Setup & Connectivity Guide

Before you can use any IBM i AI Platform surface, you must configure your AI provider and establish a secure connection to your IBM i partition. This guide covers both steps.

1. AI Provider Configuration

The platform uses a "Bring Your Own AI" (BYOAI) model. You choose the provider that best fits your needs for reasoning, speed, and privacy.

Supported Providers

Anthropic: Recommended for the highest quality tool use and complex IBM i diagnostics.
OpenAI: Excellent performance and broad availability.
Google Gemini: Strong multimodal and long-context reasoning with broad Google AI availability.
xAI: Grok models for teams that want xAI-hosted reasoning in their provider mix.
GitHub Copilot: Leverage your existing GitHub Copilot subscription for integrated AI reasoning.
Local Models (Ollama / LM Studio): Best for high-security environments where data must stay within the private network.

Required Credentials

API Key: Obtained from your provider's dashboard.
Base URL: Only required for local providers (e.g., http://localhost:11434 for Ollama).
Model Name: (e.g., claude-3-5-sonnet, gpt-4o, gemini-2.5-pro, grok-4).

Note: Deployment-specific configuration locations (environment variables vs. in-app settings) are covered in the Web and Desktop deployment guides.

2. IBM i Connectivity

The platform communicates with IBM i through two channels: ODBC for structured data and SSH for terminal-based operations.

2.1 ODBC (Database & Metadata)

The platform uses SQL Services extensively to inspect system status.

Prerequisite: The IBM i Access ODBC Driver must be installed on the host (Web App) or workstation (Desktop App / MCP).
Ports: Ensure ports 449, 8470-8476, and 9470-9476 are open between the application and the IBM i partition.

2.2 SSH (Diagnostics & Filesystem)

SSH is required for deep-dive tools like reading job logs, exploring the IFS, and executing CL commands.

Enabling SSH on IBM i

Ensure the SSH server is started on your partition:

STRTCPSVR SERVER(*SSH)

Public Key Authentication

For the best experience and security, use Public Key Authentication. This allows the agent to connect without prompting for passwords repeatedly.

Setup Instructions:

Generate a key pair on your client machine.
Upload the public key to your IBM i home directory (usually /home/USERNAME/.ssh/authorized_keys).
Ensure the PASE environment is configured to allow public key auth.

For a detailed walkthrough, refer to the official IBM documentation:

Configuring IBM i SSH for Public Key Authentication

3. Connectivity Troubleshooting

Issue	Resolution
ODBC Error SQL7008	The target table is not journaled. Configure your environment to handle non-journaled files or enable journaling.
SSH Timeout	Verify Port 22 is open and the `*SSH` server is active on the partition.
AI API Errors	Check your API quota and verify that your network allows outbound HTTPS requests to the provider's domain.