This section provides a summary of the enhancements introduced at each version and release is presented.

Functions delivered in DB2 Connect™ Version 9

DB2 Connect Version 9 includes the following enhancements:

• Client support for trusted connections

  A client can create trusted connections using ODBC, XA, or new Java™ methods to database servers (currently only DB2^® for z/OS^®) that support trusted contexts. The user name of the client can then be switched without the database server having to fully authenticate the new name.

• BINARY, VARBINARY, and DECFLOAT data type support

  DB2 for z/OS now supports data types BINARY, VARBINARY, and DECFLOAT. Support for these data types has been added to DB2 CLI and IBM Data Server Provider for .NET. Your applications using DB2 Connect to access DB2 for z/OS can use DB2 CLI and IBM Data Server Provider for .NET to take advantage of the new data types. A new connection setting named SQL_ATTR_DECFLOAT_ROUNDING_MODE allows the client to specify what type of rounding should occur if any operations on the server side require rounding of a decimal float value.

• NetBIOS and SNA communications protocols are no longer supported

  Customers using these protocols need to re-catalog their nodes and their databases using a supported protocol such as TCP/IP.

• IPv6 communication protocol support has been added

  Support has been added for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) so that you can now connect to servers using either IPv4 or IPv6 addresses.

• Command Line Processor (CLP) 64 KB limit for SQL statements is removed

  A new command line processor (CLP) limit of approximately 2 MB for SQL statements and for CLP commands containing SQL statement components is comparable with the limits on the other DB2 tools. Your applications using DB2 Connect can now take advantage of this new limit.

• IBM Data Server Provider for .NET enhancements including .NET Framework 2.0 support This support and enhancements will help you to develop more powerful .NET applications for use with DB2 Connect. Some of the new capability includes:

  • Applications can fetch a specific set of rows instead of having to scroll through an entire result set.

  • Applications can perform a bulk data copy operation.

  • Applications can determine the number of SQL statements to collect before using them as a batch to the DB2 database server. This will result in fewer individual transmissions of data between the client application and the database server.

• Two phase commit for multi-vendor data sources when using WebSphere^® Federation Server

  DB2 Connect applications can use the WebSphere Federation Server to reach data sources offered by many IBM^® and non-IBM vendors.

• Connection timeout support for database applications

  You are able to limit the amount of time your DB2 Connect database applications should wait for a connection. This is particularly helpful when the target database server is inaccessible.

• DB2 Connect Personal Edition easier to upgrade

  You can upgrade DB2 Connect Personal Edition on the Windows^® and Linux^® operating systems by supplying the appropriate Electronic Certificate File. It is no longer necessary to perform an entire installation when upgrading.

• DB2 licensing support changes

  DB2 Connect product packaging changes are part of the enhancements to the License Center and the Licensed Management Tool (db2licm) command.

Functions delivered in DB2 Connect Version 8 Release 2

DB2 Connect Version 8.2 included the following enhancements:

• Automatic Client Reroute

  If a TCP/IP connection to a server or DB2 Connect Server is lost, the client will automatically attempt to reestablish the connection if an alternate server exists. The alternate server is specified on the server instance and its location is sent to the client during the connection.

• Data encryption

  Client/server communication now provides encryption of user data as it travels over the network.

Functions delivered in DB2 Connect Version 8 Release 1 (including all FixPaks and modification levels)

DB2 Connect Version 8.1 included the following enhancements:

• Support for longer SQL statements (up to 2MB)

  SQL statements up to 2 MBs can flow through CLI and JDBC applications. However, the embedded interface remains at the 64K limit.

• Diagnostic information that identifies the origin of an SQL statement

  Provides the ability to determine which application program issued a particular statement into the DB2 for z/OS dynamic SQL statement cache.

• Column-wise input array

  Allows applications to provide multiple sets of parameters for a single SQL statement.

• Monitoring network time

  New monitor elements are used to get a better idea of the database activity and network traffic at the database or application level.

• DB2 CLI dynamic scrollable cursor support

  Dynamic scrollable cursors are now supported in DB2 CLI when accessing servers which are DB2 Universal Database (UDB) for z/OS Version 8.1 or later.

• eWLM support

  Provides the ability to monitor end to end work units through middleware groups to determine bottlenecks.

• Enhancements to the DB2 ping command The DB2 ping command now supports the specification of a request and response packet size.

  Note: DB2 Connect does not support the PING command when issued from a Version 7 client through a Version 9 gateway to the host.

Functions delivered in DB2 Connect Version 7 Release 2

DB2 Connect Version 7.2 included the following enhancements:

• Improved support for Microsoft^® Transaction Server (MTS) and COM+ technologies

• DB2 Connect Web Starter Kit

• DB2 Connect for Linux on S/390^®

Functions delivered in DB2 Connect Version 7 Release 1

DB2 Connect Version 7.1 included the following enhancements:

• XA Concentrator

• Multisite update improvements

Parent topic: DB2 Connect

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