Distributed Relational Database Architecture support

 

Distributed Relational Database Architecture™ (DRDA^®) support for distributed relational database processing is used by IBM^® relational database products. DRDA support defines protocols for communication between an application program and a remote relational database.

DRDA support provides distributed relational database management in both IBM and non-IBM environments. In IBM environments, relational data is managed with the following programs:

• DB2 Universal Database™ for iSeries™

• DB2 Universal Database for z/OS^®

• DB2 Universal Database for VSE/VM

• DB2 Universal Database for AIX^®

• DB2 Universal Database for Linux^®

• DB2 Universal Database for HP-UX

• DB2 Universal Database for Sun Solaris

• DB2 Universal Database for Windows^®

DRDA support provides the structure for access to database information for relational database managers operating in like and unlike environments. For example, access to relational data between two or more DB2^® UDB for iSeries is distribution in a like environment. Access to relational data between DB2 UDB for iSeries and another type of system or a client different from the one embedded in i5/OS^® is distribution in an unlike environment. One specific example of this is access to relational data between DB2 UDB for iSeries and IBM DB2 Universal Driver for SQLJ and JDBC.

SQL is the standard IBM database language. It provides the necessary consistency to enable distributed data processing across like and unlike operating environments. Within DRDA support, SQL allows users to define, retrieve, and manipulate data across environments that support a DRDA implementation.

The Distributed Relational Database Architecture is an extension of the distributed data management (DDM) architecture. However, DRDA and DDM methods for accessing data are different. DRDA is an extension of SQL whereas DDM is an extension of native I/O.

Using distributed relational database processing, an application can connect to a remote system using the relational database directory on the local system. The relational database directory provides the necessary links between a relational database name and the communications path to that database. An application running under the distributed relational database only has to identify the database name and run the SQL statements needed for processing.

 

Parent topic:

Introduction to distributed database programming