The RPG Metrics IBM i Agent is a Python-based beta package that scans RPG source code locally on your IBM i.

What the agent does

The IBM i Agent watches an IFS folder for RPG source stream files. When a source file appears, the agent scans it, calculates code quality metrics, creates a local XLSX report, and optionally syncs the calculated metrics to the RPG Metrics dashboard.

• Scans RPG source locally on IBM i
• Generates an XLSX report locally on IBM i
• Calculates Cyclomatic Complexity
• Calculates Maintainability Index
• Calculates comment percentage and line counts
• Identifies cyclomatic complexity hotspots
• Reports RPG Free compatibility indicators
• Can sync calculated metrics to the RPG Metrics dashboard

What the agent does not do

The agent is designed for IBM i teams who do not want to upload source code to a web application.

• It does not need to upload RPG source code to the dashboard
• It does not store your source code in the RPG Metrics dashboard
• It does not require you to move source files to a PC for scanning

Local reports

The agent creates XLSX reports directly on your IBM i. These reports are stored in the configured reports folder, typically under:

/home/metrics-agent/reports/

Reports are organised by team, library, and source file. Depending on the enabled features, a report can include:

• Summary metrics
• Source line analysis
• Cyclomatic complexity hotspots
• RPG Free compatibility analysis

Dashboard-connected mode

When dashboard sync is enabled, the agent sends calculated metrics to the RPG Metrics dashboard:

https://kdp-software.co.uk/rpg-metrics/

The dashboard gives you a central view of scanned programs, including complexity, maintainability, comment percentage, RPG Free compatibility counts, hotspots, and trends.

Dashboard sync is useful when you want to track code quality over time, compare programs, review team activity, or monitor changes as part of your IBM i development workflow.

Local-only mode

The agent can also be used without dashboard sync. In local-only mode, it scans source on IBM i and creates a basic local XLSX report without sending metrics to the dashboard.

This is useful if you want to test the agent locally first before connecting it to RPG Metrics.

Beta access

The IBM i Agent is currently available as a beta package for selected users. During beta, available agent features are enabled so the local scan, local report, dashboard sync, and team workflow can be tested end-to-end.

To request the beta package, log in to RPG Metrics and use the feedback link to ask for access.

Typical workflow

1. Install the agent on IBM i
2. Generate an agent token from your RPG Metrics profile
3. Configure agent.conf
4. Create RPG stream files in the configured IFS folder
5. The agent scans the source locally
6. The local XLSX report is created on IBM i
7. Calculated metrics are optionally synced to the dashboard

Why this approach matters

IBM i teams often need better visibility of RPG complexity and maintainability, but they may not be comfortable uploading source code to an external service. The IBM i Agent is designed around that concern.

It lets you generate useful metrics while keeping source code on your own IBM i system.

Click the download button to obtain a copy of the RPG-metrics Agent