# Infor XA PowerLink (Power Link), SIWA and Net-Link: What Each Does and Your Options

> Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/infor-xa-powerlink-siwa-net-link-what-each-does
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: ERP Help

## Short answer

Infor XA runs on IBM i with a 5250 green-screen core. PowerLink (also written Power Link) and Net-Link are the interface layers Infor offered to put a more modern or web face on that core, and SIWA is another piece of XA's interface and integration tooling. Because naming and packaging changed across releases, confirm exactly what is installed before planning any change.

## Kind

advanced

## System

infor-xa

## Erp

Infor XA (IBM i)

## Module

User Interface / Integration Tooling

## Query

infor xa powerlink

## Alternate Queries

- infor xa power link
- infor xa siwa
- infor erp xa net-link
- infor xa user guides

## Applies To

Infor XA (formerly MAPICS XA) on IBM i. Release-specific details differ; treat this page as orientation and verify against your installed release documentation.

## Steps

### Work out what your XA environment uses

**Items:**

- Ask your IBM i administrator which Infor XA components are installed, using the product library list and the installed licensed program inventory.
- Collect the user guides and release notes for your XA release; they are the authoritative source for each component's name and role.
- Survey users: who works in 5250 sessions, who uses PowerLink or Net-Link, and who uses neither and relies on exports.
- Map each interface to its dependencies: Windows clients, Java versions, web servers, browser support.
- Identify reporting and BI tools that read XA data, and whether they connect through ODBC, DB2 for i or flat extracts.
- Check support status for every component and for the IBM i OS level you run.
- Decide per interface: keep, replace with browser access, or retire in favour of a data layer outside the 5250 UI.

## Sections

### The interface layers in plain terms

**Body:**

XA business logic lives in RPG and CL programs on IBM i, with data in DB2 for i files. The native interface is a 5250 terminal session. PowerLink is associated with a Windows-based graphical front end over those programs. Net-Link is the web-based approach, covered separately in the related page. SIWA appears in Infor documentation as part of the XA interface and integration tooling, and its role should be confirmed from your release guides.

None of these replace the business logic. They are presentation and integration layers, which is why they can be modernized or replaced without changing how orders, inventory and MRP calculate.

### PowerLink, reporting and BI

**Body:**

People often meet Power Link in the context of getting data out of XA into Excel and reports. The reliable long-term pattern is to read DB2 for i directly through ODBC or JDBC with a read-only profile, or to land data into a separate store, rather than depend on a legacy client that needs old Windows or Java versions.

If your reporting depends on a desktop component that vendors no longer support, treat that as a risk item and plan a data-layer replacement first, since it carries no business logic risk.

### Modernization options

**Body:**

Options range from keeping XA and wrapping it with web services, to adding a read-only analytics layer, to migrating the ERP. Wrapping with ION or REST-style services is covered in the related integration page. A private AI layer sits at the data layer and does not require changing the 5250 screens at all, which makes it a low-risk first step.

## Pitfalls

- Assuming the same component names mean the same thing in every XA release.
- Depending on old Windows or Java clients with no support path.
- Giving BI tools write-capable IBM i profiles.
- Starting an interface rewrite before documenting what users actually do.

## Ai Angle

XA users often cannot get answers without a green-screen inquiry or a developer-written query. A private assistant such as ERPray or a DataRay deployment can read DB2 for i through a read-only profile and answer questions in plain language, showing the SQL, without installing anything on the 5250 side. It can run on your own hardware near the IBM i partition.

## Faq

### What is PowerLink in Infor XA?

**Answer:** It is an Infor XA interface and integration component associated with a graphical Windows front end over XA programs. Naming and packaging varied by release, so confirm with your installed documentation.

### Is Power Link the same as PowerLink?

**Answer:** In searches and documentation both spellings refer to the same product family. Treat them as the same unless your release guides distinguish them.

### What is SIWA in Infor XA?

**Answer:** It is a component name used in XA interface and integration documentation. Check the user guide for your release for its exact role rather than relying on a short description.

### How do I get XA data into BI tools?

**Answer:** Use ODBC or JDBC access to DB2 for i with a read-only profile, or scheduled extracts to a separate store. This avoids dependence on legacy desktop components.

## Search terms

infor xa powerlink, infor xa power link, infor xa siwa, infor erp xa net-link, infor xa user guides, infor xa ibm i interface, infor xa modernization, infor xa reporting

---
Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json