IBM Db2 Database Reviews

We use IBM Db2 Database for B2B Integrator, specifically Sterling B2B Integrator, which requires a database to store all configuration details. Any workflow that is created, any configuration messages, and metadata information are all stored in the database. We use IBM Db2 Database as part of the installation and configuration of the product itself.

Sterling B2B Integrator is a highly transactional-oriented application, which can be described as an OLTP application. Any data that flows through the application is stored in the database for each step that it performs. IBM Db2 Database helps the application work much faster from an OLTP perspective.

IBM Db2 Database is SSL enabled, which means that from the security point of view, any access to the database is through SSL. Additionally, all compliance-related aspects have been taken care of from the database point of view, including database encryption and security-related features.

It is highly scalable, and its performance related to database pruning is very good. It can be scaled vertically or horizontally so that data insertions and data access are much faster and more secure compared to how Oracle or other databases work.

A potential area of improvement is better documentation. From an educational perspective, it is difficult for people to understand IBM Db2 Database much faster compared to databases such as Oracle or other applications that have been used. Understanding the basic structure of the database, how logs or log shipping happens, how clustering works, how logs are written, where all information is stored, and how it needs to be taken care of are all critical pieces of information.

We have been using this solution for almost 10 to 15 years.

The installation and configuration are simple.

It is highly scalable. Its performance related to database pruning is very good. It can be scaled vertically or horizontally so that data insertions and data access are much faster and more secure compared to how Oracle or other databases work.

The reason for limitations in customer service is that the technical skills available in the market for IBM Db2 Database are limited compared to those of Oracle. It is very difficult to have a skilled resource who can maintain and support this product unless IBM is involved directly.

We also use IBM Db2 Database.

The installation and configuration are simple.

The implementation is handled through IBM and their distributors.

The biggest competitor is Oracle itself.

We have not implemented AI as of now. IBM is already providing some capabilities through Watsonx. We have not used any unstructured data and are working with structured data only, so I am not completely certain about how it behaves with unstructured data. We are not using the real-time analytics part because the analytics is done from the application side itself. I rate this product a 10 out of 10 overall.

I use the IBM Db2 Database for development applications. Many clients in our company have business applications currently working on it.

The IBM Db2 Database is trusted, and IT effort is less than any other product. IBM Db2's support for both structured and unstructured data benefits me because both are allowed.

IBM's impact on in-memory technology is good for working in our organization. The IBM Db2 multi-workload helps me manage diverse business applications with easy management. We just have a backup of incremental changes every day, and applications working with it do not need maintenance gradually.

The IBM Db2 Database brought benefits to my organization as we did not spend too much money on security. It is secure enough, and the IT teams do not have heavy work.

The IBM Db2 Database is a good solution, but now there is a high maintenance charge.

The IBM Db2 Database needs improved support, and there are many difficulties in using it. We tend to use the cloud, and our country tends to be Masr al-Raqamia. This is a project we need to participate in, but our database is not readable for other sites, and dealing with the data is not easy.

Regarding the price of the IBM Db2 Database, upgrading to Power 9 or Power 10 is very expensive for our company now.

I have been using the IBM Db2 Database for 20 years.

The technical support of IBM is quite good. I would rate it an eight.

Positive

The initial deployment of the IBM Db2 Database was straightforward and easy to deploy.

IBM deployed its product by itself, so it was not difficult to deploy the IBM Db2 Database.

I am using the desktop version of the IBM Db2 Database, and we need to move to the cloud, but we need to develop our application. On a scale of one to ten, I rate the IBM Db2 Database a nine.

We work at the banks. The bank has many IBM products. IBM Db2 Database is just one of them. It is mostly mainframes, but there are still some relational databases, such as IBM Db2 Warehouse, that we are interested in purchasing for financial companies.

Because we are a big client, we have a good price with IBM Db2 Database.

Based on my use case and understanding, performance-wise, Oracle is probably better because they may have better technology. However, for us it is acceptable since we do not use it extensively, so there is no real difference for us.

We mostly use the core Oracle database.

IBM Db2 Database is perfect and leading in this area.

Regarding how IBM Db2 Database can improve, I do not have anything in mind as our use cases are not complicated. There is PostgreSQL and SQL Server available. IBM Db2 Database, because of enterprise performance and support, is why banks still maintain their relationship with it. I am uncertain whether other companies do the same, but banks do.

IBM is implementing some release improvements. It might be slightly slower than other database vendors, but it works well since banks typically do not move quickly with leading-edge technology.

We have no complaints, and I would rate it between eight and nine.

There is not much maintenance required.

Since the bank is a big client of IBM, we normally receive very good support and substantial discounts on the price.

We have some Oracle products. Oracle performs well but is becoming very expensive. The major concern is the cost, and there are other products that are much cheaper replacements with minimal performance degradation. That is why many companies are moving away from Oracle, at least for relational database use cases.

If you have a similar use case and the same deal with IBM as our company, it is definitely a good option and choice. The company I work with has more than 50,000 people and more than 500 support staff. We are not locked into one database vendor. We typically work with multiple database vendors simultaneously, selecting the top choice based on the deals we make and other considerations.

We do not use IBM Db2 Database related to AI at this moment because our AI project PLC is still very small scale. We may consider it in the future if we have enough scale.

Overall rating for IBM Db2 Database is 8.5 out of 10.

IBM Db2 for zOS serves as the central database for all the core business applications in the two banks I work with. All applications use Db2 as a data server. We fully implement and utilize most of Db2's functionalities and capabilities for core banking business applications.

IBM Db2 has integrated well with open systems and additional applications on the zOS platform, providing a robust DB service for all core business applications. It offers great stability and scalability, which has positively impacted the operations.

The valuable features include access path optimization, excellent performance, a robust locking mechanism, parallelism, and effective buffering in memory. The database leverages hardware capabilities for z machines, contributing to its efficiency.

The usage of Db2 could be simplified, as it is quite complex and requires substantial knowledge of Db2 and zOS. Modern features are being implemented, but further simplification and the inclusion of additional AI features could benefit future updates.

I have worked with IBM Db2 for 35 years.

IBM Db2 is very stable. I would rate its stability as ten out of ten.

The scalability of IBM Db2 is great. I am fully satisfied with its scalability, rating it nine out of ten.

IBM technical support is responsive and helpful, but there is room for improvement. I would rate their support a seven out of ten.

Neutral

I work with other vendors like BMC, CA, Oracle, and Microsoft alongside IBM.

The setup, installation process, and configuration take about two days.

I worked on the deployment with two or three DBAs. The implementation involved multiple people rather than being entirely single-handed.

There is a financial benefit in the long run from using IBM Db2, despite it being expensive.

IBM Db2 is an expensive solution. While I am not heavily involved with pricing, additional companies provide capabilities or products like those from BMC, which many installations might also purchase.

We chose IBM forty years ago. Even today, many companies would likely choose IBM for the banking business due to its robust platform.

I would suggest simplifying the use of Db2 to make it more accessible.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

We continued with our existing mainframe Db2 solution due to its high availability and the ability to maintain an active configuration across multiple servers or LPARs.

There are two versions of Db2. One is Db2 for z/OS. The other is Db2 LUW—LUW stands for Linux, Unix, and Windows. From an availability perspective, it's not on the same level as the z/OS version, which I consider superior. This is why major airlines, banks, insurance companies, and retailers worldwide rely on mainframes and Db2.

IBM's support isn't as strong as it used to be, especially when it comes to providing fixes. We have to keep track of defects more closely now. When a defect is identified, IBM takes it to their lab, creates an APAR, and provides us with a fix. We receive these fixes periodically and apply them to our Db2 code in a sandbox environment first, not directly into production. We test thoroughly before rolling it out to development and eventually to production.

Recently, we've encountered some issues with Db2, requiring us to be extra cautious to avoid outages. Unfortunately, we did experience an outage in February due to a code defect. We recently received a Red Alert from IBM, a critical warning in the mainframe world indicating a potential risk of data loss if not addressed.

We have technical support from IBM, but we have to pay for it as part of our product licensing. If you're skeptical, look up IBM PH61633. It’s an example of a Red Alert, which warns of a defect that could potentially cause data loss and provides temporary actions until a fix is available.

It feels like we’re seeing these kinds of issues more frequently, and we have to be very cautious to avoid causing any outages. About two or three weeks ago, we recently experienced problems with some Microsoft tools and a third-party security fix. When the fix was applied, many Windows servers started crashing, leading to significant issues for airlines and banks worldwide.

There was also an issue involving CrowdStrike. We seem to encounter these problems more frequently, which has forced us to heighten our vigilance. I wonder if a better system could be developed to prevent these issues.

Positive

When compared with Oracle RAC or Microsoft SQL, Db2 for z/OS offers the highest level of availability and the best SLA, especially if you have skilled technical people managing it. For banks or airlines needing 24/7/365 availability, Db2 for z/OS is the top recommendation. If your business can tolerate occasional outages, Oracle RAC or Microsoft SQL might be suitable alternatives. However, in our experience, Db2 for z/OS on the mainframe provides the most reliable high availability and active-active configuration.

Mainframe environments require skilled, trained database engineers; many are available, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. My team has a mix of talent from around the world. While mainframe Db2 does demand a higher level of expertise, other environments might not require as much specialized skill, though some skills are still necessary.

IBM mainframe manuals are exceptionally well-documented and provide thorough explanations. In contrast, companies like Dell EMC or Microsoft sometimes fall short by not providing all the details needed. They might instruct you to run a process without explaining its potential impact, such as CPU usage or the best time to execute it.

I've worked with other suppliers and generally find that IBM's documentation for mainframes is very thorough and well-structured.

In the past, mainframes were considered expensive because software licensing was based on the full capacity of the hardware. Nowadays, licensing is based on peak usage, typically less than the hardware's full capacity—often around 75%. This change reduces costs. Additionally, IBM mainframe developers have introduced features like speciality processors that handle specific tasks, offload work from the main CPU, and reduce costs further.

For example, if you have special CPUs managing some of the workload, peak usage might drop from 75% to around 60%, making the system more cost-effective.

Mainframe hardware generally has a longer lifespan than other servers, such as HP Gen 10 or Gen 11 servers, which typically have two to three years. Mainframes are built to last much longer.

You don't want to check in for your vacation flight and find that the airline's system is down, causing delays at the airport. That would be a nightmare. Or imagine being unable to access your money because the bank's system is down. These kinds of issues can cause significant problems and lead to a lot of internal headaches for the company providing the services.

As part of your licensing with IBM, you get access to their case system, which lets you raise incidents related to software or hardware. This system is helpful for problem determination and quickly identifying issues. You need to keep things up to date, but you also want to avoid potential problems. If you wait too long to update, you're more susceptible to security breaches, and someone could potentially hack your system.

If iOS is publishing fixes, people out there examine them to find potential exploits. The same happens with Microsoft—people review their fix lists and look for opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities. IBM doesn't publish its security fixes openly. You need special permissions to access them; they're not generally available to anyone except those with specific access to the security sites.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

In my current project, where we're taking information from an old IBM mainframe and using Db2 to convert those checkups into GRP (Government resource planning solution).

We have a transaction server, Db2, that already exists in one place. We have our own solution using Oracle. So, from this transaction, we're taking information from Db2. We're running about the engine, that is, the various queries. And they're taking the information into our Oracle server. That's the way we're cleaning and fine-tuning the information taken from one system to our system. And that system is Db2.

We are using our own developed workflow management system. We're working mainly for IMF and World Bank with Asian Development Bank. Based on the aids, they're giving in that particular workflow, we define the process needed for any country receiving aid.

We provide the solution to any government's finance department in any country. So, in team mode, they previously had the IBM solution. We're using our GRP solution, which is a public finance government resource planning solution. We need to use the existing system. On top of that, we're providing the vendors and information to the public regarding the aid they're getting from that department.

So it's like a combination of solutions using various components to provide the solution in GRP from the existing IBM solution.

This is the solution developed for IMF, where whatever funds they're giving to a particular country, all the grants are coming from the IMF using the Db2 server. So once they transfer the amount, the information comes into Db2 against a particular project, like for education or healthcare. 

So, the IMF grants a specific amount for a specific project in a country. Now, that country likely has various projects running under that department. Our GRP system manages those projects for that particular country. We take the base information – what money is coming in – and based on daily transactions, we update Db2 database to report back to the IMF. This report details all expenditures, including who approved them and which ministry was involved.

So, IBM Db2 database has been particularly effective for the data management requirements.

Db2 database scalability and performance capabilities match our database needs. It covers pretty much everything a database administrator or engineer might need.  

Db2 is a full-fledged setup. The database is just there, ready to handle whatever you throw at it. 

IBM Db2's reliability and uptime have contributed to the business continuity planning. It's been highly reliable.

Db2 interface could be improved a bit. Comparing it to Oracle, Db2's interfaces could be improved. 

I have been using it for more than two and a half years. 

It is a stable solution. It offers good stability. 

It is a very scalable solution. It offers very good scalability. 

We have access to 24/7 support. The customer service and support are very good. 

Positive

Db2 excels in handling large datasets. But Oracle is strong, too. I can't definitively compare which is better, Db2 or Oracle, because Db2 integrates seamlessly with existing IBM solutions by design. That's their database, after all. 

Typically, we use Oracle in conjunction with Java and their mainframe systems, specifically their ERP systems. So, each has its own merits. It really depends on our specific needs and the features required for either the core government solution or our own custom wrapper. Honestly, it's tough to declare Db2 or Oracle inherently better based on features alone.

The deployment time and complexity totally depend on the solution we're implementing during this initial setup. It could be for one organization, maybe three or four. For another organization, maybe a seven or eight. So, it completely depends on what type of setup you want for the specific organization.

Where I work, the deployment model is always on the government's premises or their government cloud. It's never on public cloud platforms like AWS or GCP.

Recently, we did some data center migration. It's not a quick job because it's government resource planning. We need to involve all the ministries in the data center, which requires a complete plan.

Last time, it took around two and a half months, ten to be exact, for me to roll it out with my whole system team involved.

I would rate the pricing a five out of ten. Since it's a government contract, the rates are negotiated and agreed upon with the government. So, it's not like the standard market price. It's not super expensive, but also not cheap.

When it comes to Db2, integration is key. We integrate through various engines, and each engine integration requires both parties to have a communication layer, which we configure.

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

The data resides in Db2, and the application is linked to Db2. My job is to pull the data through the Talend tool from Db2 and load it into Snowflake. At the Snowflake level, I handle the data for reporting purposes.

Db2 is an on-premises solution. I only use SQL over there. It's very easy to figure out how the data is present. I can check what the keys in the table are. I can easily export that to further work on it in Snowflake. For data modeling and other tasks, I have to pull the information from Db2.

The user interface is old and needs to be improved. It doesn't match the responsive and suggestion-rich UI of cloud solutions. New functions don't come to mind.

I have been working with Db2 for around one and a half years.

In terms of stability, I would rate it as seven out of ten.

Scalability is not always good in on-premises solutions. I would rate it five out of ten. The difficulty in scaling on-premises solutions is one reason we moved to the cloud.

I used Postman previously, which I worked on when I was involved in mobile development. Now, at IBM, I have switched to the data engineering stack.

The setup is not difficult; it's simple.

Overall, I rate Db2 as six out of ten. I can recommend it if someone wants to go to IBM stack. If someone is willing to adopt IBM's stack, then definitely they will be using IBM Db2.

The IBM Db2 Database in our organization is used for diverse industry clients, including the banking and entertainment sectors. The solution has been used for OLTP and warehousing in our company. 

The optimizer plan feature of IBM Db2 Database offers great value. At our company, whenever we check access to a particular query, the aforementioned features assist us internally by providing a suitable plan. The newly added feature of ALSM is one of the top features of IBM Db2 Database. 

The TSA version of IBM Db2 Database doesn't meet my stability expectations. Every time when a switch over occurs, some stability issues can be noticed.  

The vendor should offer a free version of IBM Db2 Database. For instance, if our company wants to train new individuals on all the features of IBM Db2 Database, they can only be trained after purchasing the paid version of the solution. About ten years ago, a trial version was available for the solution that was highly beneficial for companies. 

The vendor can add AI or ML features in the future version of IBM Db2 Database. 

I have been using IBM Db2 Database for 17 years. 

I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. The solution is majorly used in banking domains. 

The pureScale and DPF features of the solution allow immense scaling. For huge environments and setups, the IBM Db2 Database works ideally. I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. 

The solutions provider offers decent support, but on rare occasions, the wait time is longer. For instance, seven out of ten times, I have received satisfactory support over a call from customer support of IBM Db2 Database. I would rate customer support a seven out of ten. 

Neutral

We haven't faced any challenges with deploying the solution at our company. Whenever an update arrives, it's downloaded and installed in our organization from the Password Advantage account and likewise is suggested to our company's clients. 

The deployment duration of the IBM Db2 Database depends on multiple teams in our organization. When all the deployment resources are ready, including the server, labeled file system, and additional assets, the solution deployment takes just around two or three hours. 

The AESE version needs to be used for availing the advanced features of IBM Db2 Database. The total cost of the solution depends upon the PVU licensing. The number of users of IBM Db2 Database varies in our organization depending upon the client we are working for. For instance, previously, there were greater numbers of users for the entertainment industry client than is required presently for a banking system. 

In my experience, IBM Db2 Database is majorly used for developing applications involving critical operations due to the excellent stability offered by the solution.  

I have worked with Postgres and a few open-source database solutions as well. Since the last two or three years, I have noticed that the IBM Db2 Database's popularity has been minimized in comparison to other open source databases. For quick deployment requirements for new clients in our organization, Postgres is preferred over IBM Db2 Database. 

I used the compression capabilities of the solution in my last project, where 60% compression could be achieved.

IBM Db2 Database integrates seamlessly with the SAP environment. I recommend it to others due to its stability, minimal downtime, and features like Pacemaker, which allows impressive availability. For warehousing purposes, users can comfortably choose IBM Db2 Database. Overall, I would rate the product an eight out of ten. 

We use the product for managing large volumes of data, particularly in mainframe environments. It supports interoperability with other IBM systems and products.

They could enhance the product's cloud integration and general-purpose database capabilities to better compete with solutions like Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.

Our organization has been using IBM Db2 Database for 20 years. 

I rate the product stability an eight or nine. 

I would rate Db2’s scalability around a six or seven. While it is adequate, other solutions like Oracle offer higher scalability.

While there can be occasional delays in response time, the support team is knowledgeable.

Neutral

We are switching from Db2 as part of a broader strategy to consolidate onto fewer platforms. Oracle is being favored for its widespread industry use and better cloud compatibility.

The initial setup was easy due to IBM’s comprehensive installation manuals.

I rate the process an eight out of ten. 

I rate the product pricing a nine out of ten. 

I rate IBM Db2 Database a seven out of ten. 

I'm helping customers migrate from Oracle to Db2. I am also assisting with business intelligence using Db2 Database.

One of the benefits of the solution is efficiency. One of our biggest clients is a bank based out of Brazil. As their data grew, fetching data became slow, and they did not have a good banking experience. By moving to Db2, they get better efficiency in managing and accessing the data. They have a good experience with the application.

IBM DB2 pureScale Feature is valuable. It is used for scalability. Customers with huge growth potential would really benefit from having a database that enables them to scale their business without the fear of having a redundant database.

The product’s user interface is not easy to use. I did one implementation of pureScale at Welsh Bank. It was very, very complex to deploy the feature. It took us more than six weeks. It has specialized hardware for you to use, and specialized switches are required to have that functionality in place. Over the years, it has improved, but nine years ago, it was a nightmare. The product should make the implementation of pureScale easy. It could give a seamless experience.

I have been using the solution for about ten years.

The solution is quite stable. It's not a simple database, but it comes with the territory. The product has existed for a long time, since the late 80s. The team has experience in databases, and maintaining them is a breeze for them. The tool is a futuristic database. I witnessed teams in IBM do time travel queries in 2012. The tool’s version 10 had already implemented time travel queries. Years later, we saw the features in other databases.

The product is years ahead of technology and architecture. It helps software developers have very good features that are years ahead. Now people are really focusing on the cloud. I'm sure they have features that help software engineers or developers work or code with the cloud in mind.

I've used SQL Server for a very long time. Microsoft SQL Server is quite easy to use from a beginner’s perspective. Its user interface is very intuitive and quite easy to use.

The ease of setup depends on the instances. In some instances, it's quite complex. Compared to SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, Db2 is not easy to deploy. It is quite complex compared to other databases. However, the complexity comes with the territory. Companies that have complex requirements benefit from it.

Depending on the features we are deploying, deployment would take a couple of days to months. IBM DB2 pureScale Feature is quite complex. Deploying it is not easy unless you have somebody who's very, very experienced. While deploying pureScale, we need staff to help with the deployment. I was working with IBM at the time, so I could ask my colleagues, who were quite experienced, to help me. They were from the worldwide team in Toronto. They're quite happy to help.

From a customer’s perspective, we would need a very experienced business partner if we get support from a business partner to assist with the deployment. If we have money, we can contact IBM. IBM is quite expensive. IBM is always ready to assist, and the team is quite experienced. As long as you have knowledgeable database administrators who have the experience and are ready to learn, it's quite easy to maintain daily. For upgrades, we need someone who's very, very experienced to do an actual migration. SQL Server is quite easy to migrate. For Db2, we need experienced people to help out with the migration.

Compared to other databases, Db2 is relatively cheaper. Oracle is very expensive. Sometimes, it is ten times more expensive than what we pay for Db2. However, Db2 has more features as compared to Oracle. When we buy Db2, we buy all the features. When we buy Oracle, we just buy a few features. For example, for row access security, you have a different product that you need to pay to unlock that functionality. Things like storage are available on Db2 straight out of the box. You have to pay Oracle to unlock new features.

I work with huge enterprise customers such as banks who, at the moment, are not quite ready to take the data to the cloud. Db2’s SQL PL understands up to 85% of Oracle’s thought procedures. Many developers are unwilling to invest a lot of money and resources to migrate Oracle databases with huge thought procedures to Db2. However, with Db2, we don't have to migrate all the thought procedures or triggers. DB2 understands most of that language out of the box without changing anything. So it's quite easy to move from Oracle to Db2. This is what I would advise any enterprise customer that is ready to move to Db2. It’s very, very cheap in the long term compared to Oracle or any other database. Overall, I rate the solution a nine and a half out of ten.