Changed functionality in Db2 11.5.8

Changed functionality typically involves changes in default values or an outcome different from what would have occurred in previous releases. For example, an SQL statement used in a previous release might produce different results in Db2 11.5.8

Maintaining application compatibility across releases is a key priority. However, some behavior must change to take advantage of new functionality in the current release.

The following table lists changed functionality in Db2® 11.5.8:
Table 1. Changed functionality in Db2 11.5.8
Affected command or database object Changed behavior
The IMPORT and LOAD commands When using either the IMPORT or LOAD commands on columns of data type GRAPHIC, the modifiers STRIPTNULLS and STRIPTBLANKS no longer affect. While the behavior change of STRIPTNULLS is easily noticed, the change is more subtle for STRIPTBLANKS. When the length of a returned result is shorter than a fixed column width, the column is padded with blanks. These padding blanks might have different hex values than the blanks included in the input file. In previous versions of Db2, when STRIPTBLANKS stripped the trailing blanks, it would replace them with the padding. With the release of Db2 11.5.8, the trailing blanks are not stripped.
SYSADM, not DBADM, implicitly has the following authorities on the database:
  • CREATE_EXTERNAL_ROUTINE
  • CREATE_NOT_FENCED_ROUTINE
 With the release of the Db2 11.5.8 security special build 29133, the SYSADM authority, not the DBADM authority, now has the CREATE_EXTERNAL_ROUTINE and CREATE_NOT_FENCED_ROUTONE authorities on the database. These authorities control access to instance resources that exist outside of the database and thus require an instance-based authority to prevent abuse between databases. The new DB2_ALTERNATE_AUTHZ_BEHAVIOUR registry variable can be used to revert this behavior in situations where this change is undesirable.
SQLADM and DBADM can no longer execute UTL_DIR. With the release of the Db2 11.5.8 security special build 29133, during a CREATE DATABASE, migration or a db2updv operation, the SQLADM and DBADM authorities are no longer granted the EXECUTE authority on SYSIBMADM.UTL_DIR by default. To grant EXECUTE to these authorities, the DB2_ALTERNATE_AUTHZ_BEHAVIOUR registry variable must be set to UTL_DIR_SQLADM_GRANT.
DATAACCESS no longer has implicit EXECUTE authority on UTL_DIR. While DATAACCESS normally has implicit EXECUTE authority on all modules, with the release of the Db2 11.5.8 security special build 29133, it no longer does on SYSIBMADM.UTL_DIR. To grant EXECUTE authority on SYSIBMADM.UTL to the DATAACCESS authority, the DB2_ALTERNATE_AUTHZ_BEHAVIOUR registry variable must be set to UTL_DIR_DATAACCESS.
Federation server COLUMN_LENGTH_AUTO_VARIATION option A new option value, F, has been added to the COLUMN_LENGTH_AUTO_VARIATION option. When this option is set to F, the column length is automatically extended. If the column has a CHAR data type and the extended length exceeds the maximum allowed, it is converted to VARCHAR. If the column has a VARCHAR data type and the extended length exceeds the maximum allowed, the characters exceeding the maximum length are truncated. The option is now applicable to all DRDA wrappers and Oracle Net8 wrapper.