IDUG EMEA 2026: Full Schedule

9:00am BST

B201 Hands-on Lab: Project Aura - Infusing Db2 for z/OS with AI

Sunday September 27, 2026 9:00am - 1:00pm BST

Artificial intelligence is transforming how database administrators manage and optimize enterprise data platforms. By integrating AI capabilities directly into Db2 for z/OS, organizations can streamline operations, gain faster insights, and reduce the time required to diagnose and resolve complex database issues.
Experience the enhanced and smarter solution built on top of IBM Db2 AI for z/OS. It provides a unified intelligent workspace that acts as a force multiplier for every DBA, enabling intelligent and automated database administration and accelerating troubleshooting. This helps application and AI initiatives move faster.
With these enhanced capabilities, you will learn how to perform core DBA tasks such as catalog navigation, SQL tuning, and troubleshooting issues like deadlocks, timeouts, and lock escalations. You will also explore object management, Db2 health checks, and the AI agent that translates complex issues into simple, understandable explanations.
Please bring your la

Speakers

Jae Lee

Db2 for z/OS Development, IBM

Jae Lee is a Senior Software Engineer at the IBM Silicon Valley Lab, specializing in the development of Db2 AI for z/OS, SQL Data Insights, and the Db2 RDS component.

Brian Tsao

System Architekt, IBM

Architect of IBM Z Database Assistant and Technical Lead for IBM Db2 for z/OS Agent. Experienced in enterprise mainframe systems, modern cloud-native tooling, and emerging agentic workflows. Passionate about bridging Z systems with modernization, driving innovation that brings legacy... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 9:00am - 1:00pm BST
Porto

Track B, Hands-On Lab

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Latest and Features z/OS, Modernization in Operations, Performance and Monitoring
Audience Beginner
Platform z/OS

9:00am BST

E201 Building AI Applications with a Serverless Database Workshop

Sunday September 27, 2026 9:00am - 1:00pm BST

Joao

This workshop will give you the education and information you need to to master building applications with a serverless database. In this workshop you learn how to use serverless capabilities in Db2 to go from prompt to production. You will learn about the power capabilities that Db2 provides and get to experience this yourself as you work through real world and customizable scenarios. If you want to supercharge your Db2 skills for the future this is the workshop to join.

Speakers

Andrew Hilden

Chief Architect Db2 SaaS, IBM

Andrew Hilden is the Chief Architect of Db2 SaaS. He is involved extensively in the development and architecture of several data-oriented cloud services in IBM. In the past 25 years he has worked in development, architectural and leadership roles in Db2 from SaaS to areas like appliances... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 9:00am - 1:00pm BST
Joao

Track E, Workshop

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse, Modernization in Development
Audience All
Platform LUW

2:00pm BST

E202 SQL Correction Agent: Building a Self-Correcting AI Agent for Db2

Sunday September 27, 2026 2:00pm - 6:00pm BST

Joao

Standard Text-to-SQL tools fail when they hit the complexity of enterprise Db2 schemas. This hands-on session demonstrates how to transition from basic prompting to Agentic AI - creating an autonomous "Query Guard" that reasons, acts, and fixes its own mistakes.We will build an agent capable of navigating the Db2 lifecycle independently.You will learn to architect a Agent that doesn't just error out, but proactively traps SQLCODEs, autonomously queries the Db2 Catalog to resolve schema mismatches, and refactors its own SQL on the fly.
Attendees will leave with a functional blueprint for an agent that transforms Db2 from a passive subsystem into a resilient, self-healing partner. This will be an hands on Session so attendes will learn to create agents around DB2

Speakers

Niraj Garudkar

Senior Db2 LUW Consultant, BMC Software

I am a Data Scientist at BMC Software, where I work on integrating agentic AI with mainframe systems. My work focuses on applying modern AI techniques to mission‑critical enterprise platforms, with a strong emphasis on DB2, IMS and intelligent automation across mainframe environments... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 2:00pm - 6:00pm BST
Joao

Track E, Hands-On Lab

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations, Working with SQL
Audience All
Platform AI / ML

2:00pm BST

F3 Connect, Visualise, Predict: Visualization Db2 Data on z/OS using Python libraries and Machine learning tools.

Monday September 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm BST

Miragaia

In the modern era of data-driven decision-making, leveraging the power of mainframe data, such as Db2 on z/OS, can provide deep insights into business operations. However, visualizing this data and utilizing advanced analytics can often seem challenging. This session will explore how Python libraries, along with machine learning tools, can bridge the gap by providing intuitive and powerful solutions to visualize and analyze Db2 data on z/OS.
We will begin by discussing the fundamentals of accessing Db2 data on z/OS using Python library ibm_db. Once data is ready we will explore popular python libraries to create clear and informative visualizations.
The session will then dive into the integration of machine learning tools, to uncover hidden patterns in the data, perform predictive analytics, and gain deeper insights.

Speakers

Niraj Garudkar

Senior Db2 LUW Consultant, BMC Software

Monday September 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm BST
Miragaia

Track F, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Data Movement and Analytics, Modernization in Development, Working with SQL
Audience All
Platform z/OS

3:20pm BST

A4 Supercharging Db2 with Generative AI: From Natural Language Queries to Autonomous Performance Optimization

Monday September 28, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm BST

Infante

Enterprises are under pressure to deliver faster insights and streamline operations - the ultimate Boss Fight of managing large Db2 for z/OS environments. Generative AI is your new power-up for development and administration and your secret weapon against complexity. This session will show how to flip on the Auto-Pilot to tune SQL with expert-level precision, master complex schema management, and drive utilities intelligently for object maintenance. We'll walk through real speedruns (use cases) that demonstrate how GenAI simplifies workloads, cuts troubleshooting time, and improves efficiency, giving your team the cheat codes to unlock Db2's full value and achieve the High Score in productivity.

Speakers

Chris Crone

Distinguished Engineer, Broadcom

Chris is a Distinguished Engineer for Database Technology and a lead architectfor the Data Management portfolio within the Mainframe Division of BroadcomSoftware Group. He oversees strategy and architecture decisions for theBroadcom database products IDMS and Datacom, as well as for... Read More →

Monday September 28, 2026 3:20pm - 4:20pm BST
Infante

Track A, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Modernization in Operations, Working with SQL
Audience All
Platform z/OS

4:30pm BST

D5 Db2 AI Query Rewrite

Monday September 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm BST

Maria

SQL is a very powerful language and can get complex. There are many ways of writing semantically equivalent queries.SQL SQL may be written by database users or ncluding external tools and these may not always be the most suitable for the Db2 engine for performance as written. The Query Rewrite component in Db2 helps towards simplifying this task for the user or external toolThe Query Rewrite (one of two optimizer components, the other being the Plan Optimizer) automatically rewrites queries within Db2 towards a better performing version for the Plan Optimizer and the Db2 execution engine.
This session delves into how AI is used to help the Query Rewrite component make better decisions. We present the challenges involved, how we tackle these challenges and touch on our next steps to transform the Query Rewrite component to exploit AI to make it even more powerful than it currently is.

Speakers

Calisto Zuzarte

Principal Product Owner, IBM

Calisto Zuzarte is a Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) in the Db2 development organization in IBM. His expertise is in query optimization and is focused on infusing AI in Db2 in this area towards making Db2 performant, reliable and easy to use.

Monday September 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm BST
Maria

Track D, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Latest and Features LUW, Performance and Monitoring
Audience All
Platform LUW

10:20am BST

B6 From Complexity to Operational Intelligence: Modernizing Database Administration with AI on IBM Z

Tuesday September 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am BST

Arrabida

Db2 and IMS database administrators on IBM Z are increasingly expected to support modern, AI‑enabled business initiatives while continuing to manage complex, mission‑critical transactional environments. Traditional operational workflows—often manual and reliant on deep individual expertise—can limit consistency and scalability as systems evolve.
This session introduces IBM Z Database Assistant, which brings agent‑assisted intelligence into Db2 and IMS administration. By combining DBA‑centric AI agents with context‑driven dashboards, the Database Assistant helps DBAs better understand database behavior, evaluate operational impact, and take informed actions—reducing the need for manual interpretation across multiple tools.
Attendees will see how natural language interaction can simplify common DBA tasks, how intelligent SQL tuning can improve transactional workload efficiency, and how AI agents can assist with faster problem diagnosis across Db2 and IMS environments.

Speakers

Akiko Hoshikawa

Distinguished Engineer - Db2 for z/OS and Db2 AI for z/OS, IBM

Brian Tsao

System Architekt, IBM

Tuesday September 29, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am BST
Arrabida

Track B, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Modernization in Operations
Audience All
Platform AI / ML

11:30am BST

B7 Revisiting Query Parallelism: Targeted Use of zIIP Processors for Db2 Queries

Tuesday September 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST

Arrabida

This presentation explores the nuances of query parallelism in Db2, focusing on how to effectively tune queries for optimal zIIP exploitation. Attendees will gain insights through real-world query examples that will illustrate these principles in action, showcasing tangible improvements. Additionally, we will discuss how ChatGPT can assist in the query tuning processs. Join me to rediscover the power of parallelism and leverage zIIP processors to their fullest potential.

Speakers

Thomas Baumann

Data Evangelist, Swiss Mobiliar

As Data Evangelist at Swiss Mobiliar in Bern, Switzerland, Thomas is dedicated to optimizing databases and managing database risks. When he's not in the office, he can be found sharing his expertise on database optimization and risk management at various speaking engagements. Thomas... Read More →

Tuesday September 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST
Arrabida

Track B, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Performance and Monitoring, User Stories, Working with SQL
Audience All
Platform z/OS

11:30am BST

C7 Db2 AI Query Optimizer: Smarter Plans, Less Tuning

Tuesday September 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST

Porto

Since Db2 12.1, the Db2 AI Query Optimizer has been improving the quality of your query access plans through improved cardinality estimates. This was super-charged in 12.1 mod3 when it was enhanced to support pair-wise join cardinality estimates. Participants will learn how this technology reduces tuning efforts so you can confidently use it in production. You may also get a glimpse into what's in store for the future.

Speakers

Liam Finnie

Senior Software Developer, IBM

Liam joined IBM in 1999 as a software developer, and since then has been designing and implementing various features in Db2 LUW. Most recently, Liam has been leading the Machine Learning Infrastructure area for the Db2 AI Query Optimizer.

Tuesday September 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST
Porto

Track C, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Development
Audience Intermediate
Platform LUW

2:00pm BST

C8 Db2 Meets Generative AI: Agentic AI, Vector Search, and Beyond.

Tuesday September 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm BST

Porto

This session will bring you up to speed on exciting enhancements and capabilities we are bringing to Db2 for the Generative AI era. We’ll talk about our overall AI strategy for Db2 and how we are both leveraging Generative AI as well as supporting the emerging frontier of Generative AI applications. We’ll then dive into specifics including our AI Vector Search capabilities, AI integrated LLM capabilities, and our Agentic AI powered tooling including the new Genius Hub.

Speakers

Jillian Quiller

Senior Software Engineer, Db2 Development, IBM

Growth Product Manager focused on accelerating adoption and impact across IBM’s Db2 portfolio. I combine analytics, design thinking, and experimentation to help enterprise customers unlock value faster — turning insights into measurable, scalable growth.

Mike Springgay

STSM Db2 Architect, IBM

Mike Springgay is the Db2 Architect. Prior to that he was responsible for architecting extensions to Db2’s Warehouse capabilities, SQL compatibility features, routine infrastructure and client server connectivity.

Tuesday September 29, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm BST
Porto

Track C, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Development, Modernization in Operations, Performance and Monitoring
Audience All
Platform LUW

10:20am BST

D10 Make you data comparable by VECTORizing

Wednesday September 30, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am BST

Maria

Based on the VECTOR data type, that came with Db2 12.1, your data can easily be put in definnable context by using similarities. This can help identifying correlations where exact values would make it too complicated. As a relational model typically is based on direct comparability of values only, vector usage can provide some extra level of data linking. With an example shown in a live demo, this session will show step by step, how to implement vector usage in your data to provide additional analytical features.

Speakers

Martin Heitkämper

Data Scientist, Arvato Systems GmbH

I'm with Db2 ever since it started in the market, doing administration, design and development around Db2 (and other databases). Frequently I present at IDUG or other events, often but not exclusively on Db2 for SAP.

Wednesday September 30, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am BST
Maria

Track D, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Data Movement and Analytics, Latest and Features LUW, Performance and Monitoring
Audience All
Platform LUW

10:20am BST

F10 AI Agents Meet Mainframe: Building MCP Servers on Replicated Db2 z/OS Data

Wednesday September 30, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am BST

Miragaia

AI agents are transforming enterprise applications, but they need access to trusted, business-critical mainframe data. This session shows how MCP servers enable agents to query up-to-date, replicated Db2 z/OS data from targets like Db2 LUW or watsonx.data. It covers the rationale for agent integration, architecture patterns, implementation steps, and a live demo of an agent working with z/OS data.

Speakers

Cüneyt Göksu

Executive IT Specialist, IBM

Cüneyt Göksu is an Executive IT Specialist for IBM® Z solutions in the context of Data and AI in IBM Germany Development Lab as a member of Center of Excellence team. He holds MBA, Bachelor’s degree and PhD in Computer Science. He has been working with Db2 for z/OS and IBM Z... Read More →

Mateo Tošić

Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM

Wednesday September 30, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am BST
Miragaia

Track F, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Data Movement and Analytics, Data Movement and Integration, Working with SQL
Audience Intermediate
Platform Cross Platform

2:00pm BST

E12 SQL Injection on SterAIds: Is Your Db2 Ready for AI-Assisted Attackers?

Wednesday September 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm BST

Luis

SQL injection remains one of the most damaging classes of flaws against data-driven applications—and the workflow around it has changed: security testers and attackers alike can pair classic tooling with generative AI to iterate payloads faster, interpret ambiguous responses, and explore injection chains with less manual trial and error. This session focuses on Db2-backed applications: how SQL injection manifests in practice, how to recognize fragile dynamic SQL and unsafe integration patterns, and how to prioritize prevention (parameterization, safe composition, and tight error handling). We will connect that baseline to today’s landscape—examples include AI-assisted DAST/exploration tools, AI-augmented automation around sqlmap, and red-team harnesses that probe whether LLM-driven apps avoid unsafe database access—so you leave with a clearer understanding of both defenses and new risks.This is an upgraded version of my session on IDUG EMEA 2022: SQL Injection and Db2 - Pathology and P

Speakers

Petr Plavjaník

Db2 Architect, Broadcom

AI assistants are most useful when they can act on real systems through well-defined tools. Zowe MCP brings the open Model Context Protocol to z/OS so assistants in VS Code and other MCP clients can work with data sets, jobs, USS, and commands in a structured, guardrailed way. This... Read More →

Wednesday September 30, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm BST
Luis

Track E, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Security and Compliance, Working with SQL
Audience Intermediate
Platform Cross Platform

9:00am BST

E15 Vibe Coding with a Serverless Database

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am BST

Luis

In this session we will show you how application building with a serverless database gives you superpowers. Serverless databases are built for the AI Era handling the workloads of the future and turning you into a 10X Engineer. We will show you how to develop applications for Db2 from prompt to production and demonstrate how a serverless database tackles AI and Machine driven workloads all while reducing cost and effort. Join us for this groundbreaking session and experience the future of Db2 SaaS services!

Speakers

Andrew Hilden

Chief Architect Db2 SaaS, IBM

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am BST
Luis

Track E, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Db2 Cloud and Warehouse, Modernization in Development
Audience All
Platform LUW

11:30am BST

C17 Accelerating AI Workloads in Db2 v12.1.5.0: Introducing High‑Performance Vector Indexes

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST

Porto

Discover how Db2’s new DiskANN‑powered vector index delivers fast, scalable similarity search while integrating seamlessly into existing database workflows.
We’ll walk through expected performance gains using AWS benchmark results and share practical tuning strategies to help you get the most out of vector search in Db2.

Speakers

Christian Garcia-Arellano

STSM, Db2 Senior Architect and Master Inventor, IBM

Christian Garcia-Arellano is STSM and Db2 OLTP Architect at the IBM Toronto Lab, and has a MSc in Computer Science from the University of Toronto. Christian has been working in various DB2 Kernel development areas since 2001. Initially Christian worked on the development of the self... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST
Porto

Track C, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, AppDev, Latest and Features LUW, Modernization in Development
Audience Intermediate
Platform AppDev

11:30am BST

D17 Using Db2 for more than just relational data

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST

Maria

Many users and applications make only use of Db2 as a relational database. But Db2 is much more than just a relational database. Db2 support the efficient processing of JSON and XML data, allows queries on spatial data, and supports text search and even semantic searches. This presentation gives an overview of these "non-relational" features of Db2, and demonstrates how these features can be used and combined to implement various use cases.

Speakers

Andreas Weininger

Principal Information Architecture Technical Specialist, IBM

Andreas Weininger is part of the Information Architecture team of IBM in Munich. He has more than 20 year of experience with scalable solutions for data intensive solutions focussing especially on the performance aspects. He is a regular speaker at database and data warehousing events... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm BST
Maria

Track D, Technical Session

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, AppDev, Best Practices, Working with SQL
Audience All
Platform LUW

2:30pm BST

B203 Hands-on Lab: Performing AI Queries with SQL Data Insights Pro

Thursday October 1, 2026 2:30pm - 6:30pm BST

Luis

Experience the new features of SQL Data Insights Pro, including unstructured text support, model training offloading to IDAA, and incremental retraining. SQL Data Insights Pro combines unsupervised deep learning with traditional SQL queries, allowing you to run similarity, dissimilarity, clustering, analogy, and commonality AI queries on your Db2 for z/OS data.
In this hands-on lab, learn how to train models using both structured and unstructured data to gain deeper insights from your enterprise data. With the new option to run model training on IDAA, you gain greater flexibility while saving valuable system resources. You will also learn how incremental retraining can save time and resources when updating models with new data.
With these capabilities, you can uncover hidden relationships across tables and views in your Db2 data, quickly gain actionable insights to address business problems as they arise, and confidently make better business decisions. In this lab, you will see how AI

Speakers

Jae Lee

Db2 for z/OS Development, IBM

Jae Lee is a Senior Software Engineer at the IBM Silicon Valley Lab, specializing in the development of Db2 AI for z/OS, SQL Data Insights, and the Db2 RDS component.

Thursday October 1, 2026 2:30pm - 6:30pm BST
Luis

Track B, Hands-On Lab

Topic AI GenAI and Machine Learning, Latest and Features z/OS, Working with SQL
Audience Beginner
Platform z/OS

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