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Consultant at a tech services company
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Has good scalability, availability, and upgrades easily
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability and availability of this solution are the most valuable features."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the on-prem deployment model of this solution. 

    What is most valuable?

    The scalability and availability of this solution are the most valuable features. It is a very stable product. 

    What needs improvement?

    I don't have a general opinion about how they can improve this product. The performance could be improved. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have 35 years of experience, almost 45 years of experience in ICT. From the start, I have used relational databases Db2 and Oracle, and so I am a good user of Db2 and relational database.
    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.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have 2,000 ICT people and most of them are working on the operational part of the site. Minimum, there are 100 or 80 people working on the system database.

    How are customer service and support?

    IBM offers very good support. They have maximum knowledge. 

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

    We previously used Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL which is an open-source database. 

    How was the initial setup?

    We did an installation 20 or 50 years ago. It's an old installation. The database engineer has a good level of competency in Db2 installation, it's very easy. They normally upgrade Db2 without any problem.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would definitely recommend this solution to somebody considering it. I would advise that if you are looking to install it, you should have internal competence and internal skill, don't only use external support that is provided by IBM. You should have internal knowledge and competency for Db2 management.

    The performance is very critical. The software developer needs to have good knowledge of the programming technique in order to avoid the problem on the performance side. 

    The performance of Db2 depends on the system, on how you installed it. From the application part, it depends on how you developed code, how you wrote the code because if you write bad code you will have a serious performance problem. 

    Db2 is a very old product, but also a very stable product. It's really difficult to imagine something different from the actual configuration from the actual functionalities of its operation.

    I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Technical support manager IBM Power systems at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Powerful, reliable, robust and it has great features.
    Pros and Cons
    • "Reliable, robust with great features."
    • "GUI needs improvement."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are partners with IBM and I'm for implementing Power systems with DB2 in this company. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    We propose DB2 and other IBM products to our customers.

    What is most valuable?

    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.

    What needs improvement?

    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. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using this solution for over 20 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 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. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very easy. 

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

    There is an issue with IBM licenses pricing which is expensive, and it's the main downside of buying IBM products or databases.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate this solution an eight out of 10. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    IBM
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    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.
    Domain architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Relational database, integrates well, but horizontally scalability limited
    Pros and Cons
    • "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."

    What is our primary use case?

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

    What is most valuable?

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

    What needs improvement?

    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.

    For how long have I used the solution?

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

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I have found the solution to be scalable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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

    How are customer service and technical support?

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

    How was the initial setup?

    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.

    What about the implementation team?

    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.

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

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

    What other advice do I have?

    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.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Director at BISTP
    Real User
    Secure and stable for our financial and asset management solutions, but it needs a web-based interface
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable features of this solution are security and stability."
    • "It would be helpful to have more querying tools and more development tools for us to work easily with Microsoft."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use this solution for financial software and also for asset management.

    We have a public cloud deployment using Microsoft Azure.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features of this solution are security and stability.

    What needs improvement?

    We would like to see a web-based interface for this solution, as it would help to improve visibility.

    It would be helpful to have more querying tools and more development tools for us to work easily with Microsoft. For example, ODBC drivers would make work easier for our development team.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for fifteen years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This solution is very stable. We have had no problems since it was set up.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    This solution is scalable. We have an infrastructure that is based on virtual machines, so we can add more to grow as we need. I am very happy about that.

    We have perhaps sixty or seventy people using this solution.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support for us in São Tomé is very difficult because we don't have a local representative from IBM. We have to get our support from Portugal, so it can take a long time to solve the problem.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup of this solution was very complex.

    Our deployment took one or two days.

    What about the implementation team?

    We needed to contract a specialist from Portugal to assist with the installation and the planning.

    What other advice do I have?

    I don't think that we will be changing solutions within the next year.

    I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Senior Manager of MIS at Fountain Set
    Real User
    Works well for our ERP database and the PowerPC support is good
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature is PowerPC support."
    • "Performance is something that can be improved with DB2."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case for IBM Db2 is ERP.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature is PowerPC support.

    What needs improvement?

    Performance is something that can be improved with DB2.

    We have had issues with respect to scalability.

    The usability can be simplified.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using IBM Db2 for two years.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support is okay and we haven't had any issues with it.

    What other advice do I have?

    In summary, this is a good solution and one that I recommend. However, there is room for improvement in terms of performance and scalability.

    I would rate this solution an eight 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
    PeerSpot user
    DB2 DBA at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    ​A lot of scalability can be done in DB2, it only depends on the money you want to invest in that and on the functions that you really need. It can go from a free database to a very big infrastructure

    What is most valuable?

    • PureScale
    • Blu acceleration
    • XML and JSON datatypes
    • Autonomous computing (storage, memory, and maintenance)
    • HADR
    • NoSQL (RDF and MongoDB).

    How has it helped my organization?

    Due to the stability, the applications can have a very long uptime, even with modifications in the application.

    I have never needed to install a fix pack because there is a problem on the engine where new functions are used. Users forget to know that a DB2 is supporting the data.

    What needs improvement?

    Monitoring. There are very few applications that really monitor DB2.
    Marketing. IBMers from other IBM brands, do not rely on DB2.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    12 years.

    What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

    It is easier to administer and to use than other RDBMS; however, developers like complex things and they get into trouble when using DB2 for the first time.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Not at all.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    A lot of scalability can be done in DB2, it only depends on the money you want to invest in it and on the functions that you really need. It can go from a free database to a very big infrastructure.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Customer Service:

    In other countries, different to US or Canada, the support is not straightforward. This product has a small market share outside North America, and for this reason, experts outside that part of the world are very few, even inside IBM. Thus, the customer support is very basic, and any medium problem needs to go to Canada.

    Technical Support:

    A six out of 10.

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

    I have used a little bit of Oracle, SQL Server, PostgresSQL, and MySQL. They are good platforms, but they are not as easy to work with as DB2 is.

    How was the initial setup?

    DB2 is easy to install. You just need to run the installer, and that is all. In AIX, it runs smoothly.

    In Linux, it requires some libraries. Sometimes in 32 bits they are not easy to get, but once you got them, the installation is normal.

    In Windows, it is just next, next. Once the binaries are installed, the instance is created in less than a minute, and it is only necessary to know what an instance means in DB2.

    Finally, the database is just a command, that in some very specific cases it need extra parameters. If not, it creates a database in two minutes, and then, you have a powerful database ready to receive your data.

    What other advice do I have?

    If you are creating a small budget project, DB2 could be your first option. You have almost no limits with the Community-C edition (the free one), and then you can scale up to a supported version. Instead, when you have a very big infrastructure, I recommend you to check what you need, then DB2 could be a very good option.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    solution259344 - PeerSpot reviewer
    solution259344Enterprise Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
    Real User

    You can use also the Advanced Workgroup Server Edition (AWSE) to encrypt specific columns in your databases in a PCI-DSS compliant way, this is a hugh benefit specially for banking

    PeerSpot user
    VP of IT at a financial services firm
    Real User
    ​Scales well enough for a relational database and has a good, stable performance
    Pros and Cons
    • "It has a good, stable performance."
    • "​Scales well enough for a relational database."
    • "Do not use support. Freely available documentation is a bit weak.​"
    • "​Not very solid compared to its competitors' products.​"
    • "Some of the internal rearrangement in the administration is not as straightforward as it is in competing products."

    How has it helped my organization?

    Compared to Oracle, it is so much cheaper.

    What is most valuable?

    It has a good, stable performance, and it's not Oracle. 

    What needs improvement?

    Some of the internal rearrangement in the administration is not as straightforward as it is in competing products. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    More than five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Not very solid compared to its competitors' products.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scales well enough for a relational database. Not exceptional; scales at or slightly below its peers.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Do not use it. Freely available documentation is a bit weak.

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

    No. I have previous experience extensive with Oracle, SQL Server and Sybase. It is a good product. Better than Sybase, but not as good as Oracle, and comparable to SQL Server. 

    How was the initial setup?

    I can't comment. I have no experience here.

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

    They are competitive and honest (compared to how peer firms approach licensing conversations).

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    No, they were the incumbent.

    What other advice do I have?

    Prototype any use of fringe functionality, XML-specific handling, JSON Processing, NoSQL Extensions, etc. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Service Director at scsi co.,ltd
    Real User
    Good for imaging databases, but the management tools could be improved
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is a scalable solution."
    • "The backup solution lacks flexibility."

    What is our primary use case?

    Some customers use it for imaging databases, and others use it for ERP systems.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features are the HADR, and it is so simple.

    What needs improvement?

    The backup solution lacks flexibility in some situations and could be improved. In addition, the management tools should be improved in the next release.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using this solution for more than five years. We mostly use version 10.5 but sometimes use version 9.7.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a scalable solution. 

    How are customer service and support?

    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.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was easy. I rate the setup an eight out of ten.

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

    The solution has annual licensing, and the costs are reasonable for the product. I rate the pricing a six out of ten.

    What other advice do I have?

    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.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
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    Updated: October 2024
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