can supply the production data while a supported Linux partition, or an outside service, runs the model. Treat the operating system and the box as two different things when you plan.
What to write down in an IBM i hardware plan
- The production IBM i capacity you have today
- The resilience reserve you keep for failover and growth
- The AI runtime you propose, recorded as its own line, not borrowed from the first two
Mixing the AI runtime into the IBM i capacity number is how a pilot quietly eats the production reserve.
Related Terms
AS/400
IBM's original 1988 midrange business computer platform; the term is still used informally to refer to IBM i systems and shops even though IBM has rebranded the hardware and OS multiple times since.
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.