IBM
highlights details of new ‘Stinger’ database software
Posted: 06 June 2004
New DB2 database software delivers breakthrough autonomic computing
features, boosts system performance and lowers TCO
IBM announced new software designed to help customers simplify
and automate many of the tasks associated with maintaining database
management systems. As a result, organizations can slash development
time when building next-generation applications, increase efficiencies
and focus more on aligning their technology to support their strategic
business initiatives.
With this announcement, IBM is delivering the open beta of
the next version of its DB2 Universal Database, code named Stinger.
“This
new software delivers 200 new features that fundamentally ease
database administration, broaden support for popular application
development environments and boost system performance,” said
Bashar Kilani, Manager of IBM Software Business, Middle East, Egypt
and Pakistan. “It will make it possible for database administrators
(DBA) in this region to complete complex jobs 6.5 times faster
than if done manually.”
Features
Breakthrough autonomic computing features for automatically deploying,
configuring, maintaining and optimizing DB2 on the fly.
Support for three-dimensional geospatial data that is "location" and "time
and space" aware that enables customers in industries including
government and transportation to build next-generation spatial
applications. Restaurant chains or retailers, which sometimes use
spatial data to identify new business opportunities, can also benefit
from the new technology.
Extension of IBM's Linux clustering leadership with new features
that automatically partition and optimize large databases on many
servers in just a few minutes instead of hours.
Ease of Use
Building on IBM's momentum and experience in helping customers
reduce the complexity of maintaining database systems, IBM is
delivering breakthrough autonomic computing features designed
to simplify, automate or even eliminate many tasks traditionally
associated with maintaining enterprise-class database systems.
Benefits of the autonomic features in Stinger animate a trend
identified by META Group in two recent reports which state that
autonomic databases can reduce the labor intensive, mundane tasks
traditionally performed by DBAs, such as problem solving, monitoring
and tuning, by 80 percent. Therefore, self-managing databases can
and should enable DBAs to focus on more strategic activities, such
as data analysis, Web Services, integration, information lifecycle
management and aligning technology to support business goals.
With today's announcement, involvement by a database administrator
(DBA) is no longer required to periodically refresh DB2's understanding
of the data it is managing. DB2 now learns about changes in the
data organization and adjusts its optimization strategies accordingly.
Competing databases do not offer this level of sophistication and
automation; they force DBAs to constantly tell the database how
to optimize queries.
To that end, IBM is introducing DB2 Design Advisor that automatically
maintains, configures, deploys and optimizes the database, making
it possible to complete jobs 6.5 times faster than if done manually.
Design Advisor also tunes the database on demand as the workload
fluctuates, automating any changes to the database structure, as
well as backups and restores. The DB2 Design Advisor also suggests
to DBAs how complex queries can be accelerated, providing the shortest
path to the requested information. It does this by learning from
the performance of previous information searches, and by collecting,
pre-computing and keeping commonly used information at the ready.
Stinger is also the first deployment of new query optimization
technology from IBM's LEO (learning optimizer) research and development
project. LEO is the next generation of IBM's query optimizer technology,
in which the database automates, simplifies and accelerates queries
without human intervention. With LEO, DB2 will now automatically
and continually update query statistics about how the database
is being used, where it keeps information, and how it is performing.
As a result, DB2 now automatically creates and executes better
plans for accessing data without prompting the DBA to take action.
Additionally, IBM is introducing Autonomic Object Maintenance.
This new feature automatically performs administration and maintenance
functions, such as table adjustments or data back-ups. For example,
a DBA specifies what time the database should do its maintenance,
the database then considers its workload with the DBA's time suggestion,
and automatically performs its maintenance tasks.
These autonomic features are unique to DB2, and are also offered
in the Express edition of Stinger, which IBM is also introducing
for the midmarket. These features are ideal for businesses of all
sizes, but particularly for those with small IT staffs and limited
technical understanding, which normally spends 65 percent of their
time just administering and maintaining the database, according
to IBM estimates.
Accelerating Application Development
In support of creating next-generation geospatial applications,
Stinger customers will have access to the new DB2 Geodetic Extender.
It treats the Earth like a globe, not a flat map, and understands
the International Date Line and global time zones. As a result,
companies can more easily build more powerful and accurate geospatial
applications for land management, asset management, or business
development applications that rely on geographical, physical and
time-based data requirements.
DB2 provides the broadest platform support in the industry. By
tapping existing in-house skills, developers can lower costs and
bring DB2-based solutions to market faster. Stinger will continue
that support by delivering new tools that take advantage of the
latest application development features of Java / Eclipse and Microsoft
.NET (available to DB2 users even before Microsoft SQL Server customers).
For example, Stinger includes SQL enhancements such as the ability
to write stored procedures using .NET languages such as Visual
Basic, .NET and C#. This capability enables developers to write
their applications in the same programming language from start
to finish.
Also of interest to developers is support by Stinger for larger
SQL statement sizes, up from 64 kilobytes to 2 megabytes, commonly
demanded by third-party applications today. This will make it faster
and easier for Partners' complex applications to pose queries to
the database.
Finally, Stinger will provide enhanced support for Services Oriented
Architecture (SOA), where Web Services will be even more secure,
flexible and
integrated into the database.
Increased Productivity
In an on demand business environment, access to information at
all times, from anywhere, is crucial. The flow of information needs
to be automatic and reliable.
To that end, Stinger is delivering DB2 Client Reroute, a mechanism
for keeping users up and running if there is scheduled maintenance
performed on the database, or if a database server physically fails.
Client Reroute invisibly switches users over to a mirrored database
without any disruption. DB2 will also take advantage of IBM Tivoli
Intelligent ThinkDynamic Orchestrator, which can automatically
allocate more processor space and power on demand, based on spikes
in database usage.
Particularly of benefit to mobile employees, Stinger will include
DB2 Everyplace, which extends access to enterprise data to "occasionally-connected" users
on mobile, wireless, and handheld devices. This provides the ability
for customers to conduct real business transactions anytime and
anywhere in the world. DB2 Everyplace gives mobile workers the
ability to query, retrieve, and modify information from DB2 and
databases from Oracle and Microsoft. Everyplace includes autonomic
features such as optimization of unused database space, guaranteed
data delivery, and an automatic resume feature if disconnected
from a network.
Low-Cost, High-Scaling Linux Clusters
IBM is extending its Linux leadership by supporting the new Version
2.6 of the Linux kernel, which will help IBM's database clusters
scale higher and perform faster than before. Support for the
new kernel better exploits the speed of 64-bit-ready databases,
such
as DB2, and enables Linux databases to take better advantage
of servers that use multiple processors.
These multiprocessor servers can be clustered with one another
to create powerful Linux clusters, as with DB2 ICE. DB2 is the
most scalable database on Linux today, offering clusters ranging
from two to 1,000 servers and which can be deployed at a rate of
four nodes per hour (clusters from other database vendors are highly
proprietary, and can only scale out to between eight and 16 nodes).
Assisting with this rapid deployment is the new DB2 Design Advisor,
which automatically partitions and optimizes large databases on
many servers in just a few minutes. No other vendor has this capability
built into the database. Previously, administrators could spend
hours fine-tuning the performance.
Stinger will also support the 64-bit performance of IBM's POWER
processors, which lie at the heart of IBM Power Blades (JS20 BladeCenter),
pSeries and iSeries servers. DB2 has long supported blade servers
-- rack-mounted servers expressely designed for clustering. DB2
now supports all four of IBM's server platforms running Linux,
as well as other servers built on Intel and AMD 64-bit processors.
Stinger will become generally available later this year.
For more
information on Stinger see:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/db2/stinger/
About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company,
with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM
offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that
enable telecommunications service providers and equipment suppliers
to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. IBM Global
Services is the world’s largest information technology services
provider and is the fastest growing part of IBM, with nearly 150,000
professionals serving customers in 160 countries.
For more information see www.ibm.com
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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