What is it?
IBM's DB2 was the first relational database system, and it still
contests the top slot in the database market with Oracle.
With last year's release of DB2 9, IBM was considered to have
taken a big lead, by delivering a hybrid data server with optimised
management of both XML and relational data.
The simultaneous release of versions for every level of user,
from the enterprise datawarehouse to a free download for
developers, showed how pervasive DB2 has become and how close IBM
is to fully converging all of its strategic technology
platforms.
DB2 9 has enhancements for everything from tighter integration
with PHP to online transaction processing for distributed systems,
and stored procedure performance on z/OS mainframes.
IBM said the hybrid DB2 9 gives performance gains on queries of
100 times-plus, and four-fold improvements in development time.
Where did it originate?
Ted Codd developed the relational model at IBM in the 1970s. DB2
was released for the mainframe in 1982. In 1996, IBM re-invented it
as the DB2 Universal Database (UDB), capable of storing many kinds
of electronic data, and able to run on Windows, HP-UX and Sun
Solaris as well as IBM's own operating systems.
Following IBM's takeover of Informix, object technologies from
Informix databases were incorporated into DB2.
What is it for?
As a hybrid data server, DB2 supports SQL or XQuery access to
all data. It also gives access to data stored on MySQL and Oracle
databases.
The Eclipse-based DB2 Developer Workbench is used to create,
edit, test and debug DB2 stored procedures and user-defined
functions. It can be used to develop SQLJ applications, SQL
statements and XML queries. Integration with both Java and .net has
been tightened, along with enhanced support for Visual Studio
2005.
What makes it special?
DB2 9's pure XML technology lets clients manage both
conventional relational data and pure XML data seamlessly and makes
it simpler and faster to create applications that can access both
relational and XML data.
How difficult is it to master?
Old pros use the command-line interface. For the less
experienced, there is a Java-based graphical user interface with
lot of wizards.
For would-be database administrators (DBAs) with no experience,
there are four classes totalling 17 days, or five days for those
with experience of Oracle, Sybase etc. The self-fixing,
self-configuring database clearly hasn't made the DBA redundant if
they need this much training.
Application programmers with C need two courses totalling five
days, and those with Java need one course of three days, with two
further days on stored procedures for both languages.
What systems does it run on?
IBM mainframes under z/VSE, z/VM and Linx, other Linux and Unix
servers, Windows, and IBM platforms, including iSeries. There are
application programming interfaces for .net CLI, Python, Perl, PHP
and Ruby, as well as Java, C++, C, Cobol, and legacy languages such
as Rexx, PL/I, RPG, and Fortran.
What is coming up?
IBM has released a set of tools for rapid building of web
applications using Ruby on Rails, which is downloadable free for
DB2 Express-C developers.
www-306.ibm.com/software/data/db2/express/download.html
Training
Training roadmaps, DB2 9 database associate certification, and
links to details of courses, free tutorials and books, can be found
at:
www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education
www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2
Rates of pay
Salaries for database administrators start at £30,000.
Developers with Java and Websphere skills can expect £35,000. There
are still employers looking for the MVS, Cics/Cobol/DB2
combination, and the rates are good.
Salary survey
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