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Georges BOMBOH - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Pharos Consulting
Reseller
Has great performance, security, and availability
Pros and Cons
  • "It's the best solution in terms of security, performance, and availability because the system is available 24/7."
  • "The problem with this environment is that any software that you install is very costly because there are no free tools for this environment."

What is our primary use case?

It is installed on the mainframe that we use for our applications.

What is most valuable?

It's the best solution in terms of security, performance, and availability because the system is available 24/7.

What needs improvement?

The problem with this environment is that any software that you install is very costly because there are no free tools for this environment.

The environment itself comes at a very high cost because the mainframe machine is very costly, and the licensing cost is very high as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using IBM Db2 Database for the past 22 years.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable, and the performance is very good.

How are customer service and support?

We use IBM technical support for the big bugs related to the operating system and the database. We haven't faced any problems with the database. Sometimes, with the operating system we need some fixes, and technical support has sent us those. On the application side, our team develops the application and solves any problems related to it.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we used COBOL with a database sold by Computer Associates. We didn't have lot of choices for mainframes at the time. The best database that can run on the mainframe is the IBM Db2 Database, and we have stayed with Db2 from 2000 to the present.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was quite simple because we've been working in this area for more than 40 years.

It took about a year and a half to develop and deploy the whole application.

What about the implementation team?

We developed the application, and we deployed it using a solution strategy. We have an IBM partner who gave us all the software that we needed, and we implemented it ourselves.

We had three system engineers, two people for the database, and two people for the application.

What was our ROI?

Our ROI is big because we earned about 100 billion in our currency.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's very expensive for West African countries like ours.

We are currently in discussions with IBM concerning the reduction of licensing costs. We have a license based on the capacity of the machine and are looking into a license based on usage.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

There weren't a lot of choices for mainframes at the time.

What other advice do I have?

If you're going to use it for the first time, you would need lot of training and some technical support. You would need support during development as well.

I would rate this solution at nine on a scale from one to ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer2540772 - PeerSpot reviewer
System engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Contributes to our organization's work efficiency with valuable querying feature
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution's querying feature is most valuable. It allows me to retrieve data quickly."
  • "The solution's data retrieval speed could be improved, especially for heavy queries. Better optimization or indexing might also be involved."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the platform to store query data. I work in a bank, where we store customer information on it.

How has it helped my organization?

The product has improved our organization by performing well for data storage and queries. It helps us retrieve information quickly.

What is most valuable?

The solution's querying feature is most valuable. It allows me to retrieve data quickly.

What needs improvement?

The solution's data retrieval speed could be improved, especially for heavy queries. Better optimization or indexing might also be involved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with IBM Db2 for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is mostly stable, even in a large organization like ours. 

I rate the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We manage around 15,000 to 20,000 platform users. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

I do not interact directly with the technical support team. 

Our internal support team handles any issues and communicates with the provider.

What was our ROI?

The solution has been good with strong performance, contributing to our organization's efficiency.

What other advice do I have?

We use the product combined with other solutions, such as SAP Crystal Reports and various reporting tools, but we do not directly integrate it with databases like SQL Server.

I rate it as ten because, despite occasional issues, it performs very well overall.

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.
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IBM Db2 Database
November 2024
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Giuseppe Innamorato - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Client Director at Alkemy digital_enabler
Real User
Top 10
Helps us manage a data warehouse for customers and has great performance
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance of the solution is valuable."
  • "The initial setup could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to manage a data warehouse for customers. The data warehouse is focused on marketing, commercial and sales data.

What is most valuable?

The performance of the solution is valuable.

What needs improvement?

The initial setup could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the solution for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable, and approximately 50 users in our organization are currently utilizing it.

How are customer service and support?

We have had a good experience with customer service and support. I rate customer service and support a ten out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not easy but can be completed with the assistance of the IBM technicians. It took us about four to five months to complete deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing cost is charged annually. I rate it a ten out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. The solution is good, but the initial setup can be improved.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
System engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Powerful performance, scalable, and responsive to our organizational goals
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the most valuable feature to be its availability."
  • "I would like to see some artificial intelligence brought into the solution."

What is our primary use case?

We are a bank. The banking system uses IBM Db2 Database to save data in the database.

What is most valuable?

I have found the most valuable feature to be its availability. There is almost no downtime and the performance is very good.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see some artificial intelligence brought into the solution. Additionally, we need a way to gather some reporting information from the bank.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with IBM Db2 Database for a year now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are no real issues with the overall stability of IBM Db2 Database.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We do not have any problems with scalability. I would say give high marks for scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is excellent. I would like to see better documentation. We have to speak to a support representative when we can not find the documentation on an issue we are facing.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

From a performance perspective, I prefer SAP HANA for performance.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend IBM Db2 Database as a ten on a scale of one to ten. It is very powerful and responsive. 

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
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reviewer1432260 - PeerSpot reviewer
Global Infrastructure service manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good results, robust stability, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on."
  • "The only drawback that we see in Db2 Database is the crash recovery. When there is a crash and somebody has to do the recovery, Db2 Database first stops, and then it does any crash recovery. In Oracle Database, crash recovery happens within the database. The database is not shut down."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for our SAP system.

What is most valuable?

Db2 Database has given us good results since we have started to use it. We predominantly use IBM hardware, and this is one of the reasons why we started to use Db2 Database. 

Db2 Database has a very good HADR capability. High availability resilience is also good in this solution. It also has pureScale, which allows you to upgrade one node to get very good and high-level resilience. If you are using a database on five nodes, you can take one node down, upgrade that, and let that node up. You can then bring the second node down, upgrade that, and so on.

What needs improvement?

The only drawback that we see in Db2 Database is the crash recovery. When there is a crash and somebody has to do the recovery, Db2 Database first stops, and then it does any crash recovery. In Oracle Database, crash recovery happens within the database. The database is not shut down.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five or six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Initially, there were hiccups, but now, it is a robust database. The only limitation that we have found is crash recovery. In terms of bugs, every database will have some bugs that will hit you. I don't see much in terms of bugs in Db2 Database. Whatever known bugs are there, we get those issues.

How are customer service and technical support?

They are really very good. Overall, if I have to give a rating, I will give them an eight and a half or a nine out of ten. Their response to our requirements is quite good. They have good resources at the technical end. They take us very seriously. It might be because we are one of the largest accounts. I don't know what happens with medium-scale industries or small-scale industries. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We migrated from Oracle Database to Db2 Database because it was quite a good and cost-effective solution. Oracle Database was coming out to be expensive.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was complex altogether. It was complex because we were moving from Oracle Database to Db2 Database. A lot of code changes were required. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We did not buy it. It came with our hardware without any complimentary maintenance. If I compare Db2 Database with Oracle Database, its price is lower than Oracle Database.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Db2 Database to others because, as time passed, they have made a lot of changes, such as crash recovery. The time of crash recovery is reduced by almost 60% to 70%. Db2 Database also has Db2 BLU, which actually is in-memory. We have not explored this particular feature, but I would recommend others to explore it. With Db2 BLU, it becomes equivalent to HANA. We are seeing it being used a lot in large banks etc.

Among Oracle, Db2, and SQL databases, I would rate Oracle first, Db2 second, and SQL third. I personally believe Oracle is the most robust database. Db2 is the second robust database.

I would rate Db2 Database an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Implemenation Specialist at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Reliable, easy to expand, and recently has made the implementation process more streamlined
Pros and Cons
  • "The setup process has become much easier recently."
  • "The user interface is not user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

It's shipped with another software IBM product called Maximo. I'm using it just as an underline. It is a typical database. I use it as a database container.  

What is most valuable?

The setup process has become much easier recently. 

It is quite stable.

The solution can scale well. 

What needs improvement?

I am not heavy into developing in Db2. All my development is in the application itself, not in the Db2. Therefore, it's hard to think about areas it needs to improve in. 

The user interface is not user-friendly. There's a converter tool that is much easier for us in comparison. 

We would like the product to have tutorials and answers to questions and troubleshooting to be easier to find online. It's hard to find the answers you're looking for. 

I need data replication to be much more efficient than what is available in the current version. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for around three years now. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. Even if there are a large number of records, the performance stays the same. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have found the solution to be scalable. If you want to expand it, you can. 

We don't really have individual users. It comes as part of a package and therefore it's hard to say who is using it and who isn't. 

How are customer service and support?

They need better support and better online resources. If I try to Google something to troubleshoot, I cannot find an accessible answer. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup has recently become easier and more straightforward. A lot of enhancements have happened here. Still, it is a bit complex. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I am not paying the license for it individually. It's included in the package.

That said, the cost in general could be more reasonable for the package as a whole. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did look at other options and found them to be more reasonably priced. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend the solution to others. However, I'd recommend other potential users try to find a cheaper option. I'd rate it overall at a seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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CIO at Mobica
Real User
Top 20
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.
PeerSpot user
Md Al-Amin - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Analyst at Thakral
MSP
Top 5Leaderboard
Almost maintenance-free and less expensive, but lacking in the area of development tools and resources
Pros and Cons
  • "it is very stable and runs smoothly once it is deployed and it is almost maintenance-free."
  • "The technical support team is not very good when compared to the efficiency of Oracle's support."
  • "The application development requires a Java developer and not every company has these resources."

What is our primary use case?

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.  

What is most valuable?

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.  

What needs improvement?

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.  

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Db2 for almost eight years.  

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

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.  

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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.  

How are customer service and technical support?

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.  

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

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.  

How was the initial setup?

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.  

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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.  

What other advice do I have?

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.  

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
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