IBM Db2 Database Reviews

Ease of use and robust automated security administration and reporting are features any mainframe shop needs and should have. The cost of investing in such products will usually offset the expense associated with the DB2 environment and the efforts to protect those data resources associated with it.

When new DB2 resources are introduced into the environment, the Vanguard Administrator product allows us to quickly build the required RACF security rules and access lists. There are features in the Administrator product that automate the tedious security administration efforts. The Vanguard Advisor product provides a mechanism for monitoring the RACF/DB2 environment, identifying and reviewing security violations that occur, etc. As stated earlier, we also use Vanguard Integrity Professional’s “Security Center” product for RACF DB2 administration. The Security Center has a direct GUI interface to RACF. As such, it does not require the RACF administrator to use TSO to define or change RACF security profiles associated with DB2.

It is worth noting that the RACF security product is used to safeguard the DB2 environment on the mainframe. This allows us to maintain all security rules for resources on the mainframe using the RACF security product. Some shops I have worked in do not use external security managers like RACF, Top Secret or ACF2 to protect the DB2 environment. I have seen instances where installations with DB2 use native internal security.

If an installation does not use an external security manager product like RACF, Top Secret or ACF2, then native internal DB2 security would have to be used to safeguard DB2 resources. This results in the DBA's being responsible for security profiles that protect DB2 resources. It's better to let the DBAs do the job they do best; that is, define the resources and then let the security team protect them accordingly, with their input of course.

We have used this solution for approximately 10 years.

There were no stability issues.

There were no real scalability issues. Features in the Vanguard RACF security products allow the installation to determine security policy for DB2 resources and build the security rules as needed.

I think the Support Team at Vanguard Integrity Professionals is great. I have never had a problem with Support getting back to me in a timely manner with the information I need to resolve issues.

We have not used any external security managers other than RACF to safeguard the mainframe DB2 environment. At one point I was involved in looking at IBM’s zSecure product as an alternative RACF security and audit tool.

The initial setup of the automated security products like Administrator and or Advisor is straightforward. I highly recommend a Systems Programmer install the products to maximize the software investment a company makes.

I am not directly involved with pricing and licensing, but I know that despite the associated cost of the software prudent and practical use of these products will be cost-effective. Mainframe software, after all, is expensive and you by strategically planning a security implementation up front will be beneficial in getting desired audit and security results.

If your computing budget allows you to get automated security and audit products for your mainframe environment and the applications that run on it, you are fortunate. It is then your responsibility to maximize the software investment to insure all resources on the mainframe platform are adequately protected.

Truth be told, companies using mainframes spend a lot of money on not just hardware, but the software (DB2/RACF/etc.), that runs on it. It goes without saying that any mainframe installation with DB2 and RACF needs reliable security products to administer the environment provide security and audit reporting and streamline efforts to safeguard the environment.

From personal experience, I submit that software that enhances and automates security administration efforts for the mainframe and it isn’t cheap either. It’s important for a mainframe organization to maximize the financial investment in such tools.

In addition, an installation running DB2 and RACF needs to make an important decision. That is, who will be responsible for securing the environment. If RACF or another external security manager is not used than internal DB2 security will need to be employed for safeguarding resources. It’s important to have a security process in place to:

• Determine what DB2 resources need protection and identify who the users or groups are that need access, and the type of access (inquiry, update, etc.).
• Audit settings: What type of violations are being monitored and what is the process for reporting them.
• Security reporting: Periodic re-certification of security rules and access lists, etc. Things (access requirements) change over time.
• Change control: Security updates which need to be applied in the event of employee hiring, transfers and terminations. Managing a mainframe environment is difficult enough without having to also worry about security clutter.

Incidentally, this is only a partial list of things to consider when securing a DB2 environment. For example, this write-up doesn’t even address backup, recovery, and/or restoration issues (process/procedures).

In the many years I have been administering RACF and other security, I have come to conclude that there perfect security does not exist for any application or specific resource. A practitioner I once observed at a security conference summed it up by saying, "Computer security is a journey that never ends..." Ever changing new technological developments and access requirements mean you have to adapt accordingly from a security perspective.

Data structure -- easy access batch or interface.

All parts of storage mediums, including VSAM and sequential files to make the system work.

Applications are used within the boundaries of their functionality and/or business purposes.

While there are different situations that may occur either on a daily basis or once in a while, solutions are limited to the scope of their usage. So it's very difficult to determine if any improvements are needed or suggested.

This would be a situation basis and an attempt to use the product
outside of the business scope.

Since the early 1970s (IBM DB2 V2).

Very rarely.

Very rarely.

Excellent, if this question is referencing our DBAs.

N/A.

Not involved.

Not involved.

Some customers use it for imaging databases, and others use it for ERP systems.

The most valuable features are the HADR, and it is so simple.

The backup solution lacks flexibility in some situations and could be improved. In addition, the management tools should be improved in the next release.

We have been using this solution for more than five years. We mostly use version 10.5 but sometimes use version 9.7.

It is a stable solution.

It is a scalable solution. 

I rate the technical support an eight out of ten. Our issue with the technical support isn't isolated to IBM Db2 Database, but it is an IBM policy. They try to solve problems remotely, but it is not the same as other products because it takes more time to solve.

The initial setup was easy. I rate the setup an eight out of ten.

The solution has annual licensing, and the costs are reasonable for the product. I rate the pricing a six out of ten.

I rate this solution a seven out of ten. I would recommend this product to customers. Most solutions have some environments requiring an enterprise database, so if a customer uses an IBM solution, the database should be Db2. Some customers may be using SQL Server, and if we have the solution for the Microsoft environment, we will recommend them to another database. But if the proposed solution is AIX or Unix system, we recommend they use the Db2 database on that platform. So it depends on the environment.

My main use of Db2 is as an additional data source for integration or a source for integration adapters.

The most valuable features are the simplicity of the database and the access to Db2 and Db2 information.

I've been working with this solution for twenty years.

Db2 is stable and reliable.

IBM's technical support is good, it's an excellent reason to purchase Db2.

The initial setup was quick and easy.

IBM's products tend to be quite costly, especially given the availability of free, open-source alternatives.

I would rate Db2 eight out of ten.

Private Cloud

IBM Db2 Database is a relational database and we use it for all our company's transaction data.

IBM Db2 Database has good performance.

The solution could improve by providing more integration.

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

IBM Db2 Database is stable.

We have not had an issue with the scalability of the IBM Db2 Database.

The technical support is good.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate IBM Db2 Database a nine out of ten.

On-premises

I handle implementation. I install the Db2 Database before I send it to the developer or the application team. Also, sometimes, I have to migrate the database from one platform to another.

The solution is easy to install and simple to maintain. The most valuable aspect of the solution is its general user-friendliness for users of all kinds.

The solution could improve the centralization aspect of the tools.

It would be ideal if the solution offered backup functionality. Many similar tools already do, which means Db2 is somewhat behind the curve in terms of what a customer might expect from it.

I'm an implementer of the solution in Thailand. I have been working with Oracle Db2 and SQL for more than 10 years. 

The solution is stable so long as you don't have to make any changes to it. I haven't seen any bugs, or glitches on it. I haven't experienced crashes either.

The solution is quite scalable. A company shouldn't have issues with expanding it if they need to.

We typically implement the solution for small to medium-sized organizations.

Technical support is not the best. I would rate them five out of ten. 

The issue is that in order to make a ticket, you may have to call and then you end up being on hold. Sometimes, the person who answers doesn't know how to resolve your issues so it can be frustrating. 

I also have experience with Oracle databases. I find Oracle to be a bit better than Db2 if I'm honest. They have a lot of functionality, for example, and can handle backup and recovery of data. This is not possible on Db2.

The solution is very easy to set up. It's not complex at all.

Deployment takes about one to two hours or so. It's not a long or arduous process by any means. 

You only need one person to deploy and maintain it.

I handle the implementation myself.

I don't know too much about the pricing of the solution. There may be extra fees on top of just the licensing fee. I'm not sure.

I'm looking at other databases right now. I'd prefer something with a backup functionality, which Db2 lacks.

We're currently IBM partners. 

I use the solution extensively. 

I'd like other companies to know it's quite easy to set up and maintain. If they are looking for something fairly easy to jump into, this may be it.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

On-premises

We use the on-prem deployment model of this solution. 

The scalability and availability of this solution are the most valuable features. It is a very stable product. 

I don't have a general opinion about how they can improve this product. The performance could be improved. 

I have 35 years of experience, almost 45 years of experience in ICT. From the start, I have used relational databases Db2 and Oracle, and so I am a good user of Db2 and relational database.

We have 2,000 ICT people and most of them are working on the operational part of the site. Minimum, there are 100 or 80 people working on the system database.

IBM offers very good support. They have maximum knowledge. 

We previously used Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL which is an open-source database. 

We did an installation 20 or 50 years ago. It's an old installation. The database engineer has a good level of competency in Db2 installation, it's very easy. They normally upgrade Db2 without any problem.

I would definitely recommend this solution to somebody considering it. I would advise that if you are looking to install it, you should have internal competence and internal skill, don't only use external support that is provided by IBM. You should have internal knowledge and competency for Db2 management.

The performance is very critical. The software developer needs to have good knowledge of the programming technique in order to avoid the problem on the performance side. 

The performance of Db2 depends on the system, on how you installed it. From the application part, it depends on how you developed code, how you wrote the code because if you write bad code you will have a serious performance problem. 

Db2 is a very old product, but also a very stable product. It's really difficult to imagine something different from the actual configuration from the actual functionalities of its operation.

I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

The tool is not easy to use. It needs to improve scale computing so that the tool can be scaled vertically. The product needs to enhance pre-engine optimization and it needs to be more efficient in completing queries. The documentation should be updated to include different scenarios of deployment. 

I have been working with the product since 2015. 

The solution is stable. 

The tool doesn't work as a distributed database based on customer needs. 

The tool's support team is hard to reach. 

Positive

I have also worked with Microsoft SQL server. This product is easy to use. It is also smarter in optimizing the queries. Microsoft SQL serves is also easy to maintain on the operations side when compared to IBM Db2. 

The tool's time length for deployment depends on the design and can take around two days to three weeks to complete. 

I recommend the product to medium enterprises. I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.