Migrating a Db2 instance

Migration of a same-version Db2® instance from one platform to another can be done in several ways. The method you choose depends more on the size of your source Db2 system than whether the target platform is an on-premises machine, a virtual machine (VM) on cloud, or a containerized cluster on cloud.

For database systems under 256 GB in size, there are three migration methods that are both effective and easy to use:

Restoring a Db2 backup image to a target Db2 instance

For most Db2 users, restoring a backup image is a process that they are familiar with. You can restore a Db2 backup image to a Db2 instance on a cloud provider virtual server as easily as you can to an on-premises server, provided the endian-ness of your source and target systems is the same. For example, you can restore a backup image from a Linux x86 system to a similar system, but you cannot restore an image from an AIX Power system to a Linux x86 system. For that to work, you need to do a load-export-import operation, using db2look and db2move.

For Db2 databases running on Windows systems, this is the preferred method for migrating a database, whether the target is an on-premises x86 system or an x86 VM in the cloud.

Loading, exporting, and importing by using db2look and db2move

This method is preferred for moving Db2 from an AIX or Linux Power system to a target x86 system. You can use db2look and db2move to migrate your database to same-system platforms, AIX to Linux, or Linux to AIX.

Moving or cloning by using Db2 Shift

This method is currently limited to migrating Db2 from one Linux system to another. You can move from an x86 system to a new x86 system or from a Power system to an x86 system. By using Db2 Shift, you can choose to migrate from an on-premises system to another on-premises system, an on-premises system to a VM in the cloud, or from an on-premises system to a Linux cluster running on Red Hat OpenShift.

Db2 Shift is part of the IBM Click to Containerize offering.

Note: The 256 GB limit does not apply when using Db2 Shift. Transfer rates of two to four terabytes per hour are possible, depending on the speed of your connection.

For users with database systems larger than 256 GB, that have hundreds of tables, a more robust method is required. Both solutions require a separate license to be purchased:

IBM High Performance Upload

This application runs high-speed, bulk data unloads for Db2 databases. For more information, see IBM InfoSphere Optim High Performance Unload for DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows.

IBM Q Replication

This application replicates large volumes of data at low levels of latency. This is the preferred method for users that need their database system up-and-running at all times. For more information, see Q Replication and Event Publishing.