Planning your Db2 on Azure configuration

Before you deploy Db2 on Microsoft Azure cloud services, you need to choose an instance type and cloud storage option that meet your needs.

You can choose to use an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) instance or an Azure Red Hat® OpenShift® (ARO) instance. File and block storage classes are created.

Overview of a Db2 on Azure configuration

Deploying a Db2 instance on Azure can be summarized as follows:

  1. Your system administrator creates an Azure account and chooses a managed service platform for your Db2® instance.
  2. Using a series of command line tools, your administrator creates an Azure cluster based on your specific requirements.
  3. Your administrator then runs the Db2 Operator and deploys your Db2 instance to your Azure cluster.

Once your Db2 instance is deployed, users can connect to a database in the instance in much the same way as they connect to an on-premise data source.

Figure 1 shows how users interact with the database instance when it is hosted on AKS:
Figure 1. Db2 on the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
Db2 on the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
Figure 2 shows how users interact with the database instance when it is hosted on ARO:
Figure 2. Db2 on the Azure Red Hat OpenShift service (ARO)
Db2 on the Azure Red Hat OpenShift service (ARO)

Choosing an Azure VM instance type

Use the information in Table 1 to determine the size requirements of your Db2 on Azure system. Based on your selection, go to the list of Azure VM instance types to find the Azure instance type that's right for your Db2 deployment. In addition to the sizing values shown in Table 1, the instance type list shows other factors to consider, such as cost and region.

Choose an instance from the General Purpose or Memory Optimized categories for your Db2 instance.

Table 1 provides sizing guidelines for small, medium, and large Db2 on Azure systems.
Table 1. Sizing guidelines for Db2 on Azure systems
Size CPUs Memory (GB) Azure Instance Type (Suggested) Description
Small 8 24
  • Standard_DS4_v2
  • Standard_D8s_v3
  • Standard_D8as_v4
  • Standard_D8ds_v4
  • Standard_D8ads_v5
  • Standard_D8ds_v5
  • Entry level, departmental OLTP workloads.
  • Five concurrent connections.
  • 500 GB of data and logs.
Medium 16 128

General Purpose:

  • Standard_D32as_v4
  • Standard_D32ds_v4
  • Standard_D32ads_v5
  • Standard_D32ds_v5

Memory Optimized:

  • Standard_DS15_v2
  • Standard_E16bds_v5
  • Standard_E16bs_v5
  • Standard_E16s_v3
  • Standard_E16ds_v4
  • Standard_E16as_v4
  • Standard_E16ads_v5
  • Standard_E16ds_v5
  • Mid-range, line of business OLTP workloads.
  • 1.4 TB of data and logs.
Large 49 1001
  • Standard_M64s
  • High end Enterprise OLTP workloads.
  • 11 TB of data and logs.
Note: The requirements listed in Table 1 are specific to installing and deploying Db2u. If other applications are also being deployed, plan the resource sizing accordingly.

Choosing cloud storage

When choosing cloud storage options for your Db2 on Azure configuration, consider the following points:
  • For database storage, log storage, and use of temporary table spaces, use a block storage solution.
  • For metadata and backup storage, use a shared file storage solution.
Azure provides block storage and shared file storage options for your Db2 deployment on both AKS and ARO. The following diagram shows how storage is distributed in a single-partition Db2 formation on AKS:
Figure 3. Db2 cluster formation on AKS
Db2 cluster formation on the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Figure 4 shows how storage is distributed on an ARO cluster:
Figure 4. Db2 cluster formation on ARO
Db2 cluster formation on the Azure Red Hat Open Shift service

For step-by-step configurations of Db2 on AKS, see Adding a database instance to an Azure AKS cluster, using the Db2 Operator.

For step-by-step configurations of Db2 on ARO, see Adding a database instance to an Azure ARO cluster, using the Db2 Operator.