DB2 Connect (Finally) Gets IBM i 7.1 Support

April 17, 2012 Alex Woodie

IBM this month announced a new release of DB2 Connect, a piece of middleware used to connect client applications running on Linux, Unix, or Windows platforms to DB2 database servers running on IBM i and z/OS. With DB2 Connect version 10.1, IBM added support for DB2 for i version 7.1. It also added a number of features for taking advantages of the latest enhancements to DB2 for z/OS.

DB2 Connect enables client applications to create, access, update, control, and manage DB2 databases on host systems using a variety of languages, including SQL, ODBC, JDBC, DB2 APIs, SQLJ DB2 Call Level Interface (CLI), .NET, PHP, Ruby, Python, Perl, and pureQuery. The most common use of the software is serving SQL statements to DB2 on IBM i and z/OS systems, but it can also be used to join tables from multiple DB2/400 databases, including other DB2 versions and Informix, and even Oracle, SQL Server, and Sybase when coupled with that ultimate Big Blue data broker, WebSphere Information Integrator.

The lone IBM i-related enhancement in DB2 Connect 10.1 is a biggie: support for DB2 for i running on the latest IBM i version 7.1 operating system, which shipped two years ago this month. Late support is better than no support.

The bulk of the enhancements in DB2 Connect 10.1 focus on the various drivers to support the latest capabilities in DB2 10 for z/OS platform, which IBM shipped in October 2010. This includes: binary XML support in Java drivers; XML-related performance boosts; support for extended vector variables; temporal table support; enhanced timestamp precision; and other performance and high availability enhancements.

This release also delivers better support for IBM tools, including WebSphere Application Server, Optim Configuration Manager, and Data Studio. Programmers will be happy to hear DB2 Connect 10.1 brings: new JDBC 4.1 capabilities for Java 7; support for the .NET 4.0 framework with Entity Framework; full integration with Visual Studio 2010; and support for migrating applications from other database vendors to DB2 for z/OS.

IBM has also reworked its various DB2 Connect bundles, including shrinking the footprint of its Data Server (DS) Driver bundle; streamlined activation of DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System z; and new gateway options.

Companies running the advanced IBM pureQuery Runtime for Linux, Unix, and Windows will see new security features, including the capability to prevent SQL injection by restricting the SQL executed by a specific application to specific SQL statements. This release also gives users the capability to convert dynamic SQL to static SQL, which improves performance and security.

DB2 Connect 10.1 editions become available June 11. For more information on DB2 Connect 10.1, see IBM United States Software Announcement 212-076.