Fastest driver for importing data from AS/400 iSeries

[EylesIT]

We import data from AS/400 iSeries into SQL Server by executing SELECT queries against a linked server. We currently are using provider MSDASQL.
Can anyone recommend which driver/provider will give us the fastest SELECT performance?

[Scott M]

We use DB2OLEDB but I have never tested the performance between the 2, someone else made the decision long time ago. By watching transfers it seems that when transferring large amounts of date the network transfer time can account for a large part which will there no matter what driver. We have setup our own replication that only sends changes across (using a generic trigger on IBM i) and that minimizes data transfer and allows the data in SQL Server to be near real-time.

[jtaylor___]

We tried linked severs in SQL Server using the IBM i Access ODBC Driver (in ACS), but found performance so bad as to make it unusable. We got tremendously better performance bypassing the linked servers. We've always just used the IBM driver.

Keep in mind with hardware that old (AS/400 iSeries), you're never going to get great performance.

[Viking]

EylesIT, you may want to clarify what hardware you actually are running... is it really an AS/400 (obsolete for the last 20 years), or is that just what you're calling the machine and it really is Power Systems hardware running IBM i ? See the attached image showing the evolution of the machine.

Sorry if this comes across as pedantic, but it will help people to be able to help you.