MySQL and the Latest Storage Engine IBMDB2I

Resolving The Problem

This document discusses support and resources for MySQL and the latest storage engine IBMDB2I.

MySQL and the latest storage engine IBMDB2I

MySQL is the leading open-source database management system (DBMS). There are currently over 11 million installations worldwide. MySQL, when coupled with PHP, is well suited for development and deployment of Web applications.

Beginning in August 2007, IBM announced formal support of MySQL on IBM for i. The announcement formalized support for the database offering on IBM for i.

The latest MySQL enhancement is the addition of IBMDB2I, the latest storage engine. The target GA (General Availability) date is the end of March 2009. With the support of IBMDB2I Storage Engine for MySQL on IBM i, applications that use MySQL as the database server can store their data in table objects, which are created in the QSYS file system as the native format of DB2 for i physical file objects. The contents of the (MySQL) tables can be manipulated from both MySQL and DB2 for i (both SQL and native I/O) perspectives.

Supported operating system releases are 540 and 610.

MySQL Support

IBM does not support MySQL.

MySQL is still authored and updated by MySQL. Zend compiles and packages it for IBM i.  Useful information can be found on the MySQL site at the following URLS:

//dev.mysql.com/	MySQL developer zone
//www.mysql.com/support/	MySQL support page
//forums.mysql.com/	MySQL forums
//dev.mysql.com/doc/	MySQL documentation  (Version 5.1 is being distributed.)

ZendDBI is considered part for Zend Server, so if a customer wanted to post a question about it, they could post in this forum:  //forums.zend.com/viewforum.php?f=77

Support for the IBM i DB2 MySQL Storage Engine is available from IBM to customers with current Software Maintenance Agreements.

As with many other Open Source products, you receive support for the MySQL binaries from forums, blogs and other users.

If you have the current versions of the MySQL binaries, you can continue to use them with IBM i 5.4, 6.1 and 7.1 or AIX 5.3, 6.1 and 7.1.

How to obtain MySQL binaries:
If you wish to use the AIX and IBM i environments, you may do so by downloading the source code from the MySQL Web site and compiling it into binary code.

Alternatively, the MySQL IBM i binaries and the IBM i MySQL DB2 Storage Engine are available in the current version of the Zend Server Community Edition for IBM i product which is packaged with IBM i or can be downloaded from the Zend Web site.

To order MySQL, you should contact your IBM Business Partner, or the Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (426-2255). You should reference AE001.

MySQL Web site:
//www.mysql.com

Additional MySQL Reference materials

Further information about installation, usage, and maintenance can be found in the following resources. APAR II14442 lists all the PTF requirements to enable the new query engine:

IBM documentation:
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/mysql/index.html

Discovering MySQL -Redbook:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247398.html?Open

Using IBM DB2 for i as a Storage Engine of MySQL -Redbook:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247705.html?Open