Deconstructing preconceived ideas
The reputation for complex integration between .NET and IBM i is mainly rooted in an outdated vision of the two platforms.
On the one hand, the IBM i suffers from an image of a closed, aging system, often reduced to the use of the famous "green screens" and RPG language. However, the platform is still active, continually modernized and capable of hosting modern open source environments such as Node.js and Python.
On the other hand, .NET is still wrongly associated with the idea of a strictly Microsoft ecosystem, confined to Windows. But those days are long gone: today, .NET is open source and cross-platform, running on Linux, macOS and Windows, and compatible with hardware architectures such as ARM and Power or Intel.
The idea that combining these two technologies imposes heavy technical layers and complex connectors continues to fuel this mistrust. Solutions such as NTi change all that. Gone are the complex gateways and superimposed technical layers: the connection between the .NET ecosystem and the AS/400 becomes direct, fast and natural. It's an approach that turns the perspective on its head, and gives teams back control over their technical choices, without disruption or relearning.
Add NTi to your project in just few clicks
Think of .NET as a true modular worksite: a development platform designed to build all types of applications - web, desktop, mobile, cloud - from a solid, coherent foundation. The C# language is your main tool, and everything that makes up the application - from business functionalities to technical foundations - is available in the form of ready-to-use modules.
These include functional building blocks such as the Entity Framework Core for database management, connections such as services or middleware to organize internal interactions, and structural elements such as the .NET runtime itself, which ensures the execution of the whole. Everything is available, standardized and modular.
And in this ecosystem, NuGet plays the role of central catalog. A space where developers can retrieve the components they need at the click of a button: libraries, tools, extensions... and NTi in particular. What's in it for you? No executables to launch, no configuration to plan, nothing to install at system level: the component integrates directly into the project, ready for immediate use.
And this is precisely where NTi stands in stark contrast to traditional IBM i connectors. Where most require the installation of drivers, Windows services, configuration files or server-side dependencies, NTi is a stand-alone, self-supporting, integrated .NET component! It is added to the project like any other standard NuGet dependency, and depends only on your .NET project, and nothing else. No installation wizard, no obscure prerequisites, and nothing to copy or install on the AS/400 side.
In just two clicks, NTi becomes a native part of your application, embedded in your development environment, ready to exchange with your IBM i.
Direct, comprehensive access to IBM i resources from .NET
Once integrated into the project, NTi becomes a .NET reference in its own right, accessible simply via a @using Aumerial.Data.Nti clause in C#, or Imports Aumerial.Data.Nti in VB .NET. It can be used like any native component of the .NET framework.
In other words, imagine a perfectly standard electrical outlet. You plug in what you need, and the power flows, immediately. No need for transformers, extension cords or adapters: everything's already in the right size!
Behind this apparent simplicity, the full power of your IBM i (AS/400) opens up to the .NET ecosystem. DB2 data, RPG programs, CL commands, message queues, queues, system APIs... everything is accessible from .NET, in a way that is direct, typical and perfectly integrated with your development environment.
In concrete terms, all the functions accessible from a 5250 green screen can be manipulated in C#, with the same depth, but in a modern, readable, object-oriented language, better adapted to current development practices.
This simple NuGet package referencing therefore becomes a complete abstraction of your system: a native link, with no intermediate layer, which places all your .NET applications on the same level as your traditional IBM i tools.
And most importantly: no specific training is required. A developer proficient in C# or VB can start working with an IBM i right away. Even a Java or C++ developer will quickly feel at home: everything is designed to align with modern development standards.
A single DLL, all environments supported.
NTi weighs only 518 KB in its latest version. Not one megabyte. Not two. Less than half. Yes, you read that right—it’s barely heavier than a photo you took with your phone and forgot in your Pictures folder. And yet, it’s enough to control an entire IBM i system from any .NET application.
Despite its small size, our connector runs on all environments supported by .NET: Docker, OpenShift, Mono, Android, macOS, Linux, Windows, Raspberry Pi. Never heard of half of these? No worries—just remember it runs everywhere. And that includes all major architectures: Intel, ARM, and POWER.
NTi is compatible with all .NET versions starting from 5.0, and works seamlessly with IBM i as far back as V5R4. Yes, it even runs on V4. It’s not recommended, but we’ve done it.
It includes no third-party solutions, no intermediate layers. No caching, no temporary copies—calls flow in real time, directly between your .NET application and your IBM i. You code, you run, it responds, and it just works.
Better yet, your .NET environment and your IBM i remain independent. Each can evolve without impacting the other. A way to gain flexibility without sacrificing consistency.
Linux/IBM i on POWER: everything you have, just better utilized
At this point, nothing stops you from completely forgetting your green screens… or keeping them if you prefer. NTi allows both worlds to coexist seamlessly. You can make the oldest RPG work hand in hand with modern C#, all within a unified application logic.
But the ideal setup is still a partitioned IBM Power machine—with your IBM i environment on one side (its database, programs, and legacy), and a Linux partition on the other, dedicated to your .NET applications. You deploy your C# developments or Docker containers directly there, it's your choice.
The advantage is that adding a Linux partition on an underused Power system costs you nothing. You fully leverage your existing infrastructure while benefiting from modern, portable, and sustainable technologies.
NTi integrates seamlessly into your existing setup. Nothing to change, nothing to relearn.
You keep what works while opening your system to new possibilities. NTi lets you evolve your platform smoothly and align your business applications with a modern, sustainable roadmap.
A free trial version is available. Take the time to see for yourself, with your tools, in your own environment.
Want to schedule a demo, ask a specific question, or share a particular use case? We're here to help.
Modernize your access to IBM i has probably never been this simple. So why not get started today?
And to take it further: modernize your IBM i information system with AUMERIAL + FokkerNetwork offer
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