DB2 Connect 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 Administration Guide 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 Password change support through DRDA below).
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:
Refer to the Command Reference for further information.
DB2 Connect now provides an ability to manage user passwords without requiring users to log on to database server machines. Users can now change their passwords by using SQL CONNECT statement from the DB2 Comand Line Processor, by requesting change of password from ODBC login dialog, or by using ATTACH command. In addition, application programmers can now take advantage of this enhanced password management to deliver more robust security mechanisms for their applications. Ability to change user passwords is provided for Embeded SQL, ODBC, DB2 CLI as well as for Java using both JDBC and SQLJ. With this support, user connected to a DB2 for OS/390 and SQLJ. With this support, user connected to a DB2 for OS/390 database server, for example, no longer has to sign on to TSO change his or her password when it expires.
If an SQL CONNECT statement returns a message indicating that the user ID's password has expired, it is now possible to change the password without signing on to TSO. 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.
A new Set Client Information API allows three-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.
For additional information refer to the API Reference.
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 complete support for working with host and AS/400 databases configured 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 for bidirectional languages for DB2 Connect Version 5.2, refer to the latest Release Notes.
The following System Monitor enhancements for DB2 Connect are provided in Version 5.2:
Information about detailed updates to the System Monitor Guide and Reference is contained in What's New.
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.
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.