Running your own applications

You can build and run DB2^® applications with an IBM^® Data Server Client installed.

Various types of applications can access DB2 databases:

Applications developed using the IBM data server client that include embedded SQL, APIs, stored procedures, user-defined functions or calls to the DB2 CLI
ODBC applications
Java™ applications using the JDBC or SQLJ interfaces
PHP applications Ruby/Ruby on Rails applications
Ruby or Ruby on Rails applications
Perl applications

On Windows^® operating systems, the following can also access DB2 databases:

ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) implemented in Microsoft^® Visual Basic and Microsoft Visual C++
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Automation Routines (UDFs and Stored Procedures)
Object Linking and Embedding Database (OLE DB) table functions

To run an application:

Ensure the server is configured and running.
On the DB2 server, ensure that the database manager is started on the database server to which the application program is connecting. If it is not, issue the db2start command at the server before starting the application.
Ensure that you can connect to the database that the application uses.
(Optionally) Bind the necessary files to support the database application driver being used.
Run the application program.