DB2 Connect Version Version 5.2 includes the following enhancements for the host and AS/400 DRDA functions:
Users working with host and AS/400 databases servers now have additional options for providing database location information when using DCE Cell Directory support for implementations from IBM and Gradient. Refer to the Administration Guide for additional information.
DB2 Connect now permits users to change their passwords without having to log on to their database server. Users can now change their passwords in any one of four ways: by using the SQL CONNECT statement from the DB2 Command Line Processor, by requesting a password change from within the ODBC login dialog, by using the password change option of the Client Configuration Assistant, or by using the ATTACH command.
In addition, application programmers can now take advantage of DB2 Connect enhanced password management to deliver more robust security mechanisms for their applications. The ability to change user passwords is provided for Embedded SQL, ODBC, and DB2 CLI, as well as for Java using both JDBC and SQLJ.
For example, with this support, a user connected to a DB2 for OS/390 database server no longer has to sign on to TSO in order to change his or her password when it expires. Through DRDA, DB2 for OS/390 can change the password for you. The old password along with the new password and the verify password must be supplied by the user.
If the security specified at the DB2 Connect EE gateway is DCS then a request to change the password is sent to the DRDA server. If the authentication specified is SERVER then the password on the gateway machine is changed.
An additional benefit is that, with TCP/IP connections to the host, a separate LU definition is no longer required, as was the case with DB2 Connect Version 5.0. Refer to the DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition Quick Beginnings manual for additional information.
Users connecting to host and AS/400 databases can now get additional information on the cause of security failures when they occur, for example as the result of an expired password. Refer to the DB2 Connect Quick Beginnings manuals for further information.
In addition, password change support is now supported through DRDA (see Enhanced password management above).
DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition (EE), and the DB2 Connect component that is included in both DB2 UDB EE and DB2 UDB Extended - Enterprise Edition (EEE), can now provide enhanced load balancing and fault tolerance by routing connections to different nodes on a System/390 SYSPLEX. Some additional configuration considerations apply, and these are documented in the DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition Quick Beginnings manual.
A new tool db2ocat is provided on Windows 32-bit operating systems in order to assist customers to optimize system catalog searches for ODBC applications.
DB2 Connect now offers a way to dramatically improve the performance of ODBC and JDBC applications that make extensive use of the system catalog. This improvement is provided using the CLISCHEMA parameter in the DB2CLI.INI file, which allows applications to use an ODBC-optimized catalog instead of the regular system catalog tables. In addition, a point-and-click utility that greatly simplifies the creation and maintenance of ODBC-optimized catalogs can be obtained by downloading db2ocat.zip from:
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/db2/tools.
DB2 family databases including host and AS/400 databases can now fully participate in distributed transactions managed by the Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS). Refer to the DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition Quick Beginnings manual for additional information.
There are two new enumerated values for the DYNAMICRULES option of the BIND command. These two values: DEFINE, and INVOKE, are defined to specify the authorization identity to be used for the execution of a dynamic SQL statement in a user defined function (UDF) or in a stored procedure:
A new Set Client Information API allowsthree-tier client/server or TP monitor applications to pass more specific information about the application end user to DB2 for OS/390.
The new information includes the end user name supplied by server application, the workstation name, the application name, and the accounting string. This information can now be reported by the DB2 for OS/390 DISPLAY THREAD command and it is available in DB2 for OS/390 accounting records. Previously, in three-tier environments, DB2 for OS/390 could only provide information about the server application and the individual authentication user ID, and not about the numerous end users who multiplex SQL queries on long-running connections.
With this enhancement, an application is now able to issue the SQLDescribeParam API call to retrieve parameter descriptions from a DB2 for OS/390 data source. For further information refer to What's New.
DB2 Connect now provides support for bidirectional languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. Refer to the Administration Guide for more information about the nature of this support.
For information on configuring DB2 Connect Version 5.2 for bidirectional languages please refer to the Release Notes for DB2 Connect Version 5.2.
The following System Monitor enhancements for DB2 Connect are provided in Version 5.2:
Applications executed by Transaction Processing Monitors such as IBM TXSeries, CICS for Open Systems, Encina Monitor, and Microsoft Transaction Server previously had to access host systems such as DB2 for OS/390 using SNA. With DB2 Connect Version 5.2, TCP/IP can now be used by these same applications. The DB2 Syncpoint Manager must be used to enable this new feature.
For further information refer to your DB2 Connect Quick Beginnings manual.
DB2 Syncpoint Manager configuration has been simplified. Many steps are now automated or eliminated compared to previous releases. Please refer to your DB2 Connect Quick Beginnings manual.
DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition Version 5.2 is available for the SCO operating system.
DB2 Connect Version 5.2 now provides support for Big Integer, Large Object, Row ID, and User Defined Distinct data types. Refer to the SQL Reference for more details.