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Optimize your Database Applications with DB2.
January 29, 2024

Optimize your Database Applications with DB2.

Judy L. Berglund | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Software Version

Db2 Warehouse on-premise

Overall Satisfaction with Db2

I have worked directly with IBM Db2 since the 1980s to the current state of my responsibilities. Initially, working with Db2, it was hosted on a 3090 Mainframe Processor and then on a MF Z/OS platform. As in the past to present, we use Db2 for large transactional applications, which oftentimes are very large tablespaces that can accommodate millions upon millions of rows of data. Oftentimes, we find that using an application program such as Cobol defeats the purpose when the application begins to grow by leaps and bounds; this is where Db2 fits the bill by providing efficiency and stability. We have also been using Db2 on Cloud for a while now. Seamless and transparent and eliminates various onsite interactions from a processor standpoint. Scales out as needed.
  • Unparalleled availability 5 9's.
  • Optimization of application data utilizing machine learning and AI.
  • Provides simplistic step by step tablespace generation.
  • Learning curve. It takes time to learn Db2; I'll be quite frank: no one can come in without any knowledge and start working with it.
  • Database tuning at times can be time consuming and cumbersome.
  • Training can be very convoluted for someone with little experience, can be very daunting.
  • Initial Cost.
  • Maintenance Renewal Costs.
  • Costs are based on the number of virtual processing cores. It can be expensive based on the number of cores utilized in the environment.
It scales up and out as needed, is transparent, and can be used not only by numerous departments but by numerous outside locations as well. Db2 is, of course, application-driven, and the applications can, at times, be very large; you need to have efficiency in tablespaces, and that is exactly what makes Db2 a superior product.
On the whole, Db2 has 5 9s for uptime and is normally available. Of course, every now and then, there may be an issue or an emergency update that needs to be applied, which requires an outage. However, applying a patch and rebooting the database is fairly quick, and nowadays, you can move your workload from one instance of Db2 to another, and no one would ever know that an outage occurred.
We actually use both Db2 and Oracle RAC (Realtime Application Clusters). We also have applications that utilize both databases. I guess it comes down to what your experience is and if you prefer working on one over the other.

Do you think Db2 delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Db2's feature set?

Yes

Did Db2 live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Db2 go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Db2 again?

Yes

I've worked with Db2 and Oracle for a long time; both are good products. However, I much prefer Db2 over any other database product; steady and reliable and does what it is supposed to do.

Using Db2

Great product to use, intuitive from a programming standpoint.
ProsCons
Like to use
Easy to use
Well integrated
Consistent
Feel confident using
Unnecessarily complex
Slow to learn
Lots to learn
  • Performing technical maintenance in general
  • Programming
  • Cloud usage is really nice as you can scale out as needed, elastic
  • Initial learning and becoming familiar with DB/2 can be very complex it takes a while to learn it
  • Programmers have difficulty at times with maintaining tablespaces, house cleaning for lack of a better term
  • Tablespaces if not programmed correctly can result in jobs running for days so you need to understand how to code with DB/2
Yes - I personally do not use it. The Database Administrators use it.