The value and impact of using IBM Db2 Database lie in its essential role in storing data. The benefits include enhanced performance, reliability, and effective data management compared to other databases.
Senior System Analyst at Thakral
Stable platform with effective data management capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of IBM Db2 Database is its ability to perform automatic self-management, reducing the need for manual tasks such as managing logs and folders."
- "There could be more user-friendly tools with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, visual basics, and low-code capabilities."
How has it helped my organization?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of IBM Db2 Database is its ability to perform automatic self-management, reducing the need for manual tasks such as managing logs and folders.
What needs improvement?
One area where IBM Db2 Database could be improved is its Java development environment. Similar to those found in competitors like Oracle, there could be more user-friendly tools with features such as drag-and-drop functionality, visual basics, and low-code capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the IBM Db2 Database for ten years.
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IBM Db2 Database
October 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The platform is stable. I rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The primary concern is related to the cost implications when scaling with multiple nodes in a database. The associated costs increase when additional nodes are added, each requiring separate storage space. We have approximately four or five Db2 instances being used in the organization.
It is a scalable platform. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used MySQL and Oracle in my previous environments. We switched to IBM Db2 Database for auto-management features and reduced manual intervention.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. We have to install and register. The deployment process includes downloading the software from the vendor's website, having a customer account, copying the downloaded file to the machine, and executing the installation. It takes five to ten days to complete. We have around 50 executives working in the database administration team.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the product in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We purchase the product's yearly license. Later, we have to pay support and license renewal fees. Its pricing is comparable to other database solutions such as Oracle and MySQL. If you choose to buy IBM Power Systems, there may be opportunities to receive Db2 licenses at a lower cost or even free of charge. However, if the installation is on servers other than open Power servers, standard licensing fees apply, similar to those of other database solutions.
What other advice do I have?
The application has analytical tools to support day-to-day management and analytics needs. It is convenient to meet business needs objects.
Regarding integration with other tools and systems, Db2 can be integrated with comprehensive banking solutions involving various teams, including CVS, analytics, and importing teams.
As for recommendations for those considering Db2, it can effectively impact performance. If an organization predominantly uses Db2, individuals are more likely to choose Db2. However, there is a challenge related to training resources for Db2, which may be less readily available or focused on compared to other platforms like Oracle.
I rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Feb 13, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSenior Cyber Security Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
It's easy to search and extract information using queries
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to search and extract data from the warehouse using queries."
- "The queries can be difficult for beginners because there are so many. I would like to see more use cases for flow analysis that enable us to correlate the flow with events. Adding this feature in a QI format would be good for beginners."
What is our primary use case?
We work with a few use cases suggested by the IBM Watson Library. All the data is inside the event processor, we can extract it with a query. There are multiple use cases already in the IBM marketplace.
What is most valuable?
It's easy to search and extract data from the warehouse using queries.
What needs improvement?
The queries can be difficult for beginners because there are so many. I would like to see more use cases for flow analysis that enable us to correlate the flow with events. Adding this feature in a QI format would be good for beginners.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Db2 for around two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Db2 eight out of 10 for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Db2 nine out of 10 for scalability. We have more than a thousand users.
How are customer service and support?
IBM's technical support is excellent. They provide a solution in 24 to 48 hours.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Db2 is straightforward. Most IBM products I've used aren't complex to integrate or deploy. We deploy it on-premise and in the cloud.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate IBM Db2 two out of 10 for affordability. It's expensive but not much more than other tools. There are also cloud-based solutions like Elasticsearch.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are multiple competitors like Oracle, but Db2 is the best for our use case.
What other advice do I have?
I rate IBM Db2 nine out of 10. It's more expensive, but it's better than the competing solutions. I have to deduct a point for license costs. Everything else is excellent. We recommend Db2 to many clients, but few adopt it due to the high price tag. If a project has strict budgetary restraints, we typically don't recommend Db2.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
IBM Db2 Database
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about IBM Db2 Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,763 professionals have used our research since 2012.
DevOps Engineer at Cy4gate srl
Feature-rich, and performs well, but the price could be reduced
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect of this solution is its stability. We have never had any problems and have never had to contact technical support."
- "Also, the website could be more intuitive. I didn't find it easy to find documentation on the website."
What is our primary use case?
I use IBM Db2 Database for an application that we use in the marketing sector.
I was a consultant.
What is most valuable?
When we use IBM Db2 Database, we are using a simple SQL server. I didn't use all of the features. It's mainly because when I worked, they used to set up Db2 for DB.
The most valuable aspect of this solution is its stability. We have never had any problems and have never had to contact technical support.
What needs improvement?
The scalability could be improved, but the problem was that it was something in the legacy of the application where I work.
The problem was not the DB itself, but there were certain limits regarding the application, and the DB was the final component, where we worked. We weren't too concerned with the DB.
It's expensive, but it's not for every client.
Also, the website could be more intuitive. I didn't find it easy to find documentation on the website.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with IBM Db2 Database for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
IBM Db2 Database was stable, we didn't have any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
IBM Db2 Database is not scalable.
We have approximately 8, 000 clients.
How are customer service and support?
We didn't have any issues with IBM Db2 Database. It was stable for us. We did not have the need to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have some experience with Terraform, from HashiCorp.
It's a tool for infrastructure, for building automation similar to Jenkins, or Bamboo.
I worked with Bamboo a year ago.
I have worked with databases such as MySQL, IBM Db2, Oracle DB, and some NoSQL databases like MongoDB. We use the threat procedures when we used Oracle DB.
How was the initial setup?
When I worked within Db2, I didn't set up the Db2. I just used it. I didn't do any tuning or anything like that. I only performed some database management.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Clients are required to purchase a license.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate IBM Db2 Database a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Department Head of Big Data and Analytic Solutions at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Data Warehouse for large enterprises with good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "When you submit a ticket the response time is quick."
- "The price should be lower."
What is our primary use case?
I used DB2 two years ago. It's a data warehouse project solution for a bank. I use DB2 as a warehouse and the data stacks for the APL.
My role in this project was as a database designer. I would design the database, the warehouse, and get the requirements.
I am not detailed in the technicality of creating the table in DB2.
I am now selling this product.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is data analytics.
What needs improvement?
The price should be lower.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this solution for six months.
I use the DB2 BLU version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable. It's good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I don't' have any knowledge about scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is good. They have presales and technical support. When you submit a ticket the response time is quick.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously we were using SQL Server.
The main difference is the pricing and implementation.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
It took four months to deploy this solution.
What about the implementation team?
I only use one server to implement the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think that everyone knows that with IBM the standard price is higher than the others.
What other advice do I have?
There is a lot of documentation available. I was, however, able to find what I needed through Google.
For our clients who have a large scale enterprise, we suggest DB2 and mid-scale enterprise customers we suggest SQL Server or others.
It's a better solution, it's better on the application. The purpose of DB2 is for a data warehouse or with data analytics.
I would rate this product an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Tough, impenetrable security but hardware and subscription-based support are very expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's security is very tough and impenetrable."
- "The solution no longer supports POWER8."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution as a database service for a client in the furniture manufacturing industry.
What is most valuable?
The solution's security is very tough and impenetrable.
What needs improvement?
Hardware and support subscriptions are very expensive. Better partnerships in the Middle East or Egypt could reduce costs.
The solution no longer supports POWER8.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very, very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is an issue for us because Database Hammer does not work with IBM Power and POWER9 is too expensive.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is very helpful and better than competitors such as Dell, Lenovo, or HP.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used POWER5 and POWER7 so have been with the solution for some time.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is very easy and we accomplished it through self education.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's hardware and subscription model for support are very expensive in the Middle East or Egypt.
I rate cost a three out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Database Hammer does not work with IBM Power or POWER8. It is too expensive for us to purchase POWER9 so we are migrating to AWS and comparing that to Azure.
Currently, our server and database are shut down and not in use.
What other advice do I have?
Stability, mobility, and security are rated a ten out of ten but the extreme cost changes my overall rating to a five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Project Manager at SPS
Secure solution but command line is outdated and could be better
Pros and Cons
- "It's very secure."
- "The command line part of this solution could be much better."
What is our primary use case?
I'm using this solution for a financial network. I make and prepare the databases for analysis.
I'm using version 11.5. There are 1,200 people using this solution in my organization. It's deployed on-premise.
What is most valuable?
It's very secure.
What needs improvement?
The command line part of this solution could be much better. Redshift is a lot better. It's easier to work with them. IBM Db2 is a little bit outdated.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support isn't very helpful when I've had problems.
How was the initial setup?
It's not easy to set up. It takes a long time, especially compared to other solutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's very expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 6 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Solution Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Offers a valuable Database Partitioning Feature and has good performance
Pros and Cons
- "Very good for performance and scalability."
- "There could be better integration with some cloud solutions."
- "The GUI interface is not particularly friendly for those who do not have experience with the product."
What is our primary use case?
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.
How has it helped my organization?
Db2 enables us to analyze big amounts of structured data in DataWarehouse solutions.
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Db2 for a long time. Maybe 15 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
DB2 is very scalable offering multichoice of possiblities - massive parallel processing and also clustering.
How are customer service and technical support?
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.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
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.
How was the initial setup?
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.
What about the implementation team?
Usually, we use our own team to maintain our products and we do not require outside services from vendors.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
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.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Database Engineer at Meezan Bank
An affordable and stable solution to audit databases
Pros and Cons
- "The solution helps secure the database."
- "The product needs to improve its configuration and storage."
What is our primary use case?
I use the product to audit databases, SQL statements, and user activities. I am currently working on migrating the on-premise database to IBM Docker.
What is most valuable?
The solution helps secure the database. We can encrypt the data and mask the tables using the solution.
What needs improvement?
When we enable audits on our database, there is a server overload. The product needs to improve its configuration and storage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable. I rate the tool's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product’s scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The support team didn’t give me a quick response to the issue I raised.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex. Since the database has various types of data, we must integrate it with the audit server. An expert in Linux can easily manage the integration.
What about the implementation team?
It takes three to four days to deploy the solution. We needed help from IBM to implement the solution. We need only one person to maintain the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution costs less than other products. I rate the pricing an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
Guardium can be used in confidential environments. There are many customization options available in Guardium. We purchased the solution in 2018. I will recommend the product for auditing. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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