Build .NET applications Connected to your IBM i
With NTi Data Provider,
access your DB2 for i data and IBM i resources from .NET
to build modern, cross-platform applications.
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.NET for applications
The current standard for building efficiently,
on any platform.
Free and open source
.NET is a free, open-source project developed and maintained on GitHub, the home for millions of developers who want to build great things together.
Fast and cross-platform
.NET performs faster than any other popular framework. You can write, run, and build on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Modern and productive
.NET helps you build apps for web, mobile, desktop, cloud applications and more. With its large supportive ecosystem and powerful tooling, it is the most productive platform for developers.
The power of .NET for your IBM i
Where companies used to juggle multiple technologies,
.NET brings everything together in a single environment.
Web
Build web applications and services for macOS, Windows, Linux, or Docker.
Mobile
Use a single codebase to build native apps for iOS, Android, and more.
Desktop
Create native applications for Windows and macOS or build apps that run anywhere with web technologies.
Game development
Build 2D and 3D games for the most popular desktops, mobile devices, and consoles.
Cloud
Consume existing cloud services or deploy your own workloads.
Machine learning
Add vision, prediction, and advanced processing to your .NET applications, using C#, OpenAI and Azure.
IBM i as your backend
Your business logic stays on IBM i.
Your apps run in .NET.
An ADO.NET connector
for DB2 for i
For a .NET developer, using NTi feels familiar. You open a connection, run a query, and read the result, just like with any other database: standard C# applied to IBM i.
Build REST APIs
in just a few lines of code.
With ASP.NET Core, a minimal route is all you need to expose DB2 for i as a REST API. NTi integrates with no special setup required: same code, same habits. Only the provider changes.
An EF Core extension
for DB2 for i
For projects built around Entity Framework Core, NTi provides a complete extension: DbContext, migrations, LINQ, tracking, and DB-first or code-first scaffolding.
Full IBM i
control from C#
NTi is not limited to data. The same connection lets you run CL commands, call RPG programs, and orchestrate IBM i workloads from any .NET application.
.NET, a long-term platform for your future developments
What you build today defines your system tomorrow. With .NET and NTi, you rely on widely adopted, well-maintained standards that remain easy to maintain, evolve, and share across teams.
Longevity
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Public Microsoft roadmap
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Yearly releases
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Long-term support (LTS)
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Backward compatibility
Availability
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Large and active ecosystem
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Easier hiring
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Internal mobility
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Outsourcing-friendly
Maintainability
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Clear code structure
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Shared, proven standards
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Readable for new teams
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Improved knowledge transfer
Industrialization
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Automated builds
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Integrated unit testing
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Reproducible deployments
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Application version rollback
New use cases for your IBM i
Extend its capabilities with .NET and NTi.
Modern web interfaces
Replace your 5250 screens with fast, scalable web interfaces.
Your existing business logic stays on IBM i, everything is called from .NET.
Machine learning and AI
Create a .NET MCP server that allows an AI model (Claude, GPT, etc.) to query your IBM i: analysis, extraction, report generation.
Mobile and Embedded
Build Android and iOS apps able to read or write to your IBM i in real time: barcode scanning, inventory, field input.
APIs and Services
Expose DB2 for i, your RPG programs, and other sources (PostgreSQL, third-party services) through unified ASP.NET Core APIs.
Desktop applications
Build full-featured WPF, WinUI, or Avalonia clients with a responsive local UI and direct access to your IBM i resources.
Cloud-native solutions
Connect your IBM i to Azure, AWS, or GCP, as well as your internal applications.
It becomes a reliable source for all your services and workflows.
IBM i natively accessible from .NET
Access DB2 for i, CL commands and your RPG/CLP/36 programs
using standard .NET code.
Any questions ?
Like Java, .NET is now one of the most mature development platforms available: fast, modern, open source, and cross-platform. It enables you to build web, mobile, desktop, cloud, and microservices applications using a single language: C#.
.NET was ranked the most loved framework in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey for three consecutive years.
For IBM i projects, .NET provides a standardized, productive, and long-term development environment, backed by a large and readily available talent pool.
Yes.
Simply add the Aumerial.EntityFrameworkCore NuGet package to your .NET project, then register your DbContext using UseNTi().
NTi EF Core lets you work with DB2 for i just like any other .NET database: you write C# code, query your tables using LINQ, automatically generate SQL, and either create your schema using the code-first approach or map an existing one with database-first.
The EF Core extension also handles DB2 for i–specific features, such as BLOB data types and global length configuration for VARCHAR, VARBINARY, and VARGRAPHIC fields.
Yes. NTi allows you to execute CL commands, call RPG or CLP programs, and even invoke native IBM i system APIs.
CL commands and IBM i program calls are executed through the dedicated AS-RMTCMD server, making SQL unnecessary for these use cases.
Yes.
The .NET approach with NTi is based on a clear separation of responsibilities: IBM i continues to host data and core business logic, while .NET handles the application layer by consuming existing data, programs, and commands, without duplicating business logic.
This approach makes it possible to progressively introduce new use cases, such as web interfaces, APIs, or mobile applications, while keeping IBM i as the system of record for business processing.
Yes.
The application lifecycle is managed on the .NET side, which remains a standard development platform. Applications built with NTi can be tested, versioned, built, and deployed using the usual tools of the .NET ecosystem, independently of the IBM i back end.
Business process continues to run on IBM i, while code quality, automation, and production delivery are handled on the .NET side, following modern enterprise development practices.
