If you’ve ever tried to integrate data from an IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) system using multiple third party products, custom developed solutions, or out-of-the-box tools, you know the frustration: limited real-time capabilities, heavy customization requirements, and integration patterns that feel stuck in the past. For teams trying to modernize their legacy IBM i environments, these integration hurdles aren’t just annoying, they’re roadblocks that delay digital transformation, block cloud migration, and keep critical business data siloed.
To overcome these challenges, organizations need a smarter, more efficient approach to real-time data exchange. infoCDC from Infoview Systems was designed to be lightweight, easy to implement, and does not require any additional infrastructure to leverage. In this blog, we’ll explore how it unlocks seamless, bi-directional integrations for modern IBM i environments.
Why Out-of-the-Box IBM i Integrations Fall Short
IBM i systems run some of the world’s most mission-critical business applications, especially in manufacturing, logistics, finance, and healthcare. But when it comes to getting data out of DB2 on IBM i in real time, the native options are limited:
| Challenge | What It Means for Your Team |
|---|---|
| Batch-oriented only | Most native IBM tools rely on scheduled batch jobs, not real-time streaming |
| Heavy customization | Building real-time integrations often requires custom RPG/COBOL code and specialized IBM i skills |
| High resource overhead | Traditional CDC solutions on IBM i are expensive, complex to implement, and hard to operate |
| Limited API support | Exposing IBM i data via modern REST APIs isn’t always straightforward without additional tooling |
| Skills gap | Few developers today know IBM i internals well enough to build custom integration solutions |
These limitations tie directly into the broader IBM i modernization challenge: the fact that organizations want to move toward cloud-native architectures, event-driven systems, and real-time analytics, yet, it can feel like their core systems of record are trapped behind integration walls.
What is Change Data Capture (CDC), and Why Does It Matter?
Change Data Capture (CDC) is a data integration pattern that captures only the changes made to a database (inserts, updates, deletes) and streams them to downstream systems in near real time.
As opposed to a more traditional approach (i.e. moving entire tables on a schedule), here are the benefits CDC can offer:
| Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|
| Real-time data flow | Downstream systems receive updates almost instantly, not hours or days later |
| Reduced system load | Only changed rows are captured, minimizing impact on production DB2 workloads |
| Lower bandwidth usage | Far less data movement compared to full table replication |
| Better decision-making | Analytics, dashboards, and applications work with up-to-the-second data |
| Simplified compliance | Change histories are tracked automatically for auditing |
For IBM i teams, CDC is the key to unlocking event-driven architectures, feeding cloud data platforms, and enabling real-time business processes without rewriting legacy applications.
Introducing infoCDC: Lightweight CDC Built for IBM i
infoCDC is a simple and lightweight change data capture tool designed specifically for IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) environments. Unlike traditional CDC solutions that demand extensive planning, specialized skills, and heavy infrastructure, infoCDC delivers core data integration capabilities at a fraction of the cost and complexity.
How infoCDC Works (The Technical Bits, Simplified)
- Leverages DB2 journals: infoCDC reads IBM i DB2 journal entries to detect database changes
- Applies filtering rules: Only changes that match your criteria are captured and sent forward
- Streams via Data Queues: Changes are pushed to native IBM i Data Queues, which act as lightweight messaging channels
- Connects to modern platforms: InfoCDC works seamlessly with Infoview’s connectors for Kafka/Confluent, MuleSoft, AWS, and Azure
- No custom IBM i code required: You don’t need RPG, COBOL, or deep IBM i development knowledge to implement
These features enable near real-time, outbound integration from DB2 on IBM i to modern cloud and data analytics platforms.
Real-World Use Cases: How Infoview Customers Use infoCDC
1. Order Fulfillment Status Integration
Scenario: A retailer or manufacturer needs to send order fulfillment status changes from an IBM i ERP or WMS (Warehouse Management System) to CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, or a third-party partner.
How infoCDC helps:
- Captures every order status update in DB2 as it happens
- Streams changes in real time to external CRM or e-commerce systems
- Enables customer service reps and online customers to see accurate, up-to-the-second order status
Business impact: Better customer experience, reduced call volume for order status inquiries, and improved partner coordination.
2. Product Data Synchronization to MDM/PIM Systems
Scenario: IBM i-based distributors often need to propagate product details from their ERP systems to external Master Data Management (MDM) and Product Information Management (PIM) solutions.
How infoCDC helps:
- Captures product data changes (price updates, new SKUs, inventory adjustments) in real time
- Streams only relevant changes to external MDM/PIM systems
- Ensures all downstream systems (e-commerce, catalogs, marketplaces) have consistent and up-to-date product information
Business impact: Accurate product data across all sales channels, reduced errors from outdated information, and faster time-to-market for new products.
3. Customer Data Platform Integration
Scenario: A common requirement for modern IBM i environments is to send customer details from an IBM i-based solution to an external Customer Data Platform (CDP).
How infoCDC helps:
- Captures customer record changes (new accounts, address updates, purchase history) instantly
- Streams changes to external CDP for unified customer views
- Enables marketing and service teams to access fresh customer data in real time
Business impact: More personalized marketing, improved customer service with up-to-date records, and better customer retention.
4. Real-Time Data Warehouse Replication
Scenario: Organizations often need to replicate IBM i data to a data warehouse in near real time for up-to-date analytics and reporting.
How infoCDC helps:
- Captures transactional changes from DB2 continuously, not in nightly batches
- Streams data to warehouse via Kafka or MuleSoft based connectors
- Provides analytics teams with fresh data seconds after transactions
Business impact: Near real-time business intelligence, faster detection of trends or anomalies, and data-driven decisions based on current information.
5. AI Model Training Data Pipeline
Scenario: An IBM i-driven enterprise develops a data pipeline using live transaction data to train AI models for their organization.
How infoCDC helps:
- Captures historical and ongoing transaction data changes from DB2
- Streams structured data to AI/ML platforms for model training
- Enables AI models to learn from the most current business patterns
Business impact: More accurate AI predictions, better fraud detection, and AI-enabled automation powered by real-time legacy data.
Real performance result
In one customer’s use case, infoCDC achieved a throughput of2,500 transactions per second (tps), to meet their high-volume needs.
Why Infoview Systems Is the Right Partner for Your IBM i Integration Journey
With over 30 years’ experience delivering successful outcomes, Infoview Systems is a trusted integration partner for organizations modernizing IBM i environments. Their infoConnect suite provides a complete toolkit for IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) integration, covering:
| Capability | What It Enables |
|---|---|
| API enablement | Expose IBM i programs and data as modern REST/SOAP APIs without custom code |
| Change Data Capture | Real-time outbound integration from DB2 using infoCDC |
| Process automation | Orchestrate workflows across IBM i and cloud systems |
Infoview Systems is also a certified partner with major integration platforms, enabling seamless connectivity between IBM i and leading cloud platforms:
- Confluent (Kafka): Infoview’s Kafka connector enables event-driven architectures with IBM i as a real-time event source, including source and sink capabilities.Read More..
- MuleSoft: The IBM i Connector for MuleSoft is certified and purpose-built to call IBM i programs, pass parameters, and return responses directly from MuleSoft. Read More..
These partnerships mean your integration investments are backed by enterprise-grade support and compatibility. Infoview has delivered successful IBM i integrations with MuleSoft, AWS, and Kafka across industries including energy, banking, retail, and logistics.
Backed by Programmers.io
Infoview Systems was recently acquired by Programmers.io, a leading IT professional services firm specializing in legacy system modernization and IBM i expertise. This acquisition strengthens Infoview’s ability to deliver:
- End-to-end integration project support
- API enablement services
- Ongoing maintenance, consulting, and training for IBM i environments
- Dedicated cross-platform specialists with IBM i and MuleSoft expertise for complex, time-sensitive projects
Whether you need just a single solution or the support to execute your long-term modernization goals, you’re gaining a partner with deep domain expertise and the resources to see your project through. Infoview’s service team assists with product configuration, first use case implementation, defining tables, full installation, and connector configurations to ensure everything works from the IBM i perspective.
Ready to Break Free from Batch-Only Integrations?
If your team is tired of waiting for overnight batch jobs, wrestling with custom IBM i code, or hitting walls when trying to connect legacy systems to modern cloud platforms, infoCDC offers a practical path forward.
Contact Infoview Systems today to discuss how infoCDC and the InfoConnect suite can accelerate your IBM i modernization journey and turn your legacy system into a real-time data asset. They offer a 30-day trial license so you can evaluate on your own terms.
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