IBM i Communication & Network Services

Monitor and analyze network and communication resources on IBM i using SQL services from QSYS2.

Available Tools

The ibmi CLI is the primary tool for executing network queries. Set SKILL_DIR to this skill's installed location (the directory containing this SKILL.md file):

# SKILL_DIR = directory containing this SKILL.md
# Examples: ./skills/communication, ~/.claude/skills/communication

ibmi tools --tools "$SKILL_DIR/tools/" --toolset communication_default
ibmi tool get_netstat_info --tools "$SKILL_DIR/tools/"
ibmi sql "SELECT * FROM QSYS2.NETSTAT_INFO WHERE TCP_STATE = 'ESTABLISHED' FETCH FIRST 20 ROWS ONLY"

The ibmi-mcp-server also provides execute_sql and describe_sql_object for MCP-connected agents.

Service Selection Guide

Network Connections

• QSYS2.NETSTAT_INFO — Active connections with bytes, addresses, ports, state
• QSYS2.NETSTAT_JOB_INFO — Network jobs associated with connections
• QSYS2.NETSTAT_INTERFACE_INFO — Network interface configuration and status
• QSYS2.NETSTAT_ROUTE_INFO — TCP/IP routing table

Server & Configuration

• QSYS2.HTTP_SERVER_INFO — HTTP server instances, ports, and status
• QSYS2.TCPIP_INFO — TCP/IP stack configuration (hostname, DNS, version)
• QSYS2.NETWORK_ATTRIBUTE_INFO — System-level network attributes
• QSYS2.TIME_PROTOCOL_INFO — NTP/SNTP server configuration and sync status

Key Capabilities

Network Monitoring

• List active connections sorted by traffic volume
• Identify busiest remote addresses and ports
• Monitor connection states (ESTABLISHED, LISTEN, etc.)
• Track bytes sent and received per connection

Interface & Routing

• View all network interfaces with IP addresses and status
• Check subnet masks, MTU, and line descriptions
• Review routing table entries and precedence
• Identify active vs inactive interfaces

Server Management

• List HTTP server instances with status and ports
• Check autostart configuration
• View server root directories and descriptions

Configuration Review

• Retrieve hostname, domain, and DNS settings
• Check network authentication parameters
• Verify NTP/SNTP time synchronization status

Common Use Cases

1. Connection Analysis

Identify active network connections and top bandwidth consumers

2. Network Troubleshooting

Check interface status, routing, and connection states

3. HTTP Server Monitoring

Verify web server status and port assignments

4. DNS & Network Config

Review TCP/IP settings, hostname, and DNS configuration

5. Time Sync Verification

Check NTP/SNTP server connectivity and synchronization

6. Security Audit

Identify unexpected remote connections or open ports

CL Command Migration

CL Command	SQL Service
NETSTAT	NETSTAT_INFO + NETSTAT_INTERFACE_INFO
WRKTCPSTS	NETSTAT_INFO + NETSTAT_JOB_INFO
CFGTCP (display)	NETWORK_ATTRIBUTE_INFO + TCPIP_INFO
WRKHTTPSRVR	HTTP_SERVER_INFO

Quick Examples

List established connections

SELECT REMOTE_ADDRESS, REMOTE_PORT, LOCAL_PORT, BOUND_USER,
       BYTES_SENT_REMOTELY, BYTES_RECEIVED_LOCALLY
  FROM QSYS2.NETSTAT_INFO
  WHERE TCP_STATE = 'ESTABLISHED'
  ORDER BY BYTES_SENT_REMOTELY DESC
  FETCH FIRST 20 ROWS ONLY;

Check network interfaces

SELECT INTERNET_ADDRESS, LINE_DESCRIPTION, INTERFACE_STATUS
  FROM QSYS2.NETSTAT_INTERFACE_INFO
  ORDER BY INTERFACE_STATUS;

View HTTP servers

SELECT SERVER_NAME, SERVER_STATUS, LISTENING_PORT, AUTOSTART
  FROM QSYS2.HTTP_SERVER_INFO
  ORDER BY SERVER_STATUS;

Pre-built Tools

The tools/communication.yaml file provides 8 ready-to-use tools:

Tool	Description
get_netstat_info	Active network connections with traffic
get_netstat_interface_info	Network interfaces and IP addresses
get_netstat_job_info	Network jobs and their connections
get_netstat_route_info	TCP/IP routing table
get_http_server_info	HTTP server instances and status
get_tcpip_info	TCP/IP stack configuration
get_network_attribute_info	System network attributes
get_time_protocol_info	NTP/SNTP time server status

ibmi tool <tool_name> --tools "$SKILL_DIR/tools/"          # Execute
ibmi tool <tool_name> --tools "$SKILL_DIR/tools/" --dry-run # Preview SQL
ibmi tools show <tool_name> --tools "$SKILL_DIR/tools/"     # View details

Reference Documentation

• Communication Services Catalog — All COMMUNICATION services
• Communication Examples — Working SQL examples
• IBM i Services - Communication — IBM documentation