DB2 Express-C Team Blog

DB2, Big Data and Cloud webinar on Dec 6

2011-11-30T06:19:00.001-08:00

The next Chat with the Lab is on Tuesday, December 6. Experts from IBM and RightScale will jointly cover DB2, big data, and cloud computing topics:

Leveraging Clouds for Small and Big Data

Date: Dec 6, 2011

Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Hosted By: Rav Ahuja (IBM)

Presented By: Leon Katsnelson (IBM), Uri Budnik (RightScale), Robert Thomas (IBM)

Many experts agree that Cloud Computing has now matured past the initial hype phase and that organizations large and small have started to derive real benefits by placing applications and data on Clouds. In this webinar we will discuss how to leverage Cloud Computing for managing data and gaining insights from big data. We will cover various Cloud options (public, private, and hybrid) available for managing data in the Cloud with IBM DB2 database server as well as for deriving value from big data using IBM BigInsights hadoop-based platform. We will also show you how to be up and running in as little as a few minutes using free editions of DB2 and BigInsights. You ought to find this session useful regardless of whether you are a beginner or expert in cloud computing or big data.

To learn more please Join Uri Budnik (RightScale), Leon Katsnelson (IBM), and Rav Ahuja (IBM) on Tuesday December 6th, 2011 at 12:30 PM Eastern.

Presentation slides will be available for download from ibm.com/db2/labchats shortly before the webcast starts.

Register to attend

Date:	Dec 6, 2011
Time:	12:30 PM - 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Hosted By:	Rav Ahuja (IBM)
Presented By:	Leon Katsnelson (IBM), Uri Budnik (RightScale), Robert Thomas (IBM)

Over 10,000 people sign up for DB2 University

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

This morning, DB2 University reached the milestone of 10,000 registered users taking free courses on SQL, DB2, Data Studio, and other topics. The courses are self-paced, with exercises after every topic and a test at the end. People who complete a course receive a certificate and possibly other rewards.

If you've just downloaded the new DB2 Express-C 9.7.5, taking a course on DB2 University might be a good way to bring yourself up to speed.

Download DB2 Express-C 9.7.5, now with Oracle compatibility

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

The free IBM DB2 Express-C database now includes the same Oracle compatibility features as IBM's enterprise databases. These features include support for PL/SQL, CLP+, data types, syntax, and much more.

Other new features in the 9.7.5 release include:

Enhancements for migrating SQL C applications from other database systems
Support for nested array and row types
New HexToRaw, NVL2, and SubStr2 functions and enhancements to other functions
Additional diagnostic options for various commands

Next steps

Hadoop programming challenge extended

2011-10-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Hadoop programming challenge at Big Data University has been extended to October 10th. This is due to many of the nearly 2000 people who've taken the Hadoop Fundamentals course asking for an extension.

The challenge involves completing the Hadoop Fundamentals course and doing an additional exercise to demonstrate skill and creativity with the Hadoop data processing framework. The submission deadline is now Monday, October 10th, 11:59pm PST.

Three participants in the challenge will be selected for an expense paid trip to the IOD conference in Las Vegas.

Big Data University and its sister site DB2 University offer free courses in SQL, Hadoop, and other topics.

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Free InfoSphere Data Architect book, now in Chinese

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

The free Getting Started with InfoSphere Data Architect book is now available in Simplified Chinese as well as English. InfoSphere Data Architect (IDA) is a data modelling and integration tool aimed at the enterprise. The book aims to help you:

Learn how to work with logical and physical database designs
Learn how to create, deploy, and update data models
Discover how to forward- and reverse-engineer your data sources
Learn more about data privacy, security, and lifecycle management
Practice using hands-on exercises

The book is part of the DB2 on Campus book series, which includes among others:

Next Steps

Get the book: Getting Started with InfoSphere Data Architect
Get the trial: InfoSphere Data Architect
Get the free database: DB2 Express-C

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis

DB2 Community Team

Go back to school, take a free SQL course

2011-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

DB2 University is a site that offers free online courses in basic SQL as well as DB2, Data Studio, and other technologies. The courses are self-paced and guide students through series of exercises. Course completion is recognized with a certificate.

At the time of writing, DB2 University boasts of nearly 6000 students worldwide who've taken a quick course or two and bolstered their database skills.

The Big Data University sister site is running an interesting promotion for its Hadoop Fundamentals I course. The best three students who complete the free Hadoop course and an additional exercise for October 3rd will get to go on an expenses-paid five day trip to Las Vegas and attend the Information on Demand 2011 conference.

Hadoop is an open source programming framework for processing large quantities of data in computer clusters. It's part of IBM's InfoSphere BigInsights offering.

Next steps

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Get Data Studio 2.2.1.1

2011-07-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

The free IBM Data Studio tools for DB2 have been updated with new features:

Table Data Editor that can directly edit data in tables, views, aliases, and materialized query tables, as well as browse through data in nicknames and synonyms
Filters in Administration Explorer to quickly find the object you are looking for
Impact and dependency analysis for routines and packages to allow easier change management
Performance enhancements for catalog navigation
Support for Kerberos, Citrix XenApp, and TABLESAMPLE (see changelog)

It's available for download today:

Download DB2 Express-C database
Download Data Studio Standalone
Download Data Studio IDE instead if you develop Java stored procedures or web services
Free book: Getting Started with Data Studio

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Private Clouds and DB2: Webcast on Wednesday

2011-06-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

The next DB2 Chat with the Lab is this Wednesday. I'll be helping answer your questions in the Q&A, so naturally I encourage everyone to join:

Easily Deploy Database Workloads on Private Clouds
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 (29.6.2011)
Time: e12:30 AM – 2:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)
11:30 AM Central / 9:30 AM Pacific / 17:30hrs London / 18:30hrs Frankfurt, Paris / India 10 PM

As more and more businesses look for ways to reduce costs within IT, their research typically discovers cloud computing. However Public Clouds are not an option for many enterprise workloads and applications with strict security and privacy requirements. Organizations with such needs can benefit from building Private Clouds within their own data centers. In this webcast we will look at a fast path to deploying private clouds for database workloads.

We will specifically look at instant provisioning of DB2 systems and databases in a private cloud infrastructure using the IBM Workload Deployer (IWD), previously called the WebSphere CloudBurst Appliance. We will also look at how IWD can be easily used for implementing complete web application patterns with web servers, application servers (WebSphere), and DB2 database servers with high availability options.

Register

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Overview: DB2 on Campus book series

2011-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

DB2 on Campus is a community-driven series of free ebooks. As of June 2011, it includes the following books:

Database Fundamentals

If you are interested in translating one of the books into your native language, or applying your technical skills to review the fine details, you can email the DB2 on Campus program via db2x [at] ca.ibm.com

Some of the books above are used as reference texts in the free courses on DB2University.com

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis

DB2 Community Team

Free ebook: Getting Started with pureQuery

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Getting Started with pureQuery is the latest free ebook in the DB2 on Campus book series. It aims to help you:

Learn how to use pureQuery in Optim Development Studio
Write efficient Java database apps using pureQuery
Understand how pureQuery can optimize Java Persistence API and Hibernate apps
Practice while developing a sample Java app

A good way to get started with pureQuery is to get the following:

Free book: Getting Started with pureQuery
Free database: DB2 Express-C
Trial: Optim Development Studio (with pureQuery support)

If you are a Java dev, you might also want:

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis

DB2 Community Team

DB2 Express-C 9.7.4 released!

2011-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

DB2 Express-C 9.7.4 is now available for download. It is a full refresh of the free edition of the DB2 database server.

Improvements include:

An up to 37% lighter download footprint on Windows and Linux
Ability to store string match patterns for LIKE conditions in database columns
Faster indexing and more powerful searches using DB2 Text Search
Compound triggers for UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE

Download it now!

It's interesting to note that DB2 Express-C 9.7.4 came out on the cloud first and as a traditional download second. The cloud image template for Rightscale/Amazon EC2 has been available since past Friday.

DB2 アプリケーション開発入門

2011-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

The free Getting Started with DB2 Application Development book has just been translated into Japanese. The book aims to help you:

Work with DB2 and Java, C/C++, .NET, PHP, Ruby on Rails, Perl, and Python
Write SQL, XQuery, and understand pureXML
Learn how to develop DB2 stored procedures, functions and web services
Practice using hands-on exercises

The main book in the series, Getting Started with DB2 Express-C, is available in Japanese as well as Czech, German, and Vietnamese. An earlier edition is available in Bulgarian, Chinese, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.

Books in the DB2 on Campus series are written by community volunteers like yourself. If you are interested in updating or translating one of the books in the DB2 on Campus series, please send an email to: db2x at ca.ibm.com.

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Data Studio book updated for 2.2.1

2011-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

The free Getting Started with Data Studio book has been updated with new content, including a guide to the new Task Launcher interface, which helps you design, develop, administer, tune, and monitor your databases.

The book still helps you:

Find out what IBM Data Studio can do for you
Back up and recover DB2 databases
Write and debug SQL stored procedures and routines
Learn more about integrated data management
Practice using hands-on exercises

Getting Started with Data Studio is part of the DB2 on Campus book series. The flagship book in the series is the equally free Getting Started with DB2 Express-C.

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Create a free site on Radiant CMS and DB2

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Antonio just put up a a great tutorial for creating a free website using Radiant CMS and DB2 on Amazon.

A great thing about this configuration is that it uses an Amazon micro instance, and Amazon lets new customers try out micro instances for free for a year. I talk a lot about free cloud offers, but usually I mean that our software is free while you are still paying someone for the hardware. In this case, the hardware is free too.

Radiant is a content management system (CMS). Other popular CMS software includes Drupal and Joomla, with blogging tools like Wordpress increasingly gaining CMS-like features.

In my experience, the hardest part of running a website is maintenance. Keeping the content up to date while posting new things can be a challenge. A CMS like Radiant makes this a lot easier by separating your content from the site's structure and appearance, so one doesn't distract you from the other. From the point of view of a site owner, a CMS-drived website really is far superior to the traditional hand-rolled websites of yesteryear.

What's this got to do with the glory of the free DB2 Express-C database? Well, that's where your content gets stored.

So, I dare you -- launch a site on Radiant CMS and DB2 today.

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Data Studio Standalone compared to IDE

2011-04-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Richie on the Data Studio team recently pointed out a great table comparing Data Studio Standalone to Data Studio IDE. The short of it is that both are great tools for administering DB2, with IDE adding some features aimed at Java developers specifically. Let me put a slightly rearranged version here:

Group	Details	Data Studio Standalone	Data Studio IDE
Architecture data modeling
	Database overview diagrams
Instance management
	Start, stop, quiesce, unquiesce a DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows instance
	Start, stop, quiesce, unquiesce a DB2 pureScale member
	Configure a DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows instance
	Configure a DB2 pureScale member
Object management
	Create, alter, drop DB2 or IDS server objects
	View and edit privileges for DB2 and IDS data server objects and authorization IDS
	Impact analysis - report on dependencies
	Generate DDL
	Generate commands for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows - start, stop, quiesce, etc.
	Generate utilities for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows - backup restore, reorg, etc
	Data distribution viewer
Data management
	Export and import table
	Extract data, extract as XML (from SQL results)
	Sample contents
	Load data
	Unload using Optim High Performance Unload (separate purchase)
	Edit data
Application development
	Integrated Query Editor (SQL and XQuery) with query formatting
	SQL Builder
	Advanced query formatting
	Visual Explain
	Access plan graph (enhanced Visual Explain)
	Single query statistics advisor
	SQL query environment capture for serviceability (z/OS only)
	SQL routine editor and debugger (including PL/SQL for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows deployments)
	Java routine editor and debugger
	SQLJ development
	XML editor, schema editor, and annotated XSD mapping editor
	Data Web Services development and deployment
General
	Shell sharing with other Rational or Optim products

I usually recommend Data Studio Standalone since it's a smaller download. Data Studio IDE adds several useful features for Java developers.

A good resource for learning either is the free Get Started with Data Studio book.

DB2 vs Oracle complexity study

2011-03-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Triton Consulting recently conducted an objective assessment of several routine DBA activities, comparing Oracle Database 11gR2 and DB2 9.7:

The study looked at the task complexity of the following:

Installation
Enabling table compression
Enabling index compression
Backup and recovery
Automatic memory tuning
Data access control

Full details can be found in the report.

If you are interested in the subject, there is also a DB2 and Oracle Architectural Comparison webinar you could attend on March 31.

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

State of DB2 in the Cloud, March 2011

2011-03-22T06:00:00.001-07:00

Unlike many of its competitors, DB2 is fully supported in virtualized environments. Since every cloud is built upon virtualization, this means that DB2 is automatically supported when running on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM Development & Test Cloud, even in unofficial images.

One interesting aspect of this is that, if you fill out the free redistribution form, you can create cloud images that bundle the free DB2 Express-C database with your company's software without paying a dime to IBM. At any time, you can then upgrade to the DB2 Express edition and get IBM support for your custom bundle.

Hypervisors

Amazon EC2 uses Xen as its hypervisor, while IBM Cloud uses KVM. Hypervisor is industry jargon for the component which sits on top of physical hardware and manages hardware access for virtual machines. There are many other hypervisor technologies, of which VMWare ESX is a popular one.

Because all editions of DB2 support virtualization, there's no need for any sort of hypervisor edition for DB2.

Public vs private

Amazon EC2 and IBM Cloud are public clouds. That is, you use them to provision virtual servers which are then accessible over the internet. However, internet access can be a big security no-no. In such cases, it's often preferable to set up a private cloud internal to your organization.

A quick way to set up a private cloud is to use WebSphere CloudBurst Appliance. WCA is not a hypervisor -- rather, it is a vending machine full of thoroughly tested virtual machine templates preloaded with IBM products that lets you deploy and manage groups of virtual machines to your existing VMWare ESX or PowerVM hypervisors.

Automation

Cloud computing takes the idea of virtualization and automates as much of it as possible. This creates the illusion of infinite resources. As described above, WebSphere CloudBurst Appliance creates a public cloud by providing automation for your existing infrastructure.

There are ways to automate things further. For example, RightScale is a free service that automates Amazon Web Services and other cloud providers. It provides a convenient interface to coordinate deployments, run scripts, or exactly duplicate deployments of multiple machines. My team has built several DB2 templates targeting RightScale.

Alpha

An alpha of the next version of DB2 is available in the cloud today. Once approved, it takes just five minutes to get your own dedicated DB2 machine up and running.

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

DB2 chat for Oracle professionals defies signup limits

2011-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

On March 31, we'll be holding a DB2 Chat with the Lab aimed specifically at Oracle professionals curious about DB2 database server architecture. As you know, IBM DB2 9.7 introduced a thorough Oracle compatibility mode.

Almost immediately after we announced it, the event filled up completely. More people signed up than the webcast infrastructure allowed, and many had to be turned away.

To handle the extreme level of demand, we've now set up a parallel signup link:

DB2 and Oracle - An Architectural Comparison

Date: Thursday, March 31, 2011
Time: 12:30-2:00 PM Eastern / 11:30 AM Central / 9:30 AM Pacific / 17:30hrs London / 18:30hrs Frankfurt, Paris / India 10 PM

Many database professionals and DBAs often ask how DB2 and Oracle compare architecturally, that is, how they are different and similar at their core. They also ask what are the equivalent concepts, names, commands etc. in the other database system. This free webinar will answer those questions by covering the following topics in detail:

Server architecture comparison (e.g. instances and database model, process vs. thread)

Memory architecture comparison (e.g. Oracle SGA & PGA vs. DB2 instance, database and application memory)

Parameters, environment variables and registry variables

Database storage model comparison (e.g. table space types and layouts, compression approaches)

Basic database administration comparison (e.g. terminology, create database, start/stop, dictionary vs. system catalog, performance)

Compatibility mode for running Oracle applications with DB2

Attending this webcast would be valuable for you whether you are an Oracle professional and looking to learn more about DB2 (for Linux, Unix and Windows), or work in a heterogeneous environment and looking to expand your DBMS knowledge, or simply interested in enhancing your database skills for improving your career prospects.

Register to attend

Cheers,

Leons Petrazickis
DB2 Community Team

Amusing IBM DB2 and Oracle database video

2011-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Conor recently posted an amusing video:

Try alpha4 of the next DB2

2011-02-28T08:29:00.001-08:00

The DB2 Early Experience program is letting people try an alpha of the next version of DB2 in the cloud. All you have to do to gain access is fill out a form.

Apply to try it out

Once IBM approves your application, you'll be able to launch your own server full of DB2 alpha goodness in the cloud in under 30 minutes.

You can, of course, run any edition of DB2 in the cloud today.

DB2 LUW Update - What's new since V9.7 GA

2011-02-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

There's an upcoming DB2 Chat with the Lab on Monday February 28:

DB2 LUW Update - What's new since V9.7 GA

Date: Feb 28, 2011
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)

IBM released DB2 9.7 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows (LUW) in June of 2009. Since that time we have been hard at work enhancing DB2 and adding new capabilities through a series of fixpacks, releasing DB2 pureScale, as well as introducing a high-value new edition called DB2 Advanced Enterprise Server. Attend this webinar and learn about some of the improvements to DB2 LUW since the release of 9.7, as well as the outstanding value you can receive by upgrading to the new DB2 Advanced Edition.

Join Sal Vella (VP) and Jamie Watters (Senior Product Manager) to learn more.

Next steps

Register to attend

ibm_db2 1.9.1 extension for PHP released

2011-02-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Version 1.9.1 of the ibm_db2 extension for PHP was recently released. Changes include:

Fix for db2_statistics (Failing with pconnect).

On Windows

Go to the DB2 Technology Explorer downloads section and grab a build of the extension that matches your PHP 5.3 installation. PHP on Windows is available in four official flavours:

Threadsafe PHP compiled with VC6
Non-thread-safe (nts) PHP compiled with VC6
Thread-safe PHP compiled with VC9
Non-thread-safe (nts) PHP compiled with VC9

Be sure to get a build of the extension that matches your PHP flavour. If you are running PHP with Apache, it's one of the two VC6 options.

On Linux

Make sure you have pecl installed in your package manager and then run:

pecl install ibm_db2

You will need gcc along with DB2 headers for the installation to complete. If you do not have a local copy of DB2, you can install the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI instead.

Nominate fellow community members for IBM Information Champion

2011-02-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Information Champion program is accepting nominations through February 15. The program seeks to recognize valuable DB2 community contributions by non-IBMers. Benefits include an award crystal, a profile on ibm.com, apparel, and general recognition.

Possible people to nominate:

Forum moderators and contributors
Bloggers
Community web site operators and contributors
Leaders of product user groups
Written contributors, such as authors of developerWorks articles, tutorials, and books
Speakers at events and conferences

You can nominate yourself, though I personally think you'd be better off finding a fellow contributor and nominating each other. IBMers like myself are encouraged to nominate community members, though we aren't eligible ourselves.

Next steps

Nominate someone
Read the FAQ

New run of courses at DB2University.com

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

There's a new run of the free courses at DB2University.com:

SQL Fundamentals I
DB2 Essential Training I
DB2 Essential Training II
Data Studio Essential Training I

This run will go from February 7 through 22. More than 650 people enrolled to the SQL Fundamentals I course during the initial run.

The best 25 students in the SQL Fundamentals I and DB2 Essential Training II courses will receive a free IBM certification exam voucher or book each.

The site is also looking for people interested in putting together a paid or free course in related technical subjects. You can contact it here.

Einstieg in DB2 Express-C 9.7

2011-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

The German translation of Getting Started with DB2 Express-C 9.7 is now available for free download. The latest edition is also available in Japanese and Vietnamese, while the previous edition is available in Bulgarian, Chinese, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.

The book aims to help readers to:

Understand DB2 architecture, tools, and security
Learn how to administer DB2 databases
Write SQL, XQuery, and stored procedures
Practice using hands-on exercises

DB2 on Campus books available in Deutsch:

Translations of the DB2 on Campus free book series are done by community volunteers. If you'd like to lend a hand and help translate a book into your language, please don't hesitate to email db2x [at] ca.ibm.com.

DB2 Express-C Team Blog

DB2, Big Data and Cloud webinar on Dec 6

Leveraging Clouds for Small and Big Data

Over 10,000 people sign up for DB2 University

Download DB2 Express-C 9.7.5, now with Oracle compatibility

Hadoop programming challenge extended

Free InfoSphere Data Architect book, now in Chinese

Go back to school, take a free SQL course

Get Data Studio 2.2.1.1

Private Clouds and DB2: Webcast on Wednesday

Overview: DB2 on Campus book series

Free ebook: Getting Started with pureQuery

DB2 Express-C 9.7.4 released!

DB2 アプリケーション 開発入門

Data Studio book updated for 2.2.1

Create a free site on Radiant CMS and DB2

Data Studio Standalone compared to IDE

DB2 vs Oracle complexity study

State of DB2 in the Cloud, March 2011

DB2 chat for Oracle professionals defies signup limits

Amusing IBM DB2 and Oracle database video

Try alpha4 of the next DB2

DB2 LUW Update - What's new since V9.7 GA

DB2 LUW Update - What's new since V9.7 GA

ibm_db2 1.9.1 extension for PHP released

Nominate fellow community members for IBM Information Champion

New run of courses at DB2University.com

Einstieg in DB2 Express-C 9.7

DB2 アプリケーション開発入門