Question

DB2 JDBC drivers from IBM

Asked by: anokun7

I intend to use IBM's DB2 JDBC drivers to connect to our corporate DB2 databases. But I have been stopped citing that the DB2 drivers are not free to be used in production.

I scoured the IBM website and did various google searches, but just could not find any information that says the DB2 jdbc drivers are not free. (On the contrary I found that the DB2 drivers are free when used with Apache Derby).

Can someone provide me a link or more information about where I can buy the DB2 jdbc (Type 4) drivers? Also any idea how much it costs?

Additional points if someone can suggest an alternative: We are considering StarSQL, how good / reliable is it? Can it in someway be better than the IBM DB2 jdbc drivers?

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Asked On
2008-10-17 at 12:35:05ID23825139
Tags

IBM

,

DB2 jdbc

,

8, 9

,

alternatives, free or where to buy

,

java

,

N/A

Topics

Drivers

,

DB2 Database

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
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Answers

 

by: tliottaPosted on 2008-10-17 at 17:35:27ID: 22746528

anokun7:

Since I have no idea what your "corporate DB2 databases" consist of, I can't be sure. However, under IBM i (and previous i5/OS and OS/400), the basic product licensing that applied to JDBC drivers came from the system license for the networking access product. There was no associated JDBC client-side license issue.

Now, there are client licensing elements in the full network access product for IBM i; they just don't include JDBC.

Further, I don't even need to use the JDBC from there. If I chose, I could go:

http://jt400.sourceforge.net/

As noted above, I don't know about your DB2. But for my main use, I can go fully open source if I want to; and fixes are almost always put into jt400 before being distributed with the "official" product.

Technically, I don't need even the open source (for IBM i). IBM documents the sockets protocols to IBM i host servers. I can simply write my own communications functions. (For some simple, experimental stuff, I've done that.)

So, please describe more fully your technical/business requirements. I suspect things will be cheaper than you've been told.

Tom

 

by: anokun7Posted on 2008-10-17 at 20:46:10ID: 22746972

Sure - I can explain a bit more. We host some financial data that is on a DB2 database. The DB2 database contains tables, actually we use just one view that is all. The DB2 database is itself hosted on a mainframe (OS390). Our application is a java unix app and we need to connect to the DB2 view to populate a drop down...

I also forgot to mention that my company is very much against open source. So that is out of question. If it is true, then I would like to point out to the management that the IBM DB2 jdbc type 4 drivers are indeed free to use in production and that there would be no problem.

I hope I have provided you with adequate information.

 

by: momi_sabagPosted on 2008-10-18 at 00:22:29ID: 22747336

 

by: anokun7Posted on 2008-10-18 at 06:58:04ID: 22748114

Thank you momi_sabag.

But I am not able to ascertain in the link where it says that the IBM DB2 jdbc drivers are free. I need something to prove such is the case. It talks about the usage of the jdbc driver and also the necessity of the license file. So it can be interpreted that the license file can only be purchased from IBM for a cost... I am trying to get more information about the cost and the restrictions on the usage.

 

by: momi_sabagPosted on 2008-10-19 at 21:55:44ID: 22755216

i think you get it once you download the db2 client and the client is free

 

by: anokun7Posted on 2008-10-20 at 05:27:26ID: 22756931

Any link to prove to management that the client is indeed free? Thanks so much.

 

by: tliottaPosted on 2008-10-21 at 20:10:26ID: 22773249

I'm not sure that "proof" exists of something that is 'not'; but I think that evidence exists:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v9/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.db2.udb.uprun.doc/doc/c0022612.htm

Scan the page for the word [ license ]. You should be able to locate this sentence -- "License terms that allow free redistribution of DB2 Runtime Client with your application." Note that the DB2 Runtime Client includes JDBC as a common database access interface (according to a bullet point above the license point).

Tom

 

by: bpnchanPosted on 2008-10-22 at 19:05:10ID: 22782820

Well, technically, IBM's own DB2 JDBC driver is NOT a free item. However, you are entitle to download it at NO CHARGE if you have the DB2 product  licence (not sure on DB2 express-c edition as it is free). So if you use it in-house and you have a db2 licence, go to www.ibm.com, under the tab "Support & download" > "Download" > "fixes, updates & drivers", search for it and you can download it from there. you need a login for the site.

 

by: tliottaPosted on 2008-10-22 at 21:03:44ID: 22783169

bpnchan:

Technically, I agree. And maybe anokun7 can clarify whether or not their "corporate DB2 databases" are running on licensed installations of DB2...

Tom

 

by: anokun7Posted on 2008-10-23 at 06:39:45ID: 22785907

Yes - of course, Corporate databases can be safely assumed to be running on licensed DB2 databases.

So it seems if the DB2 installation itself is licensed, all other client tools / drivers are automatically free?

 

by: momi_sabagPosted on 2008-10-23 at 06:41:03ID: 22785918

yes, client tools are free

 

by: bpnchanPosted on 2008-10-23 at 14:53:59ID: 22791099

Pretty sure that when your production is licensed, you got a lot of tools to download which come at no charge. After all, my recommended that you check up with IBM's support, they should be tell you the absolute truth. Apart from that, if you have the IBM customer number associated with your DB2 copy, they will be able to tell you if there is any extra component ( or in IBM's term: Extenders) your license entitled to, like DB2 XML Extender & DB2 Spatial Extender. Our company had licensed to DB2 workgroup edition, and some other extender candies and HADR. It all associated with the licese you got.
If you don't find access to the licensing information, you could possibly ask your dba to check it out for you.
Hope this helps :).

.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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