What's New

What's New in Version 5

Version 5

DB2 is a relational database management system that is Web-enabled with Java support; scalable from single processors to symmetric multiprocessors; and multimedia capable with image, audio, and text support. Version 5 of DB2 Universal Database is the follow-on product to DB2 Version 2 and Database Server Version 4. DB2 Universal Database Extended Enterprise Edition Version 5 is the follow-on product to DB2 Parallel Edition Version 1.2 (which was available on AIX only). It includes all the features of DB2 Version 2 and Database Server Version 4, in addition to the Version 5 enhancements. This section describes some of the major changes for this version.

Exploitation of symmetric multiprocessors (SMP) for improved scalability and performance

DB2 now exploits the ability of an SMP system to share resources across multiple processors, performing your SQL queries more quickly. Commands like LOAD, BACKUP, and RESTORE also take advantage of the multiprocessor environments.

New graphical tools on OS/2 and Windows 32-bit operating systems that make it easy to install, configure, and administer DB2 databases

From the Control Center, you can accomplish just about any administrative task. A number of SmartGuides walk you through common tasks, such as configuring communications and creating tables. You can also use the graphical tools to administer any DB2 server on any of the available platforms.

From the Client Configuration Assistant, you can configure communications for clients to access remote or local DB2 servers.

Comprehensive online help and the Information Center help you easily find the information you need to use DB2.

Extensions to SQL, including support for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

With the new CUBE and ROLLUP aggregations, you can now create super groups, like overall total and cross tabulation, for improved online analytical processing. You can also perform outer joins, rename tables, define unique constraints on tables, and create your own table functions. DB2 has refined its authorization support, so you can grant authority at a more granular level; you can also create schemas to grant various attributes and privileges.

Performance, capacity, and memory improvements

DB2 now provides global caching for SQL statements, creating a public repository that improves performance. You can create multiple buffer pools of various sizes to better control the data in memory. Client/server communications are more efficient, crash and roll-forward recovery is faster, and LOAD features numerous performance enhancements.

Security enhancements, including support for Open Software Foundation's Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)

You can now use the DCE architecture to manage users, passwords, and groups more easily, and authenticate users more securely. DB2 also provides a Trusted Clients option so you can choose whether to trust all clients or only those that come from an operating system with inherent security.

Additional support for communicating with host databases using DB2 Connect and the Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA)

In addition to communicating with host systems using SNA, you can now use TCP/IP to communicate with host systems that support this protocol. In addition, DB2 servers can accept requests from host systems using TCP/IP, allowing you to use your DB2 workstation server as an application server to a host application.

Enhancements to application programming for DB2

The DB2 Call Level Interface (DB2 CLI) now reflects the Microsoft Open Database Connectivity 3.0 specifications, allowing you to connect to DB2 databases from ODBC 3.0 applications. Additions to user-defined functions (UDFs) include scrollable cursors and the UCT_UNIQUE function to return a unique value to use in a table column. You can also invoke external UDFs that are methods of object linking and embedding (OLE) automation servers.

Other new features

The DB2 Governor can be used to control application behavior.

New table space features include point-in-time roll-forward recovery and selective restore.

Error messages have been improved.

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