Upcoming LISUG Event

Smarter IBM i Development: AI Agents & Distributed SQL

When:

November 18th, 2026

Hour:

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where:

The Grand Lobby
221 Broadway
Amityville
NY 11701

Smarter IBM i Development: AI Agents & Distributed SQL:

From agent-first coding workflows to finding data across systems with SQL three-part naming

Modern IBM i teams are being asked to move faster, work across more systems, and still keep quality and accountability in the loop.

Join LISUG for a two-speaker November meeting focused on smarter development practices: first with a practical look at six months of agent-first coding, then with a deep dive into distributed data access using SQL three-part naming.

Pre-Session: 10x Development with AI Agents: Lessons from Six Months of Agent-First Coding

The pre-session explores what happens when a software developer stops writing every line by hand and starts building with AI coding agents instead. Ashish Thomas will share lessons from Codex-style workflows mapped to IBM Bob and broader enterprise coding-assistant patterns, including how agents can help explore unfamiliar technology stacks, generate code, write tests, debug issues, and move from idea to implementation faster.

Main Session: Finding Data in the Forest: Exploring Three-Part Naming in SQL

The main session moves from development acceleration to distributed data access. Gregory Simmons will show how SQL three-part naming can simplify working across IBM i environments by allowing developers to reference remote objects with RelationalDatabase.Schema.Object syntax. Attendees will learn how to configure remote database access, run distributed SQL queries, stage remote data locally, and think about reusable approaches for querying multiple systems across the network.

This session is for IBM i developers, technical leaders, and system teams who want practical ways to build faster, automate responsibly, and work with data spread across multiple systems.

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Schedule

Pre-Session

10x Development with AI Agents: Lessons from Six Months of Agent-First Coding

5:00 PM

Networking & Cocktail Hour

Connect with fellow members and enjoy our open bar.

6:00 PM

Dinner & Q&A

Interactive discussion over dinner.

7:00 PM

Main Session

Finding Data in the Forest: Exploring Three-Part Naming in SQL

8:00 PM

Session Ends

Wrapping up with final takeaways and community conversation.

9:00 PM

Keynote Speakers

Ashish Thomas

Software Development Engineer – AI Solutions at PC Richard & Son

Ashish Thomas is a Software Development Engineer at PC Richard & Son, where he works on creating practical software and AI-driven tools that streamline processes, automate routine tasks, and make technology more approachable for employees across the company. In addition to his role at PCR, he serves on the Board of Directors at LISUG, contributing to community growth and fostering conversations around modernization and emerging technologies on IBM i. Ashish is also an entrepreneur at heart—he founded the online fashion brand New York BlendIn, leads Creative Branding, a design and branding firm, and actively explores new startup ideas that bring together AI, software development, and creativity. With a background in full-stack development and a passion for solving problems through both technical and creative lenses, he thrives at the intersection of innovation, business, and community.

Gregory Simmons

Project Manager at P.C. Richard & Son

Gregory Simmons is a Project Manager with P.C. Richard & Son. He started on the IBM i platform in 1994, graduated with a degree in Computer Information Systems in 1997, and has been working on the i ever since. He has been a registered instructor with the IBM Power Schools Academy since 2007, holds a COMMON Application Developer certification, IBM Champion, a member of the CAAC and is a contributing author at ITJungle.com.

What Will You Learn?

Use AI Agents With Accountability

Learn practical patterns for prompting, task breakdown, code review, tests, debugging, architectural guardrails, and keeping human ownership in the loop.

Move From Idea to Implementation Faster

See how agent-first workflows can help explore unfamiliar stacks, generate code, write tests, and turn rough ideas into working software.

Query Distributed IBM i Data

Understand how SQL three-part naming can reference remote objects, execute distributed queries, stage remote data locally, and support reusable multi-system reporting patterns.