IBM’s flagship enterprise relational database Db2 has just been added to AWS Relational Database Service (RDS). Db2 joins commercial vendor relational database implementations Oracle and MS SQL Server along with open source databases MySQL, MariaDB, and PostreSQL as a fully-managed AWS offering.

Why this matters:

• Deployment I’m currently working with a large commercial vehicle manufacturer. Over two weeks ago I requested that a small Db2 database be deployed for query optimization. The clock is still ticking and the database still isn’t available. With RDS Db2 can be deployed and configured in minutes.
• Horizontal scaling Many of The Fillmore Group’s clients across several different industries have significant variability of demand – days of the week, times of the month, and seasonal variations. For large retailers purchasing ramps up in the summer, staffing in the early fall, sales in late fall and early winter, and returns in January. Managing on-prem capacity in such an environment usually means expensive compute and memory is underutilized for several months in the spring and summer. RDS provides on-demand scale up and scale down.
• Vertical scaling A large industrial client provisioned Db2 to store sensor data that will be analyzed for anomalies. Within six months one such database was at 85 Tb and continues to grow. Capacity growth is both predictable and linear, but even metronomically adding compute, memory, and storage is both budget and labor intensive.

Two more things to consider:

1. IBM invented the relational database. A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks was published by Edgar F. Codd, IBM Research, in 1970 in the Communications of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). Trillions of dollars of value has been realized by organizations which have deployed IBM Db2 or other relational database variants since they became available in the 1980s.
2. Many enterprises have successfully migrated workloads from other-vendor relational database implementations. Here’s just one example: SmarterQuestions White Paper – Oracle to DB2 Migration Lessons Learned – Final

Join the Mid-Atlantic Db2 LUW user group members – and more! – for a virtual meeting coordinated by IBM Hybrid Data Manager Technical Sales Specialist and user group supporter extraordinaire Kay Groski this coming Wednesday, June 10th.  “And more!” means, of course, that anyone from any users group (or not) is welcome to join.  Please do!

Kay has scheduled Db2 Offering Manager Karthik Gopalakrishnan to introduce Db2 v11.5.4 aka “Nebula”. Karthik’s team is also working to deliver a series of webinars detailing the new features included in Nebula. The schedule for these sessions and details are below.

For next week’s Virtual RUG:

Topic: Db2 Virtual RUG Meeting June 2020
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Time: 2:00pm – 3:15pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Meeting address: ibm.biz/June2020RUG
Program registration password: Db2RUG

The follow-on sessions will provide additional detail on specific new features.  Sessions currently scheduled are below.  For speakers, agenda and registration details go to:  http://ibm.biz/db2webinar[ibm.biz]

Overview of Db2 Editions
Overview of Db2 Editions and Entitlement migration paths from older editions to new.
June 9, 2020

Strategy and Roadmaps
Overview of Db2’s strategic direction and future Roadmap.
June 11, 2020

Container Strategy
Overview of Db2’s Containerization Strategy for Docker and Red Hat Open Shift.
June 16, 2020

Developer Features
Overview of Db2 REST Service, Python UDF and Drivers.
June 18, 2020

Unpacking 11.5.4
Deep Dive into Db2 Nebula release. We will go through exciting new features.
June 23, 2020

Graph Database
Deep Dive into Db2 Graph Capabilities.
June 25, 2020

Machine Learning
Deep Dive into Db2’s Machine Learning capabilities.
June 30, 2020

Enterprise Features
Deep Dive into Db2’s new Enterprise readiness capabilities.
June 30, 2020

Extending appreciation to all who participated in the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) v7.1 webinar on August 28, 2019.  If you weren’t able to join us, here is the webcast recording.  In a fast-paced 90 minutes we covered:

1. A review of capabilities included in recent IDAA v7.1.x code drops
2. The return of the High Performance Storage Saver (HPSS)
3. Integrated Synchronization
4. The closer-to-real Hybrid Transaction Analytic Processing (HTAP) capability
5. Disaster Recovery and High Availability considerations

The Fillmore Group’s exclusive IDAA Buyer’s Guide compares these IDAA form factors and deployment options:

• IBM Integrated Analytics Systems (IIAS)
• Docker container running on System z
• Docker container running on LinuxONE

And this is the handout: IDAA Webinar 2019-08

Please note: if you would like the exclusive IDAA Buyer’s Guide referenced in the webinar, contact my colleague, Kim May (kim.may@thefillmoregroup.com).

Thank you to the IBM Technical Team, Kay Groski and Warren Heising, for coordinating this terrific agenda and group of excellent speakers for the Mid-Atlantic Spring Db2 LUW Users Group Meeting!

The is no cost to attend (again thanks Kay and Warren).

Registration is required.  Register here.

Date:                            Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Time:                            9:00am – 2:30pm
Location:                      IBM Bethesda, Room 02-2A304, 6710 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD  20817

Agenda:
09:00-10:30    SESSION 1:  Futures (vNext coming soon!) presented by Jon Lind
10:30-10:45     BREAK
10:45-12:00     SESSION 2: IBM Streams presented by Roger Rea
12:00-12:45     Networking Lunch
12:45-2:00       SESSION 3:  Demystifying the Db2 Logger presented by Dale McInnis
2:00-2:15         BREAK
2:15-2:30         IDUG Overview

Thanks to my colleagues, Kim May and Ed Lynch, for a terrific IBM InfoSphere Data Replication (IIDR) new features webinar delivered today.  The recording of the webinar is found here.    These are the presentation materials: Data Replication Update 2019-02-07 – Final

On July 23 and 24, 2018 The Fillmore Group delivered a hands-on IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) v7 Workshop to 12 students across 5 different enterprises at the IBM Dublin, Ohio (USA) Technical Education Center.  This was the first IDAA v7 hands-on Workshop delivered to customers anywhere.  Many thanks to Atlee, Bill, Bob, Dom, Emmi, Larry, Marshall, Mohammed, Naga, Ruth, Shawn, and Toby for all of the great questions.  Kudos to the IBM Poughkeepsie Benchmark Center for standing up the IDAA v7 environment in record time with just-released functionality like Incremental Update.  And thanks to IBMers Rich Gast, Mike Hood, Sandro Ramirez (aka “Nicky’s Dad”), Julie Efthymiou, and Rudy Benvenuto for all of their support.

Finally – and most importantly – the Workshop’s flawless execution from scheduling, invitations and outreach to customers, to welcome packets for travelers, to food service, and overall logistics was the direct result of many months of hard work on the part of my colleague, Kim May.  I really appreciate it!

The presentation materials are here:IDAA Workshop 2018-07

Since IDAA v7 is so radically different from it’s predecessors, the Workshop generated lots of questions which will be incorporated into future sessions.  Watch this space.

With IBM’s consolidation of conferences resulting in the cancellation of last Fall’s World of Watson/Insight/IOD Conference, and the merge into March’s upcoming Think conference, Db2 users have several educational event options to consider.  With training and education budgets continuing to shrink, and the use of contractors (who need to be billable, and know everything already, right?) growing, getting funding and approval to attend events is more challenging than ever.

However, with so many choices, I hope you will find something that’s a good fit, and have the opportunity to network with the Db2 community.   Here’s a short list of the events I am hoping to attend – and why:

Hands-on IDAA/IIAS Training, Date TBD (February or March), Baltimore, Maryland

Frank Fillmore is developing a new 2-day hands-on training class to introduce the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) and it’s new version, the IBM Integrated Analytics System (IIAS), featuring BLU Acceleration and available as an appliance or a z/Linux software solution.  Class will focus on use case development, determining the right fit deployment option for your organization, implementation and administration.  Frank has been delivering similar classes since the release of the IDAA and has helped many System z customers understand the accelerator value.

Why attend?  The IDAA/IIAS solution is an incredible addition to the System z environment, Frank is an excellent presenter, and class is *FREE*

To register:  keep an eye on our blog or email me if you would like me to notify you when class is scheduled.

Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group Education Session with Themis, Wednesday, March 14th, BWI Hilton, Linthicum Heights, MD

Every March the Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group offers a full-day education session.  These sessions are evaluated by our board and intended to provide the best local full-day of training available in the area each year.  The March session will be delivered by IBM Champion and author Tony Andrews from Themis, and will focus on SQL programming, performance, and tuning, as well as the SQL-PL native Stored Procedures language.

Why attend?  The annual education day presenters reads like “Who’s Who in Db2” and the sessions are consistently terrific.  Tony is an excellent presenter, the event is local for Baltimore/Washington area Db2 users, and it’s our group’s first meeting at our new BWI Hilton location.

To register:  visit the Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group webpage.

Cost:  $250 in advance and $300 at the door.  The fee includes materials and a sit-down lunch.

Think 2018, March 19 – March 22, Las Vegas, NV

IBM has consolidated several technical conferences into Think, with the conference topics covering AI, Cloud, Data, Security, and Systems.  As last year’s World of Watson/Insight/IOD annual data-centric conference was cancelled, Db2 users are interested in better understanding IBM’s direction and how the continued IBM transformation will impact their organizations.

Why attend?  This is usually the largest annual gathering of Db2 users.  Great networking, excellent presenters, superb people watching.  Maybe some answers to those nagging “what’s next?” questions??

To register:  visit the Think registration page.

Cost:  $2,295 for the week; $895 for a single day pass.  *Before registering ask your IBM rep for help with the cost of the pass.*  😉

IDUG Philadelphia, April 29 – May 3, Philadelphia, PA

The annual North America Db2 conference will be held in downtown Philadelphia this year, an easy and inexpensive commute for Mid-Atlantic organizations like The Fillmore Group.  The IDUG conference is where the Db2 community and IBM are focusing on the delivery of hard-core technical content.  With 5 days of education sessions, workshops, over 100 technical briefings and an experts’ panel, this year’s IDUG conference, while smaller than Think, will likely offer the best technical education value for Db2 users.

Why attend?  IDUG will deliver top-notch Db2 technical presenters and presentations.  Great networking and friendly – very community focused.

To register:  visit the IDUG North America 2018 conference webpage. 

Cost:  $1,865 through March 16 (early bird).  Need help funding a conference pass?  There are many discounts and community offers – contact the IDUG Conference Planning Committee (CPC) for help.

The Fillmore Group 1H 2018 Class Schedule

As an IBM Business Partner that truly believes that proper training is one of the most critical factors influencing the successful deployment and use of technology, we here at The Fillmore Group continue to evaluate the IBM Analytics courses available and to select those we feel will potentially help IBM Analytics customers succeed.  And, of course, as we believe affordable technical services are another of those critical factors influencing success, we are happy to customize classes and include them along with a fully scoped implementation or healthcheck effort.

One highlight and two classes NOT posted on the IBM website.  First, the highlight.  We’ve been told that pureScale is finally being adopted by Db2 LUW customers.  This is great news as it is great technology, featuring one of the best System z features (Parallel Sysplex) re-imagined for distributed environments.  Unfortunately, the course curriculum was written for the original version of pureScale, v10.5, and hasn’t been updated to reflect the enhancements in v11.  Nor does the course include hands-on exercises.  We have a solution:  Frank Fillmore recently delivered the class to a group of students implementing v11 and updated the materials and built hands-on exercises.

Second, two classes NOT posted on the IBM website but available in the first half of 2018:  hands-on IBM Integrated Analytics System (IIAS), the just-released upgrade to the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) and QMF for Multi-Platforms.  We are working on curriculum for both of these classes and hope to have them scheduled for sometime early in the year – we are targeting February for the IIAS class and March for QMF.  If you are interested in either class please let me know.

On July 23, 2010 I attended the announcement of the IBM Smart Analytics Optimizer (ISAO).  This was IBM’s first iteration of heterogeneous scale-out to enable mixed OLTP and OLAP workloads to run on the same platform.  Subsequently IBM acquired Netezza and the Netezza appliance became the foundation for the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA).  In IDAA workshops I would refer to the ISAO as IDAA v0.5.

Fast forward to today when IBM announced IDAA v7.1.  “What is old is new again.”  Think of this delivery of IDAA as “ISAO v4.0” (there was some good-natured debate about the numbering).  Why do I frame it those terms?

1. IDAA has received a “brain transplant”.  Instead of Postgres, the database engine for IDAA will be Db2 Warehouse.  This will give IDAA greater compatibility with Db2 for z/OS, including broader SQL and datatype support, TIMESTAMP consistency, and more.  By exploiting Db2 with BLU Acceleration features such as in-memory columnar (rather than row-organized) data, Single Instruction, Multiple Data (SIMD) chips, actionable compression, and “data skipping” (avoiding extents that don’t contain data of interest) IDAA v7.1 provides a robust platform for better performance with a roadmap for continuous improvement and enhancement.  IBM has also consolidated its data repository development efforts by focusing on fewer, higher-value initiatives.
2. IDAA has received a “heart transplant”.  The IBM Integrated Analytics System (IIAS) appliance on which IDAA v7.1 is based, no longer depends on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) that were the “secret sauce” of the Netezza (aka PureData System for Analytics – PDA).  FPGAs might be reintroduced at a later time.

So, a few questions – and a fewer answers.

• How long will the legacy Netezza/PDA “Mako” N3001 be supported?  Until 2023.  So the installed base of existing IDAAs will be protected for five years.
• Will the Database Partitioning Feature (DPF) – IBM’s MPP shared-nothing data warehouse scaling technology – be exploited by IDAA v7.1?  Dunno.
• Wither the IDAA cloud deployment introduced in v6?  Nary a mention today.

Topics for a future blog post:

• “True HTAP” – Hybrid Transaction / Analytic Processing
• IDAA deployment on IBM z – using Docker images sitting on Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) specialty processors.