IBM Db2 Database Reviews

The solution is running on top of IBM I proprietary hardware/software. It shows great stability. DB2 has improved the way our organization functions because we do not have to tune it. There is an autotuning function integrated into the OS, which is useful. On other databases, there is a need to do tunning from time to time.

Has a very good RDBMS with high throughput, customizable security features, and a reasonable licensing price.

The solution has many beneficial features, such as security, support, and stability.

IBM Db2 Database is not ACID compliant, which would improve it. Db2 lacks Isolation, so when two people are trying to update the same field at the same time it can become stuck. Other newer databases do not have this issue, such as Microsoft SQL, Oracle DB, PostgreSQL, and SAP HANA.

I have been using IBM Db2 Database for approximately thirteen years.

We did not have the need to scale the solution.

We are using the solution on a daily basis.

We have a good SLA contract with the vendor for support.

I rate the support from the IBM Db2 Database a nine out of ten.

Positive

I rate the initial setup of the IBM Db2 Database a seven out of ten.

The deployment of the database took one day and the application took some time because of the testing and integration.

I rate the price of the IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten.

If someone is looking for a robust database with a reasonable price and security measures IBM Db2 Database is a good choice.

I rate IBM Db2 Database a seven out of ten.

We use it to manage a data warehouse for customers. The data warehouse is focused on marketing, commercial and sales data.

The performance of the solution is valuable.

The initial setup could be improved.

We have been using the solution for approximately five years.

The solution is stable.

The solution is scalable, and approximately 50 users in our organization are currently utilizing it.

We have had a good experience with customer service and support. I rate customer service and support a ten out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup is not easy but can be completed with the assistance of the IBM technicians. It took us about four to five months to complete deployment.

The licensing cost is charged annually. I rate it a ten out of ten.

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. The solution is good, but the initial setup can be improved.

I am an ex IBM employee, and I used to be the brand ambassador for Db2 in Africa. So, I do understand how it works because I've used it with customers. Currently, I am mostly supporting some of the Db2 customers in Kenya.

I am now using version 11.1, but I used version 10.5 for the longest time. 

It has a good feature called pureScale, which is just for scalability. It is a perfect solution for environments where scalability is going to be an issue.

Microsoft SQL Server is comparatively very simple to use. I wish IBM would move towards making Db2 easy to use for both basic and advanced users. This is where I see room for advancement. Db2 is also more expensive than Microsoft SQL Server, and its price can be reduced.

The replication feature needs to be there in Db2. Microsoft provides similar functionality in SQL Server. IBM also has similar functionality, but it exists in a different product. So, to have the replication ability, you have to buy a different product. It makes sense to have this functionality within Db2 instead of a different product. It will also be helpful in terms of competition.

In Africa, the problem for Db2 is competition. Oracle Database and Microsoft SQL Server have been in this market for a very long time. These companies have built the ecosystem and the brand within this market for a very long time. So, they are very popular with users. Db2 or IBM came a little later in the game, and that's where the problem lies. They also don't do a lot of marketing for it, which is also a problem.

I have been using this solution since 2012. It has been nine years.

It is stable. The 10.5 Fix Pack One was not very stable. We also had Fix Pack 4, also called Cancun Release, which was very stable. As the product has evolved, it is more stable now than it was a couple of years ago.

It is a perfect solution for environments where scalability is going to be an issue. I am supporting two banks. They use Db2 for their core banking system. There are more than 500 users per bank who use this solution every single day.

I have worked with IBM, and I have seen their support teams. They are very passionate about supporting their users. Whenever there is a problem, they have a team that is there 24/7 to ensure that their customers are supported. They are very fast and very technical in solving problems.

I have used SQL Server, IBM Db2, and Oracle Database. Microsoft provides usability. SQL Server is very easy to use and adapt. The only problem is that it only lives within the Microsoft Windows operating system, whereas Db2 is available on Linux, Unix, Windows, and Linux for mainframes. 

When comparing IBM Db2 and Oracle Database, I would go for IBM Db2 because it has complete functionality. A lot of features available in IBM Db2 are not there in Oracle Database. IBM Db2 has time travel queries that are not available in any other solution. From the perspective of a software developer or a database developer, there are more functionalities in IBM Db2. It is more futuristic.

It is very technical to deploy, but once you configure and make it work, it is a perfect solution for an environment where scalability is going to be an issue.

Among Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2, Microsoft SQL Server is the cheapest one, and Oracle is the most expensive one. Db2 is in the middle. As compared to SQL Server, its price could go down. It will be good for customers.

I would love to expand its usage in the future. We are looking to migrate the finance industry customers in Africa to Db2, especially from Oracle to Db2. 

I would rate Db2 an eight out of ten.

We are a bank. The banking system uses IBM Db2 Database to save data in the database.

I have found the most valuable feature to be its availability. There is almost no downtime and the performance is very good.

I would like to see some artificial intelligence brought into the solution. Additionally, we need a way to gather some reporting information from the bank.

I have been working with IBM Db2 Database for a year now.

There are no real issues with the overall stability of IBM Db2 Database.

We do not have any problems with scalability. I would say give high marks for scalability.

Technical support is excellent. I would like to see better documentation. We have to speak to a support representative when we can not find the documentation on an issue we are facing.

From a performance perspective, I prefer SAP HANA for performance.

I would recommend IBM Db2 Database as a ten on a scale of one to ten. It is very powerful and responsive. 

We are partners with IBM and I'm for implementing Power systems with DB2 in this company. 

We propose DB2 and other IBM products to our customers.

As with all IBM products, I like the reliability of this solution. Db2 is a robust relational database with great features. 

If you're already an IBM Customer or you use IBM products, you know they're powerful products.

 IBM recently purchased Red Hat and things are working more smoothly since then, there's more integration.

I think they need to improve the GUI and I'd like to see more integration with other platforms. 

If you have a project involving several platforms or databases it's the integration with other products that's crucial. Db2 has this capability but sometimes there are issues and you have to contact support to get things fixed. 

They haven't done extensive testing with integration; they'll often send you to third parties. It often means that you have to purchase additional products in order to integrate with other platforms and that's an additional cost. 

I've been using this solution for over 20 years. 

The solution is stable. 

The solution is very scalable. IBM has a mid-range and a mainframe system, so every product is made with scalability in mind. 

Their main target is medium and large size business so they're not interested in small business. 

The initial setup is very easy. 

There is an issue with IBM licenses pricing which is expensive, and it's the main downside of buying IBM products or databases.

I rate this solution an eight out of 10. 

We are using it for our SAP system.

Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. 

Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on.

The only drawback that we see in Db2 Database is the crash recovery. When there is a crash and somebody has to do the recovery, Db2 Database first stops, and then it does any crash recovery. In Oracle Database, crash recovery happens within the database. The database is not shut down.

I have been using this solution for five or six years.

Initially, there were hiccups, but now, it is a robust database. The only limitation that we have found is crash recovery. In terms of bugs, every database will have some bugs that will hit you. I don't see much in terms of bugs in Db2 Database. Whatever known bugs are there, we get those issues.

They are really very good. Overall, if I have to give a rating, I will give them an eight and a half or a nine out of ten. Their response to our requirements is quite good. They have good resources at the technical end. They take us very seriously. It might be because we are one of the largest accounts. I don't know what happens with medium-scale industries or small-scale industries. 

We migrated from Oracle Database to Db2 Database because it was quite a good and cost-effective solution. Oracle Database was coming out to be expensive.

The initial setup was complex altogether. It was complex because we were moving from Oracle Database to Db2 Database. A lot of code changes were required. 

We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database.

I would recommend Db2 Database to others because, as time passed, they have made a lot of changes, such as crash recovery. The time of crash recovery is reduced by almost 60% to 70%. Db2 Database also has Db2 BLU, which actually is in-memory. We have not explored this particular feature, but I would recommend others to explore it. With Db2 BLU, it becomes equivalent to HANA. We are seeing it being used a lot in large banks etc.

Among Oracle, Db2, and SQL databases, I would rate Oracle first, Db2 second, and SQL third. I personally believe Oracle is the most robust database. Db2 is the second robust database.

I would rate Db2 Database an eight out of ten.

We use the solution as a query tool for requesting and updating data.

The solution has the best querying features.

They should make the process of building up queries easier for the solution.

I have been using the solution for some years.

It is a stable solution. I rate its stability nine out of ten.

Presently, we have 200 solution users in our organization.

The solution's technical support team is good.

The solution's initial setup is straightforward. The deployment process involves requesting access to different test environments and productions. It takes a couple of hours to complete.

We implemented the solution in-house.

The solution is intuitive and easy to use once you know how to build up queries. I rate it a nine out of ten.

We use the solution as a database for e-commerce applications.

The solution's most valuable feature is scalability.

The platform itself needs improvement. They should develop a containerized version of the solution. In addition, they should include dashboard features as well.

We have been implementing the solution for customers since 2006.

It is quite a stable solution. I rate its stability as an eight.

We have 34 technical users and over 50 end users for the solution. I rate its scalability as an eight.

The solution's technical support team could respond faster.

Neutral

I have used Oracle in the past. In Comparison, IBM provides better performance and scalability features.

The solution's initial setup process has medium complexity. It takes a few days to complete. I rate the process as a seven.

I rate the solution as a seven.