Question

What are the characteristics of database management system in db2?

Answer 1

IBM DB2 is a relational DBMS with integrated support for a number of NoSQL capabilities, including XML, graph store and Java Script Object Notation (JSON). Used by organizations of all sizes, DB2 provides a data platform for both transactional and analytical operations as well as continuous availability of data to keep transactional workflows and analytics operating efficiently.

OSes DB2 supports

DB2 is available for three primary platforms:

Workstation, with DB2 for Linux, Unix and Windows (LUW)

Midrange, with DB2 for iSeries

Mainframe, with DB2 for z/OS, the predominant mainframe relational DBMS

DB2 supports these Unix variants: AIX, Solaris and HP-UX; Linux variants include Red Hat, SUSE, Ubuntu and Linux on pSeries and System z.

DB2 for i comes pre-installed on the iSeries server and, as such, won't be addressed here.

DB2 features

The current version of DB2 for LUW is 11.1, released in second quarter 2016. This release focuses on improvements to BLU Acceleration and pureScale functionality.
DB2 Offering
As of Version 11, IBM offers eight editions of DB2 for LUW:

DB2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition offers the highest level of functionality available for DB2 and is suitable for transactional, warehouse and mixed workloads. This edition has no processor, memory or database size limits and comes with a full complement of warehouse tools, InfoSphere Optimtools and IBM Data Studio.

DB2 Advanced Workgroup Server Edition is similar to the DB2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition, except it places limits on processor, memory and database size. This edition is best-suited for deployment in a departmental, workgroup or midsize business environment.

DB2 Enterprise Server Edition is suitable for transactional and mixed workloads, and like the advanced version, it has no processor, memory or database size limits. However, unlike the advanced version, it lacks column-organized tables, in-memory database, data compression, workload management, replication and distributed partitioning capabilities.

DB2 Workgroup Server Edition is primarily for transactional workloads. This edition places limits on processor, memory and database size, which makes it ideal for medium-size workloads.

DB2 Direct Advanced Edition is a version of DB2 Advanced Workgroup Server Edition for digital delivery.

DB2 Direct Standard Edition is a digital version of DB2 Workgroup Server Edition for digital delivery.

DB2 for Big Data combines the relational engine of DB2 with IBM's BigInsights platform for big data and analytics. This edition is designed to enhance portability of data across relational systems and Hadoop.

DB2 Developer Edition is designed for a single application developer to design, build and prototype applications for deployment on any of the IBM Information Managementclient or server platforms.

Additionally, DB2 Express-C edition, an entry-level edition of the DB2 data server for the developer and partner community, is available for free. It can be installed on physical or virtual systems with any amount of CPU and RAM, and is optimized to use up to a maximum of two cores and 16 GB of memory.

DB2 data types

DB2 supports the standard numeric, character, and date/time data types well as LOBs, XML and user-defined types. JSON is supported via DB2 JSON, a driver-based solution that delivers JSON data representation within the context of an RDBMS.

DB2 benchmarks

IBM has published numerous TPC benchmarks for DB2 on all platforms supported. IBM sells DB2 for LUW direct, through business partners, online and through application specific licensing, which allows vendors such as SAP to license and sell DB2 relational DBMS as part of their applications.

Pricing is based on processor value unit(PVU), which is a unit of measure that IBM uses to license its software. IBM applies a PVU count to each core of a processor. The pricing is then based on the number of PVUs for the processor and by the number of processors made available to DB2.

The developer edition is licensed by authorized user, not PVU. There are additional nuances to pricing and licensing based on DB2 editions that aren't covered here.

DB2 licensing

The license cost for DB2 includes first-year support and subscription, entitling the owner to contact IBM for support as well as to download fixes and upgrades to future versions/releases of the product.