Summary
This chapter discussed the DB2 products for LUW. There are a number of offerings available, including:
- DB2 Enterprise Edition
- DB2 Workgroup Edition
- DB2 Express Edition
- DB2 Express-C
- DB2 Personal Edition
- DB2 Everyplace Edition
- Various DB2 Connect Editions
- DB2 Query Patroller
These products provide the flexibility to execute database applications running on pervasive devices up to multi-node clusters. DB2 provides support for the commonly used communication protocols.
Each of the DB2 data server editions comes with a set of purchasable add-on feature packs that you can use to extend the capabilities of the core data server. There are also number of add-on tools and products that you can also buy for DB2, including DB2 Query Patroller and a myriad of DBA-focused tools such as High Performance Unload, the DB2 Recovery Expert, and more.
SQL-based replication is integrated into all DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows servers. Replication can be used to move data between members of the DB2 family, or from and to members of the DB2 family and non-DB2 data servers (like Oracle, SQL Server, and more) if you're using WebSphere Replication Edition. DB2 Connect is used to access DB2 data that resides on DB2 for i5/OS, VM/VSE, and z/OS operating systems, and it comes with federated capabilities that can also be added to a DB2 data server installation.
DB2 9 includes a number of application development enhancements, including the DB2 Developer Workbench and integration into the world's most popular IDEs such as Rational Application Developer, Zend Core, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
Significant new features have been added to make DB2 easier to manage. SMART technology (Self-managing and Resource Tuning) has been integrated into a number of DB2 components, including installation, configuration, utilities, problem determination and resolution, and availability. This is part of IBM's autonomic computing initiative and new features will continue to be added to make DBAs more productive.
This chapter also introduced some of the graphical and command line tools available in DB2. The Command Line Processor (CLP) is a text-based application that allows you to enter DB2 commands and SQL statements and is found in all DB2 products. From the desktop, an administrator can configure remote and local systems, administer instances and databases, and create database objects graphically using the Control Center or the Configuration Assistant. Tools like the DB2 Health Center and DB2 Activity Monitor also help manage DB2 environments while export support is provided in the form of Wizards and Advisors. In the remaining chapters, additional DB2 functions and tools will be examined for how they assist the end user, application developer, and administrator.