IBM Db2 Database Reviews

The primary uses for this product have to do with the card management system for banks. We are working mostly in the financial sector and banking sector, so there are some card management systems there that we often work with. There are some databases for which we see value in using Db2, so we are working with this solution.  

One of the things I like most about Db2 is that it is almost maintenance-free. I do not have to maintain it, unlike a modal database. I have been using modal databases for a long time and those are more sensitive. It is almost 15 years now that I have been using modal databases and it is almost tedious to use modal databases by comparison. I have been using the Db2 more recently and both database types are in use in my company. With a modal database, I have to check to see how or if the data is coming through. But in Db2, it is not as much of a headache. It is also easier to understand than modal database structures.  

One thing that is a little bit difficult for me — other than when using Oracle — is creating database replication with Db2. It is not so easy. That feature could be improved.  

Another thing is that if part of the environment in Db2 goes down, I have to restore all of it. That is something that is just in the environment for the Db2 relational database. The restoration is very difficult because every node has internal storage. If one node is corrupted all have to get restored.  

If you compare Db2 to Oracle, both are enterprise-class. However, the development tools for Db2 are not as good. For example, if I want to develop an application in Db2, I have to use Java. That is not so easy because someone has to know the Java platform and a few other things to develop an application on Db2. But the difference is that if you choose to use Oracle there are some tools like Oracle Developers Suite that you can use to develop applications. It is very easy and very straightforward to develop an application in Oracle because of the development tools. It is harder when using Db2 by comparison.  

There are some things that are not in Db2. I have to do more to develop an application. Some things are easy to do with Db2 development. Like if I have an application where there will be three or four tables. I can do that with Db2, or I have to do it with other Java development tools. That is the catch: for most of the people who know Java, this development is easy for them. But those who do not know Java can have a very hard time. In that sense, IBM should work on that aspect of their product to make it easy to develop applications. They can do this by providing users with a development suite. If they do that, then I think Db2 has the potential to grow more in our market.  

I have been using Db2 for almost eight years.  

The stability of Db2 is good. It is very stable. Once we have the installation complete and the team is done with the job, there are some customers who go five years without having to do anything to Db2. It is very stable and runs smoothly for them the entire time.  

With scalability, I do not have as much experience as other teams in our group because I am on the sales end. I do not have experience on that side. Because we are a business partner of IBM, we all understand the use of Db2. In our company, the main focus is always on what the customer wants and what kind of applications they want to build. As we are working in the financial sector, they have DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and these requirements need to be fulfilled. What the customer wants ends up determining which database we suggest that they go for. In that sense, our market is mostly Oracle. But if they are trying to keep their budget concerns in check, then we will go for Db2, because it is less costly than Oracle.  

I find the technical support team is not so aggressive as Oracle. If I put in a request or a ticket it takes time for the team at IBM to reply. Almost always at that point, they are not replying with an answer. I have to do something to give them more information. They could be more efficient in the way that issues are handled. With Oracle, it will not take even half an hour and they take a readout and give you a solution. Oracle's support is very straightforward.  

I think that IBM needs to do better in training its support service to improve response time and efficiency. They should have a better structure to their support request responses and better procedures to follow. Right now, these procedures are not in place.  

In my scenario, I have installed both Db2 and Oracle for different use cases. I have not personally found that much of a difference. But I think the difference between this Db2 is what the customer wants. Some want to work on Db2 and some want to work with Oracle.  

One feature I like in Db2 is the self-maintenance feature. That maintenance feature or something like it is not found in Oracle. With Db2, it is safe to use self-maintenance with any data and that is the main feature in Db2 that I like.  

The initial setup for Db2 is really straightforward. Their deployment and integration are very easy and straightforward. The environment takes a maximum of 40 minutes for installation. I have done it by myself. The complete deployment is not so easy that it is a simple repetition to do the same way on every site, but two or three weeks will be all that you need for an enterprise installation.  

The pricing is done by our pricing team and the quotes are given to the client's finance team. So in that sense, I do not have direct experience with the pricing models. I can say that Db2 is less costly than Oracle because I am selling both and I am doing enterprise sales for both. When a customer gets a quote during the buying process, I can see the pricing. The pricing for Db2 is always less than Oracle.  

On a scale from one to ten (where one is the worst and ten is the best), I would rate IBM Db2 Database as a seven-out-of-ten.  

Most of the time recommending Db2 is harder than recommending Oracle because of the situation in our country. Whenever I propose Db2 to a customer, the customer will ask what they need to have to develop applications on Db2. I have to say to them that they need to have a Java developer to work on that. If the customer already has some Oracle databases, this makes introducing Db2 even more difficult because they already have the resources for Oracle development. Suggesting Db2 is difficult in our country because most of the people already have Oracle now. So suggesting Db2 is difficult because development on Db2 is not as easy as Oracle and finding the resources to work with it is not as easy. The question we have to answer all the time is who will do the development if the customer does not have a Java developer resource already.  

The primary use for our Db2 database is for OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). Our department is using it for data warehousing and data analysis.  

We are deploying some of our enterprise systems to Azure. We would like to migrate data there and most of the systems will be running on the infrastructure as a service, so we will have lots of servers. Migrating data from Db2 becomes an important matter.  

Our target currently is to create the infrastructure which would include the servers, the backup solutions, the databases, application servers and whatever else we need.  

Db2 enables us to analyze big amounts of structured data in DataWarehouse solutions.

The feature that is one of the most valuable in Db2 is the DPF, or the Database Partitioning Feature that use Massive Parallel Processing architecture. We have deployments where one database is deployed on multiple physical servers. It is not exactly like RAC from Oracle. The purpose is not the availability but the performance and scalability of the DPF.  

Integration with other services could use some improvement. Currently, we are using Informatica ETL (Extract, Transform and Load) and the data is not loading as expected between the Db2 database and Informatica. Our goal is to eventually migrate the data to Azure servers and evaluate how it will perform. Currently, we are doing a POC (Proof of Concept) on this migration, but the second step cannot be completed without a dependable data load.  

We have been using Db2 for a long time. Maybe 15 years.  

DB2 is very scalable offering multichoice of possiblities - massive parallel processing and also  clustering.

We have technical support from IBM. If I had to evaluate their services, the quality really depends on the person that gets the ticket. There are some very good specialists on the technical support team and some that are not so good.  

If the ticket is critical, it will go to a queue and the IBM team will help you out very quickly and efficiently. Of course, sometimes critical problems are difficult and take some time to resolve.  

If I had to rate technical support overall, then I would give them about an eight-out-of-ten.  

We are a typical enterprise with the typical array of databases. Primarily we use Db2 and MS SQL, and some others. We have reporting tools like Business Objects, Power BI and Micro Strategy. We also have data warehouses. So we have ETL tools and then we need to have the backups, scheduling, and monitoring. We are using more than one database type for different reasons, so it is not exactly that we have switched away from something else to Db2.  

The initial setup is straightforward. I think that installing the Db2 is not that complex and it should not be a problem for a skilled DBA.  

Usually, we use our own team to maintain our products and we do not require outside services from vendors.  

As we have experience with a variety of database types any one of them could play into our architecture. I was hoping to have PaaS backup solution for the Db2 that we plan to deploy to Azure. But current plan is to back up the Db2 database to storage instead to some service in cloud. Doing it this way we would need to do a work-around and manage the backups by scripting and manage the retention and the sizes and disk drives. It is not optimal and it would be better if we could just send the backup to some kind of API or service in Azure and just configure it to back up images and files. In our testing, that is currently not working with Db2.  

I was looking for this kind of migration solution for the Db2 database, but I could not find it — which surprises me. I looked at the Tivoli Storage Manager, which supports the Db2 backups to the API, but they do not have that kind of PaaS service in Azure.

I have experience working with both Oracle and Db2. Comparing the two products, I would recommend Db2. Both Oracle and Db2 have some unique features that separate them. Although they are different, in comparing the two databases, they are both enterprise grade databases with lots of good features. But from my point of view, Db2 is much better.  

On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate Db2 as an eight. It is not rated higher because I think that there are things that can be improved. It is currently not perfect. The graphical tools are not good. It is very common for GUI interfaces in IBM products to be lacking. For the first-time user who has no experience with it, the GUI will not seem very straightforward. If you had to work with it for four years, then you get used to it. But for the first-time users, it is not that user friendly.  

If some of the user-interface features can be enhanced, it could be a nine. Db2 is a good database. It is for structured data and there is always room for improvement. It requires an experienced person to handle it.  

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. 

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.

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.

Db2 is mainly used for Core Banking Systems, credit card systems, and production systems for CBS collecting.

Db2's best features are that it's self-maintaining and self-monitoring, which means I have to view and monitor the database far less often.

There are some issues with Db2's database file system not being readable. The storage could also be increased, and the monitoring could be improved.

I've been using IMB Db2 Database for nine years.

There were a few hiccups directly after installation, but Db2 has been very stable since then.

Db2's scalability is very good, especially when used in the IBM power system.

The initial setup was very straightforward.

I would rate Db2 Database eight out of ten.

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.

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. 

The solution is used for database management.

The solution has very good data compression of up to 50%. For example, if you have 50 terabytes of data, it can be reduced to 25 terabytes.

The capabilities of this solution could improve.

I have been using this solution for many years.

In my experience, it has been stable.

The scalability is good. We have some clients that have over 9,000 users using this solution.

The technical support has been very friendly, responsive, and it is quick to escalate an issue.

I have used previously Cisco MySQL, SQL Server, SAP HANNA, and IBM DB2.

We have approximately 14 technicians doing the deployment and maintenance of this solution.

We normally handle large size businesses and as far as I am aware, the license is negotiable based on the number of users and the quantitative data.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate IBM Db2 Database an eight out of ten.

We use the solution as a database that connects to some legacy mainframe systems.

The solution is a very stable relational database and has integration with legacy systems. It is a great product.

The solution could be more modern and have updated database technology. This would allow it to work with modern applications a lot more seamlessly. You will find that there are other better-suited databases where you can deal with more modern type applications.

In the future, they can improve by being closely aligned with the next generation of application that are arriving or that will be developed.

I have been using the solution for a couple of years.

I have found the solution to be scalable.

In my experience, the solution is able to be scaled vertically, but not horizontally. Everyone is using the solution in our organization.

The support we have received has been good. However, the support in South Africa has not been as good.

The installation on our side is automated, we can have a database up and ready within a day. Since we have started using automation, the installation has been very easy.

We did the deployment internally and it was not difficult but it could be for someone that is not familiar with the solution. We have eight technicians doing the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

There is a license for this solution and we pay every three years.

I would recommend this solution to others if they have the proper application, otherwise, it might not fulfil their needs. We plan on using the solution in the future.

I rate IBM Db2 Database a seven out of ten.