IBM Db2 12.1.1.0 has arrived: What’s new and improved?

In October  2024, IBM introduced Db2 12.1, a feature-packed release to enhance your database management experience. With more than 200 new features—from AI-powered query optimization to developer and security enhancements—the Db2 12.1 release aims to empower enterprises to support modern data workloads and meet organizational AI and hybrid cloud needs.

Today, we are announcing the availability of modpack 1 which builds on the cloud and query optimization capabilities of Db2 12.1. Here are the key highlights of Db2 12.1.1.0:

1. pureScale on Azure: pureScale is now available on Azure cloud, as a self-managed deployment.
2. pureScale on AWS: NVMe (non-volatile memory express) reservation is supported for fast I/O fencing on AWS.
3. Online Index Reorg for pureScale: The Index rebuild during reorg in the pureScale environment no longer restricts access to the underlying table, allowing read and write access during maintenance.
4. AI Query Optimizer enhancements: Models are trained faster, more compact, and more accurate.
5. Security enhancements: Db2 has added tablespace management authority to allow the creation and management of tablespaces within a storage group.
6. Open Data Format (ODF) tables supported on PPCLE: Db2 Warehouse now supports Open Data Format tables on Linux on Power (PPCLE) for Data Lake integration.

pureScale on Azure

Db2 pureScale, as a self-managed deployment, is now available as a marketplace offering on Azure cloud using either RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) or TCPIP network. Db2 can be deployed to Azure using a “Bring Your Own License” (BYOL) model. Users can automatically deploy and configure a Db2 pureScale instance on Azure using pre-configured t-shirt sizes in minutes. 

pureScale on AWS

Db2 pureScale now supports fast I/O Fencing for NVMe shared storage on AWS, substantially reducing recovery time in the event of an unplanned host failure. This enables the automatically deployed Db2 pureScale clusters to support the highest availability for the most demanding workloads.

Online index reorg for pureScale

Db2 pureScale architecture aims to achieve the highest availability for the most demanding transactional workloads. Previously, index rebuild during reorg was restricted in pureScale. With this change, reorg maintenance with index rebuilds is permitted so that the data in the base table remains accessible during the index rebuild. Index reorg with rebuild now defaults to ALLOW READ ACCESS on the base table but can also be configured to support ALLOW WRITE ACCESS mode.

AI Query Optimizer enhancements

This release improves the Db2 AI Query Optimizer model performance, resulting in more compact and accurate models while reducing the average training time. The “Explain” feature is augmented to capture details of model eligibility and usage in the section explain for transparency in query optimization. 

Security enhancements

Db2 has added tablespace level authority called TBSPADM to allow the creation and management of tablespaces within a storage group. Database administrators can now delegate the authority for specific users to manage tablespaces to DBADM and further down to the TBSPADM.

Open Data Format tables on PPCLE

Users running Db2 Warehouse on Linux on Power systems can now integrate (read/write) with open table and open data formats, including Iceberg, Parquet, AVRO, ORC, etc. on Object Storage.

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience these benefits firsthand. Take the next step in optimizing your database operations by downloading  Db2 Community Edition—version 12.1.1 today, and unlock a new level of efficiency and functionality for your organization.

Check our latest blog for pureScale on Azure.