Between releases IBM delivers two Technology Refreshes a year. They do not change the version number, they are applied as PTF groups, and a system left on an old TR is up to date on paper and behind in fact.
7.6 TR2 · 7.5 TR8
announced on 2026-07-15
→
PTFs available from 2026-07-24
On every release listed
SYSTOOLS.CVE_INFO(): queries the vulnerability database and returns the ones affecting the release in use, with severity scores
SYSTOOLS.GROUP_PTF_CURRENCY_LOCAL(): checking the level of the PTF groups
CREATE_DATA_JOURNAL_READER: turns the hexadecimal data of journal entries into a readable form
SYSTOOLS.OVERRIDE_INFO_ALL: active file overrides, queryable in SQL
SYSTOOLS.CHECK_COMMAND_SYNTAX(): checking the syntax of a CL command from SQL
QSYS2.GEOGRAPHIC_MIRRORING_INFO: the state of geographic mirroring
OAuth 2.0 for SMTP in the integrated mail server, by now required by the large mail providers
Support for the entry-level Power S1112 server, announced the same day
Seventeen new IBM i Services in all, and ten improved
On 7.6 only
Customer-managed encryption keys (BYOK) through IBM Cloud Key Protect
QSYS2.EKM_INFO(): the state of external key management
Service tools server configuration manageable in SQL rather than from the panel alone
Multi-factor authentication built into the operating system
Db2 for i: further improvements to SQL and the IBM i Services
Requires Power10 or Power11, with minimum firmware level FW1060
What broke
Neither Power8 nor Power9 is supported: a Power9 stops at 7.5, and reaching 7.6 means replacing the machine.
7.5TR8
2022-05
supported *
What it brought
Db2 for i: generated keys, SQL improvements, many new IBM i Services
Security: QPWDLVL 4 passwords, TLS 1.3
ACS as the reference interface
What broke
Requires Power9 or later: Power8 systems cannot go beyond release 7.4.
Earlier password levels need reviewing: moving from QPWDLVL 0 or 1 has to be planned before the upgrade.
7.4
2019-06
→
supported until 2026-09-30
What it brought
Db2 Mirror for i: two systems active at the same time
New IBM i Services replacing CL commands and APIs
Improvements to the IFS and to object management
What broke
Some APIs and commands deprecated in earlier releases no longer receive updates, while continuing to work.
7.3
2016-04
→
support ended on 2023-09-30
What it brought
Temporal tables in Db2 for i: data versioning handled by the database
More mature rule-based authorisation (Row and Column Access Control)
SYSTOOLS with ready-made functions, among them reading spooled files in SQL
7.2
2014-05
→
support ended on 2021-04-30
What it brought
Row and Column Access Control: access control at database level
Fully free-form for all RPG specifications
Significant improvements to the IBM i Services
What broke
Column-based sources go on compiling, but the tooling introduced afterwards assumes free form.
7.1
2010-04
→
support ended on 2018-04-30
What it brought
Free-form RPG for the calculation specifications
XMLSERVICE for exposing programs over the web
Db2 for i: OmniFind, new SQL functions
6.1
2008-03
→
support ended on 2015-09-30
What it brought
Conversion of objects to the new format
Disk encryption, improved journaling
What broke
Reconverting program objects is mandatory and needs either the source or the observability. Programs compiled on earlier releases with no source cannot be converted.
V5R4
2006-02
→
support ended on 2013-09-30
What it brought
The last release using the VxRy numbering
To report an incompatibility missing from this list:
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