Explore schemas, write queries, and analyze production data with AI — securely, from any machine on your network. No DBA required.
Querying an IBM i database requires specialized knowledge, specific tooling, and usually a database administrator. For most developers, production data is effectively inaccessible without going through a ticket queue.
Install db2-bridge once on a Windows machine with ODBC access to your IBM i. Your whole team connects through it. Claude handles the queries — you just ask questions.
Claude can list libraries, describe tables, and understand column types — without you writing a single query.
Whitelist or blacklist libraries and tables. Read-only by default. Write access is opt-in and separately controlled.
Run on one machine with ODBC access. Developers on other machines just point their Claude config to the HTTP endpoint.
Install as a Windows service with one command. Auto-starts on boot, auto-restarts on crash. No terminal window required.
Configurable ODBC connection pool handles multiple concurrent users without opening a new connection per request.
Distributed as a .zip containing a standalone .exe. No Node.js installation required on the host machine.
Download and extract db2-bridge.zip, then edit config.yaml with your IBM i hostname and credentials.
Choose a license tier and complete checkout. You'll be redirected back to enter your machine ID and generate your license.
Run db2-bridge.exe --machine-id and paste the output. Your signed license.dat is emailed to you instantly.
Add one entry to your .mcp.json. Claude automatically discovers all five tools.
Once connected, Claude reads your IBM i like a seasoned DBA. Ask questions in plain English — Claude handles the SQL.
// Point Claude at your db2-bridge server { "mcpServers": { "db2-bridge": { "type": "http", "url": "http://your-server:3000/mcp" } } }
"List all libraries on the system." "What tables are in SALESLIB?" "Describe the ORDERS table." "Show the top 10 orders by value this month." "Which customers placed more than 5 orders since January?"
db2-bridge is read-only by default. Write access is explicitly opt-in. Access rules apply at both the library and table level.
| Tool | Default | Configurable |
|---|---|---|
| list_libraries | open | — |
| list_tables | open | whitelist / blacklist |
| describe_table | open | whitelist / blacklist |
| execute_query | read only | whitelist / blacklist |
| execute_write | disabled | opt-in, whitelist / blacklist |
On first startup, db2-bridge generates an access config file you can edit. Whitelist mode allows only the libraries you specify. Blacklist mode blocks sensitive libraries while leaving everything else open.
DDL statements (DROP, CREATE, ALTER, TRUNCATE) are always blocked regardless of write access settings. Claude is explicitly warned before using write tools.
A single service account handles all connections — your developers never need personal IBM i credentials.
Download db2-bridge and evaluate it against your own IBM i system before purchasing. A valid license.dat is required to run the service.
Every license tier includes all features and Windows service support. Licenses are tied to the machine running db2-bridge — one license covers your entire team.
All purchases include your machine-locked license.dat delivered automatically to your email. To generate your machine ID, run db2-bridge.exe --machine-id before purchasing.
Enter the email address and name you used at checkout to re-download your license.dat.