How do I install IBM Db2 For I?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does IBM Db2 For I need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: DB2I_HOSTNAME, DB2I_USERNAME, DB2I_PASSWORD, DB2I_SCHEMA, DB2I_PROFILES, QUERY_ALLOWED_SCHEMAS, DB2I_DRIVER, DB2I_JDBC_OPTIONS, DB2I_ODBC_OPTIONS, DB2I_MAPEPIRE_OPTIONS.

What transport does IBM Db2 For I use?

IBM Db2 For I runs locally over stdio.

When was IBM Db2 For I last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-11. Read-only SQL queries and schema inspection for IBM Db2 for i over ODBC, JT400 or Mapepire (SSH).

IBM Db2 For I MCP server

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own command. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Local command

npx -y [email protected]

Credentials from the publisher

DB2I_HOSTNAME — IBM i hostname or IPv4 address
DB2I_USERNAME — IBM i user profile
DB2I_PASSWORD — IBM i password
DB2I_SCHEMA — Default schema (library)
DB2I_PROFILES — Path to a YAML file of IBM i systems. When set, it replaces the DB2I_* connection variables
QUERY_ALLOWED_SCHEMAS — Comma-separated schemas the server may read. Empty disables the check.
DB2I_DRIVER — Database driver: odbc (default, IBM i Access ODBC driver, no Java), jt400 (install node-jt400 next to the server; needs a JDK at install and a JRE at runtime) or mapepire (install @ibm/mapepire-js and ssh2; Mapepire over SSH, needs Java on the IBM i only)
DB2I_JDBC_OPTIONS — Extra JT400 JDBC properties, semicolon-separated (jt400 and mapepire drivers)
DB2I_ODBC_OPTIONS — Extra IBM i Access ODBC connection keywords, semicolon-separated (odbc driver)
DB2I_MAPEPIRE_OPTIONS — SSH and Mapepire settings, semicolon-separated, e.g. hostKey=SHA256:...;agent=true;maxJobs=2 (mapepire driver)

Claude Code has no install link for a local command. Copy the command below and run it in a terminal.

shClaude Code

1DB2I_HOSTNAME=<value> DB2I_USERNAME=<value> DB2I_PASSWORD=<secret> DB2I_SCHEMA=<value> DB2I_PROFILES=<value> QUERY_ALLOWED_SCHEMAS=<value> DB2I_DRIVER=<value> DB2I_JDBC_OPTIONS=<value> DB2I_ODBC_OPTIONS=<value> DB2I_MAPEPIRE_OPTIONS=<value> claude mcp add io.github.strom-capital-mcp-server-db2i -- npx -y mcp-server-db2i@3.8.6

Run in a terminal.

jsonClaude Desktop

1{2  "mcpServers": {3    "io.github.strom-capital-mcp-server-db2i": {4      "command": "npx",5      "args": [6        "-y",7        "[email protected]"8      ],9      "env": {10        "DB2I_HOSTNAME": "<value>",11        "DB2I_USERNAME": "<value>",12        "DB2I_PASSWORD": "<secret>",13        "DB2I_SCHEMA": "<value>",14        "DB2I_PROFILES": "<value>",15        "QUERY_ALLOWED_SCHEMAS": "<value>",16        "DB2I_DRIVER": "<value>",17        "DB2I_JDBC_OPTIONS": "<value>",18        "DB2I_ODBC_OPTIONS": "<value>",19        "DB2I_MAPEPIRE_OPTIONS": "<value>"20      }21    }22  }23}

claude_desktop_config.json

Local · npmPublisher installStep-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Server facts

Local

Transport: stdio

Tools

No tool list yet. Remote servers get one after the first health check.

FAQ

Questions

Db2 for i MCP Server

mcp-server-db2i is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for IBM Db2 for i (Db2i) on IBM i (AS/400). It enables AI assistants like Claude and Cursor to query and inspect IBM i databases through the IBM i Access ODBC driver, or optionally the JT400 JDBC driver or Mapepire over SSH.

Listed in the MCP Registry as io.github.Strom-Capital/mcp-server-db2i.

Website: db2i-mcp.com, with a blog that explains each release. Docs: docs.db2i-mcp.com.

Architecture

AI clients connect to the MCP Server in one of two ways. Local clients such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor can start it as a process and talk over stdio. Remote clients connect over Streamable HTTP at /mcp, signing in with OAuth 2.1 (claude.ai custom connectors) or a bearer token (custom agents). Local clients can also use the HTTP endpoint. The server executes read-only queries against Db2 for i using the IBM i Access ODBC driver (default, no Java), the optional JT400 JDBC driver (DB2I_DRIVER=jt400), or Mapepire over SSH (DB2I_DRIVER=mapepire) for systems where only SSH is reachable. One server can reach several IBM i systems through connection profiles, each with its own driver.

graph LR
    subgraph clients ["AI Clients"]
        local("Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor")
        remote("claude.ai connectors")
        agents("Custom Agents")
    end

    subgraph server ["MCP Server"]
        stdio["stdio"]
        http["Streamable HTTP + Auth"]
        tools[["MCP Tools"]]
        profiles{{"System profiles"}}
        odbc["IBM i Access ODBC"]
        jdbc["JT400 JDBC (optional)"]
        mapepire["Mapepire over SSH (optional)"]
    end

    subgraph prod ["IBM i: prod"]
        db2prod[("Db2 for i")]
    end

    subgraph test ["IBM i: test"]
        db2test[("Db2 for i")]
    end

    subgraph dev ["IBM i: dev"]
        db2dev[("Db2 for i")]
    end

    local -->|local process| stdio
    local -.->|remote URL| http
    remote -->|OAuth 2.1| http
    agents -->|bearer token| http
    stdio & http --> tools
    tools --> profiles
    profiles --> odbc & jdbc & mapepire
    odbc -->|ODBC| db2prod
    jdbc -->|JDBC| db2test
    mapepire -->|SSH| db2dev

Features

Read-only SQL queries - Execute SELECT statements safely with automatic result limiting, and a query timeout that cancels runaway statements on the IBM i
Schema inspection - List all schemas/libraries with optional filtering
Table metadata - List tables, describe columns, view indexes and constraints
View inspection - List and explore database views
Secure by design - Only SELECT queries allowed, credentials via environment variables
Docker support - Run as a container for easy deployment
HTTP Transport - MCP over Streamable HTTP with token authentication for remote clients and agents
OAuth for Remote Clients - Built-in OAuth 2.1 sign-in with the user's own IBM i profile, so claude.ai custom connectors can connect. The sign-in page can carry your company's name, logo, colors and language (Customize for your company)
Current MCP spec - Speaks 2026-07-28 and still serves stateless 2025-era clients
Dual Transport - Run stdio and HTTP simultaneously
Multiple systems - Reach several IBM i systems from one server with DB2I_PROFILES, each with its own driver, credentials, and library allowlist. Tools take an optional system argument. See Multiple systems
SSH-only systems - With DB2I_DRIVER=mapepire, reach an IBM i where only SSH is open. Mapepire starts inside the SSH session, with no server install and a host key check. See Using the Mapepire driver
Tool selection - Enable or disable individual tools, e.g. a metadata-only mode without execute_query
Business SQL tools - Load read-only ERP queries and table notes from YAML, and check the files with mcp-server-db2i validate-tools before the server starts. See Business SQL tools
Server instructions - Send the rules no query may miss, such as which flag marks a deleted row, to the model at the start of every session. See

Quick Start

Installation

npm install -g mcp-server-db2i

The default odbc driver needs unixODBC and the IBM i Access ODBC Driver on the machine. No Java is needed. The other drivers' packages are not installed by default, so add them next to the server:

npm install -g mcp-server-db2i node-jt400              # DB2I_DRIVER=jt400, needs a JDK to install and a JRE to run
npm install -g mcp-server-db2i @ibm/mapepire-js ssh2   # DB2I_DRIVER=mapepire, when only SSH reaches the IBM i

With npx, pass them with -p, for example npx -y -p mcp-server-db2i@latest -p node-jt400 mcp-server-db2i. See Installing the jt400 and mapepire packages.

Or with Docker:

docker build -t mcp-server-db2i .                  # odbc image (amd64; add --platform linux/amd64 on arm64)
docker build --target jt400 -t mcp-server-db2i .   # jt400 image (builds natively on arm64)

Configuration

Create a .env file with your IBM i credentials:

DB2I_HOSTNAME=your-ibm-i-host.com
DB2I_USERNAME=your-username
DB2I_PASSWORD=your-password
DB2I_SCHEMA=your-default-schema  # Optional

Client Setup

Add to your MCP client config (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "db2i": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-server-db2i@latest"],
      "env": {
        "DB2I_HOSTNAME": "${env:DB2I_HOSTNAME}",
        "DB2I_USERNAME": "${env:DB2I_USERNAME}",
        "DB2I_PASSWORD": "${env:DB2I_PASSWORD}"
      }
    }
  }
}

This uses environment variable expansion to keep credentials out of config files. Set the variables in your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc).

See the Client Setup Guide for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Docker setup options.

No MCP client? The example web app is a browser chat with result tables, exports and the business SQL tools. Users sign in with their IBM i user profile and bring their own model API key.

Available Tools

Tool	Description
`execute_query`	Execute read-only SELECT queries, with an optional `chart` hint for the result view
`export_query`	Write every row of a read-only query to a CSV or XLSX file: a path over stdio, a short-lived download link over HTTP. Off unless `EXPORT_ENABLED` is set
`list_schemas`	List schemas/libraries (with optional filter)
`list_tables`	List tables in a schema (with optional filter)
`search_tables`	Find tables by name or description across libraries
`search_columns`	Find columns by name or description across libraries
`describe_table`	Get detailed column information
`list_views`	List views in a schema (with optional filter)
`list_indexes`	List SQL indexes for a table
`get_table_constraints`	Get primary keys, foreign keys, unique constraints
`list_routines`	List SQL procedures and functions in a library, with language, external program, and SQL data access
`describe_routine`	Parameters, return value or result columns, and a call template for a procedure or function
`validate_query`	Check a statement without running it, including catalog names
`get_object_ddl`	Return the SQL DDL that recreates an object
`get_related_objects`	List objects that depend on a table
`get_journal_info`	List journal, images, and primary key per table, and flag tables a replication tool cannot read
`index_advice`	List the indexes the query optimizer asked for in a library, merged and ranked by temporary index use

In hosts that support MCP Apps, results from execute_query, profile_table and business SQL tools open as a grid and a chart under the tool call. See Result view.

Filter Syntax

The list tools support pattern matching:

CUST - Contains "CUST"
CUST* - Starts with "CUST"
*LOG - Ends with "LOG"

Resources and prompts

Clients that support MCP resources can read a table's context without a tool call, and complete library and table names as you type.

Resource	Contents	Registered when
`db2i://{schema}/{table}`	Columns from the catalog, plus the YAML business description, column notes, and relations	`describe_table` is enabled
`db2i://{schema}/{table}/ddl`	SQL from `QSYS2.GENERATE_SQL` that recreates the table, view, or alias	`get_object_ddl` is enabled
`db2i://business-context`	Every annotation loaded from `MCP_CUSTOM_TOOLS`	`get_business_context` is enabled
`ui://db2i/result`	The result view MCP Apps hosts show under tool results	`MCP_UI_ENABLED` is on (the default)

resources/list offers the annotated tables, for example db2i://MYLIB/ORDERS. Percent-encode # and other reserved characters in names (ORD%23X for ORD#X). A library outside QUERY_ALLOWED_SCHEMAS is rejected with the same message execute_query gives, and completion offers only allowed libraries. Reads and completions that query IBM i count against the rate limit, and reads are written to the audit log. Completion fetches a library's name list once and reuses it for 60 seconds, so typing a name costs one query rather than one per keystroke.

Prompt	Arguments	What it asks for
`explore_library`	`schema`	List the tables, describe the central ones, and summarize how they join
`explain_table`	`schema`, `table`	Explain rows, columns, keys, and relations in plain language
`write_query`	`question`, `schema`, `table`	Write one SELECT from the table's real columns and YAML relations, then validate and run it when those tools are enabled

A prompt is listed only when the tools it tells the model to call are enabled: explore_library needs list_tables and describe_table, and the other two need describe_table. None of them asks for a write.

Use cases

I've used this server on projects where the source system was the Iptor DC1 ERP on IBM i. The same patterns work with any IBM i ERP.

Building REST APIs - The agent finds the ERP tables and keys, checks its SQL with validate_query, tests it on sample rows, and then writes the endpoint.
ETL and ELT pipelines for BI - Profile source tables, generate staging DDL with get_object_ddl, and draft incremental extracts and code mappings for the warehouse.
Near-real-time replication to BI - Check which tables are journaled, and with which images, before a journal-based tool such as Fivetran streams changes to the warehouse.
Ad-hoc analysis - Connect Claude or Cursor directly to the ERP and ask business questions in plain language, with vetted Business SQL tools and column masking for sensitive fields.

See Use cases for sample prompts and the guardrails that go with each one.

Example Usage

Once connected, you can ask the AI assistant:

"List all schemas that contain 'PROD'"
"Show me the tables in schema MYLIB"
"Describe the columns in MYLIB/CUSTOMERS"
"What indexes exist on the ORDERS table?"
"Run this query: SELECT * FROM MYLIB.CUSTOMERS WHERE STATUS = 'A'"
"Find the order header and line tables in MYLIB and write a GET /orders/:orderNo endpoint"
"Draft an incremental extract of MYLIB.ORDERHDR rows changed since yesterday"

Documentation

Guide	Description
Tools, resources, and prompts	Built-in tools, filter syntax, MCP resources, and prompts
HTTP Transport	HTTP API, auth, and protocol versions
Configuration	All environment variables and driver options
Security	Credentials, rate limiting, query validation
Business SQL tools	YAML tools for orders, ledgers, and master data
Use cases	REST APIs, BI pipelines, replication, and ad-hoc analysis
Client Setup	Cursor, Claude, Claude Code setup
Example web app	Browser chat with your own model key and IBM i sign-in
Docker Guide	Container deployment
Development	Contributing and local setup

Compatibility

IBM i V7R3 and later (V7R5 recommended)
validate_query and the execute_query parse check need QSYS2.PARSE_STATEMENT (IBM i 7.3 with Db2 PTF group SF99703 level 3, or 7.4 and later)
get_related_objects needs IBM i 7.3 Technology Refresh 9, IBM i 7.4 Technology Refresh 3, or a later release
get_journal_info needs the journal columns of QSYS2.OBJECT_STATISTICS (IBM i 7.3 Technology Refresh 2 or later)
search_ibmi_services needs QSYS2.SERVICES_INFO, which ships with the Db2 for i PTF group
The cause and recovery on a failed statement come from SYSTOOLS.SQLCODE_INFO. Without it, errors return the SQLSTATE, SQLCODE and message only
Node.js 22 or higher
unixODBC with the IBM i Access ODBC Driver for the default odbc driver, a JDK at install time and a JRE 11 or higher at runtime for the optional jt400 driver, or SSH access and Java 8 or higher on the IBM i for the optional mapepire driver (see Database Drivers)
MCP spec 2026-07-28, plus stateless clients from the 2025-era revisions (through 2025-11-25)

Related Projects

IBM ibmi-mcp-server - IBM's official MCP server for IBM i systems. Offers YAML-based SQL tool definitions and AI agent frameworks. Requires Mapepire. This project's mapepire driver uses Mapepire's SSH mode, which needs no Mapepire server running on the IBM i.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See the Development Guide for setup instructions.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Trademarks

IBM, IBM i and Db2 are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by IBM.

Acknowledgments

node-jt400 - JT400 JDBC driver wrapper for Node.js
node-odbc - ODBC bindings for Node.js, maintained by IBM
mapepire-js - Mapepire client for Node.js, maintained by IBM
Model Context Protocol - The protocol specification
@modelcontextprotocol/server - Official TypeScript SDK (spec 2026-07-28, with stateless 2025-era clients)