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What is a data server driver?

IBM Data server drivers are used by applications to access IBM Database Servers. IBM Data Server Drivers are middleware software products that are also known as database connectors. IBM provides a variety of database drivers and tools for use with different application programming languages.

Which driver is right for me?

There are different types of IBM Database Client and Driver installers based on a combination of above drivers. You can see the list of drivers with details here: IBM data server client and driver types.

Based on your requirements to connect to IBM Database Servers, there are different Options for connecting to a database. You can install one of the following drivers, based on your application development requirements:

You can check the complete list of Supported database application programming interfaces here.

Obtaining and Configuring IBM Data Server Drivers

You should now be able to determine which driver you need to install. See the Db2 Knowledge Center topic, Obtaining IBM Data Server Driver Installers, for detailed steps on how to get the ODBC and CLI driver installer. The same steps apply for other drivers as well. Just select the driver options that meet your requirements.

Go to the IBM Support Portal site, Download DB2 Fix Packs by version for DB2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows, to download Db2 Fix Packs for all supported releases of Db2 (LUW) and Db2 Connect™ products.

Downloading and installing the IBM Server Driver Package (DSDriver)

The IBM Data Server Driver Package (dsdriver) can be downloaded for different Db2 releases and fix-packs from this IBM Support page: Download Db2 Fix Packs by version for Db2 for Linux, UNIX and Windows.

Click to select the Db2 fix-pack version for dsdriver you want to download. You will be redirected to another IBM Support page. Look for IBM Data Server Driver Package on this page and click the Download link. This takes you to the IBM Fix Central page, from which you can select the dsdriver that you need.

The installer for IBM Data Server Driver Package comes as a vxxxfpx_xxxxx_dsdriver.tar.gz file for supported Linux and Unix operating systems. See Installing the IBM Data Server Driver Package software on the Linux and UNIX operating systems .

For MacOS, the dsdriver installer comes as a vxxxfpx_macos_dsdriver.dmg file. Install it by following the instructions documented here: Installing the IBM Data Server Driver Package software on Mac OS X

For Windows, there are two installers available:

• vxxxfpx_ntxxx_dsdriver_ALL_LANG.exe
• vxxxfpx_ntxxx_dsdriver_EN.exe

Double click the option that you want and follow the instructions shown by the installer. For more information, see Installing the IBM Data Server Driver Package (Windows).

NOTE: You can also install dsdriver on Windows systems from the command prompt. For more information, see Command-line options to install the IBM Data Server Driver Package (Windows).

To use IBM Data Server Provider for .NET , you can install the IBM Data Server Driver Package (dsdriver). Db2 .NET Provider and Informix .NET Provider, are both included as part of the IBM Data Server Driver Package.

To deploy .NET applications on the Cloud targeting .NET Framework or the .NET Core, you can install Db2 .NET Provider or .NET Core from NuGet repository, depending on your environment. For more information, see Deploying .Net applications on Cloud.

Configuring the IBM Data Server Driver Package

You can configure the IBM Data Server Driver Package for database connection using a configuration file named “db2dsdriver.cfg”. The IBM® data server driver configuration file(db2dsdriver.cfg) contains database directory information and client configuration keywords. The db2dsdriver.cfg configuration file configures the behavior of CLI, ODBC, or .NET applications by using keywords. The keywords are associated with the database alias name and affect all of the applications that access the database.

The IBM data server driver configuration file is an XML file that is based on the db2dsdriver.xsd schema definition file. You can get the location of db2dsdriver.cfg file by running “db2cli validate” command. Check this link to know details about db2dsdriver.cfg file: IBM data server driver configuration file.

If you have an existing IBM Data Server Client or IBM Data Server Runtime Client installed, you can populate the db2dsdriver.cfg configuration file with existing database directory information by following the instructions documented here: Copying existing database directory information into the db2dsdriver configuration file.

Using db2dsdriver.cfg file, you can configure your driver for automatic client reroute(ACR) by following the instructions documented here: Configuration of Db2 automatic client reroute support for applications other than Java.

You can find a sample db2dsdriver.cfg file here: Example of enabling Db2 automatic client reroute support in non-Java clients.

Using db2dsdriver.cfg file: Example of enabling Db2 for z/OS Sysplex workload balancing and automatic client reroute in non-Java client applications.

Using db2dsdriver.cfg file, you can improve high availability(HA) for non-Java clients using alternate groups as an additional failover mechanism for automatic client rerouting when connectivity to the current group cannot be re-established: Alternate groups for connections to Db2 from non-Java clients .

Validating and verifying your IBM Data Server Driver installation

After creating the IBM Data Server Driver Configuration (db2dsdriver.cfg) file, you should validate it by using the instructions documented here: Validating the db2dsdriver.cfg file .

The contents of db2dsdriver.cfg file is read by the drivers at the time of initialization only. Any update in db2dsdriver.cfg file takes effect only when application restart.

The JDBC and ODBC drivers are part of IBM Data Server Driver Package too. So, to test the connectivity for JDBC and ODBC drivers, you can follow the connectivity test steps documented under sections “IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ” and “IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI”.

To validate installation of the IBM® Data Server Driver Package for the most popular interfaces, see: Validating IBM Data Server Driver Package (Windows) installation . Interfaces covered include:

• CLI/ODBC
• ADO.NET and Visual Studio Add-ins (VSAI)
• CLPPlus
• MS Excel
• IBM OLE DB Provider
• PHP and Python drivers

See also:

• Testing the CLI database connectivity with the db2dsdriver.cfg file
• Testing the CLI connectivity with the database
• Testing .NET connectivity using testconn command
• Connecting to a database from an application using the IBM Data Server Provider for .NET
• Testing the CLPPlus database connectivity with the db2dsdriver.cfg file
• Testing the embedded SQL database connectivity with the db2dsdriver.cfg file
• Supported deployment software for .NET Framework applications

Downloading and installing the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ

The IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ product is in a compressed file named "vxxxfpx_jdbc_sqlj.tar.gz". Download the required version of JDBC Driver from IBM.

The IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ software does not contain an installation program and you must install it manually. After downloading the driver file "vxxxfpx_jdbc_sqlj.tar.gz", untar it. After untar, it gives a jdbc_sqlj folder inside which you can find license folder and db2_db2driver_for_jdbc_sqlj.zip file. Unzip this file to get db2jcc.jar, sqlj.zip and other files. Please install and configure it by following the instructions documented here: Installing the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ

Configuring your IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ installation

Decide JDBC Connectivity Type: The IBM® Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ supports type 2 and type 4 connectivity. Connections to Db2

databases can use type 2 or type 4 connectivity. Connections to IBM Informix® databases can use type 4 connectivity. For details please check: How to determine which type of IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ connectivity to use and How JDBC applications connect to a data source.

JDBC Connection using DriverManager interface: A JDBC application can establish a connection to a data source using the JDBC DriverManager interface, which is part of the java.sql package. Please check this link to know detailed steps about Connecting to a data source using the DriverManager interface with the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ

JDBC Connection using DataSource Interface: If your applications need to be portable among data sources, you should use the DataSource interface. For detailed steps, please check Connecting to a data source using the DataSource interface

Sample: You can test the database connectivity using a simple JDBC program as documented here: Example of a simple JDBC application .

Downloading and installing the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI

Download: The IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI product is a lightweight deployment solution that is designed for independent software vendors (ISV) deployments. This product comes as a compressed file named "vxxxfpx_ntxxx_odbc_cli.zip" on Windows operating systems, and "vxxxfpx_xxxxx_odbc_cli.tar.gz" on other operating systems. Download the driver by following the instructions documented here: Obtaining the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI software.

Install: The IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI software does not contain installation program and you must install it manually. For non-Windows platform, please check: Installing the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI software on Linux and UNIX operating systems.

For Windows, unzip it and install using the instructions documented here: Installing the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI software on Windows operating systems

Configuring your IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI installation

You must configure the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI(clidriver), and the software components of your database application runtime environment in order, for your applications to use the driver successfully: Configuring the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI .

To verify your installed ODBC and CLI driver is configured properly for TCPIP connection, you can use the db2cli tool. From command line on windows and terminal on non-windows, execute below commands using your database server connection information:

cd <clidriver/install/directory>/bin
./db2cli validate -connect -database "<dbname>:<hostname>:<port_num>" -user <dbuserid> -passwd <dbpwd>
Example: ./db2cli validate -connect -database "sample:hostname.ibm.com:50000" -user db2user -passwd xxxxx

If you have database server connection information for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and an SSL Certifcate.arm file from your Db2 server, you can verify the connectivity using the following command:

./db2cli execsql -connString "DATABASE=<dbname>;UID=<dbuser>;PWD=<dbpasswd>;HOSTNAME=<host_name>;port=<ssl_port>;Security=SSL;SSLServerCertificate=<server_certificate.arm>"
quit

For more info about creating an SSL connection using clidriver, see Configuring Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support in non-Java Db2 clients.

Downloading the IBM InfoSphere Optim Performance Manager Extended Insight

For information on how to download the IBM® InfoSphere® Optim™ Performance Manager for Linux®, UNIX®, and Windows® Version 5.x products, please check IBM Support page: IBM InfoSphere Optim Performance Manager Version 5.x Downloads.

For more information, see Passport Advantage® : Download InfoSphere Optim Performance Manager Version 5.3.1 (Extended Insight) .

Installing, configuring, and monitoring the IBM InfoSphere Optim Performance Manager Extended Insight product

This developerWorks article provides detailed steps about how to Install the Extended Insight feature, how to Configure the CLI client to recognize the Extended Insight feature and how to monitor CLI applications with Optim Performance Manager Extended Insight: Install, Configure and monitor CLI applications with Optim Performance Manager Extended Insight.

IBM Data Server Manager (DSM)

IBM® Data Server Manager can be downloaded and assembled from Passport Advantage®, developerWorks and Fix Central by following the steps described here: Downloading IBM Data Server Manager .

Follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide for IBM Data Server Manager to install the product.

See also:

• Setting up and configuring Data Server Manager
• Monitoring with Data Server Manager
• Administering Data Server Manager

Setting up Open Source Drivers

IBM supports drivers and frameworks for popular open source languages can be downloaded and installed independently. 

The following links provide detailed information on downloading, installing, configuring, and verifying installations of IBM supported drivers for Open Source languages:

For Python:

• Driver: Python support for IBM Db2 and IBM Informix
• Buildpack: Heroku Buildpack for Python
• Framework: IBM Db2 Driver for the Django application Framework

Testing a connection that uses the Python Open Source driver

The steps to connect to a database server using the Python driver is same for all LUW platforms, as well as MacOS.

To verify installation and test connection to database, just open Python command prompt by executing “python” command and run below commands on python prompt:

  $ python

  Python 3.6.5 (default, May 10 2018, 00:54:55)

  [GCC 4.3.4 [gcc-4_3-branch revision 152973]] on linux

  Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

  >>> import ibm_db

  >>> #For connecting to local database named pydev for user db2inst1

  and password secret, use below example

  >>> #ibm_db_conn = ibm_db.connect('pydev', 'db2inst1', 'secret')

  >>> #For connecting to remote database named pydev for uid db2inst

  and pwd secret on host host.test.com, use below example

  >>> conn_str='database=pydev;hostname=host.test.com;port=portno;

  protocol=tcpip ;uid=db2inst1;pwd=secret'

  >>> ibm_db_conn = ibm_db.connect(conn_str,'','')

  >>> import ibm_db_dbi

  >>> conn = ibm_db_dbi.Connection(ibm_db_conn)

  >>> conn.tables('SYSCAT', '%')

For more information, see the ibm_db documentation on GitHub.

For PHP:

• Driver: https://github.com/php/pecl-database-ibm_db2
• Install: Install PHP ibm_db2 Driver
• Buildpack: A Cloud Foundry Buildpack for PHP
• PHP and Apache buildpack for Heroku apps
• Frameworks: PHP driver supports three widely used PHP frameworks - Zend, symfony, and CakePHP. The details can be found on developerWorks.

For Ruby:

• Driver: https://github.com/ibmdb/ruby-ibmdb
• Buildpack: Cloud Foundry buildpack for Ruby, Sinatra and Rails
• Heroku buildpack for Ruby
• Framework: Rails Adapter/Ruby driver for IBM Db2 and IBM Informix

For Perl:

• Programming considerations for Perl

Driver: Perl applications can access IBM DB2 data servers via the Perl DBI driver for DB2,DBD:DB2.

Install: This document provides step-by-step instructions to install the DBD::DB2 Perl module and access data from Db2 data server: Db2 Perl Database Interface for LUW.

ORM: Perl's DBI (database interface) DBIx::Class - database object relational mapper (ORM) is able to talk to Db2 database.

For Node.js:

• Driver: IBM Db2 and IBM Informix bindings for node.
• Buildpack: https://github.com/ibmdb/db2nodejsbuildpack

For R:

• Connecting to IBM database servers from an R environment, using the ibmdbR package, is the same for all LUW platforms, as well as MacOS. For detailed instructions, see Connecting an R development environment to a Db2 database.
• ibmdbR driver: The reference manual, driver source code and binaries for Windows and MacOS platforms can be downloaded from IBM in-Database Analytics for R.

For Swift for Db2:

• https://github.com/IBM-DTeam/swift-for-db2

For Golang/Go driver for Db2:

• https://github.com/ibmdb/go_ibm_db

• https://github.com/IBM-DTeam/swift-for-db2

For Kotlin:

• Kotlin application can use IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ driver to connect to Db2 database.
• Kotlin sample connectivity code

For Scala:

• Scala application can use IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ driver to connect to Db2 database.
• Scala sample connectivity code

Setting up Db2 for working with NoSQL/JSON data

JSON provides a flexible mechanism to store and transmit data between application tiers. JSON is becoming one of the predominant technologies for rapidly changing mobile and interactive applications. Db2 provides the ability to work directly with JSON from both the client and through SQL.

Db2 JSON provides a Java™ API, a command-line interface, and a wire listener feature to manage and query JSON documents that are stored in a Db2 database by using a JSON-oriented query language.

The IBM NoSQL/JSON Driver can be obtained by installing the IBM Data Server Driver Package. Within the dsdriver install directory, you will find the \json directory.

See also:

• JSON application development for IBM® Data Servers
• Key JSON concepts
• Install, configure, and upgrade Db2 JSON

Applying a Db2Connect License

Connectivity to Db2 for z/OS server and Db2 for i-Series(AS400) server from Linux, UNIX and Windows clients is not free. You need to obtain a Db2 Connect license from IBM Support. The db2connect license can be applied on client systems or at the server system.

The db2connectactivate utility activates the Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition license on Db2® for z/OS® or Db2 for i-Series servers. This removes the need to apply the Db2 Connect license on each database client that directly connects to the server: For more information, see db2connectactivate - Server license activation utility.

If a Db2 for z/OS or Db2 for i-Series server is not db2connect activated, you can apply a db2connect license at client side. The client side db2connect license file differs for JDBC application and ODBC application. The JDBC license file is named as db2jcc_license_cisuz.jar file. ODBC license file is named as db2consv_**.lic file.

To apply a JDBC license at the client side:

1. Copy the db2connect license file (db2jcc_license_cisuz.jar) into the same directory that contains the db2jcc.jar or db2jcc4.jar files.
2. Add the absolute path to the license file in the CLASSPATH system environment variable.

To apply ODBC license at client side:

Copy the db2connect license file (db2consv_**.lic) intothe clidriver/license directory or dsdriver/license directory.

The JDBC db2connect license is required when using the following:

• JDBC and SQLJ driver
• CLPPlus tool
• NoSQL/JSON driver

For all other drivers including ODBC and CLI driver, .NET driver, Open Source Drivers, an ODBC db2connect license is required.

Migrating from instance based client to IBM Data Server Driver Package (DS Driver)

Please refer Migrating to IBM Data Server Driver Package from an instance based client

Migrating from Db2 Connect Server/Gateway to IBM Data Server Driver Package (DS Driver)

db2dsdcfgfill -i instance_name -o output_path

<configuration>
<dsncollection>
   <dsn alias="EC205" name="STLEC1" host="INEC005.vmec.svl.ibm.com" port="446"/>
   <dsn alias="EC206" name="STLEC1"  host="INEC006.vmec.svl.ibm.com" port="446" ldap=”1”/>
   <dsn alias="EC207" name="STLEC1"  host="INEC007.vmec.svl.ibm.com" port="446"/>
</dsncollection>
   <databases>
   <database name="STLEC1" host="INEC005.vmec.svl.ibm.com" port="446"/>
   <database name="STLEC1" host="INEC006.vmec.svl.ibm.com" port="446"/>
   <database name="STLEC1" host="INEC007.vmec.svl.ibm.com" port="446"/>
   </databases>
</configuration>

Virtualizing the IBM Data Server Driver on Windows platforms

Installing the unixODBC driver manager

Sample Files

Db2 Connect overview

Glossary of Terms

Application Drivers:

JDBC Driver

JDBC is an application program interface (API) specification for connecting programs written in Java to the data in database. The IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ implements the JDBC API specification.

SQLJ Driver

SQLJ is a language extension used for database transactions in Java database applications. It produces static, embedded SQLJ.

ODBC Driver

ODBC stands for “Open Database Connectivity”. ODBC is an application program interface(API) specification for connecting programs written in C/C++ to the data in database. IBM driver that implements these ODBC API specification is called IBM ODBC Driver.

CLI Driver

CLI stands of “Call Level Interface”. IBM ODBC Driver is called CLI driver. CLI implements ODBC specifications and provides few extra APIs along with ODBC APIs.

.NET Driver

IBM Data Server Driver for Microsoft .NET applications is called .NET Driver. The IBM Data Server Provider for .NET is a name that is used to describe the .NET providers that are packaged with the “IBM Data Server Driver Package” and “IBM Data Server Client” products.

.NET Core Driver

The IBM .NET provider for .NET Core is for developing applications using MS .NET Core against Db2 and Informix database servers. The provider is available as a NuGet package and bin deployment is supported for 64-bit Windows, Linux (x86_64) and Mac OS.

DB2CI

A Driver based solution for Oracle Call Interface (OCI) Applications written in C/C++ to communicate with Db2 servers. It implements OCI APIs on top of IBM ODBC/CLI driver.

Db2 Databse Utility Drivers and Tools:

CLP

“Command Line Processor” for Db2 in short called CLP. CLP commands starts with db2. CLP is used to run admin commands and SQL statements from command prompt. It is an interactive client tool. It is mostly used by system administrators to do admin task or to execute SQL statements in batch mode. This Db2 tool ODBC/CLI driver to communicate with server and comes with Db2 Client and Server installations only. It does not come with IBM Data Server Driver installations.

CLPPlus

A CLP like interactive client tool to execute SQL statements and scripts against target database server and can generate custom reports.  This tool uses a[JT4]  JDBC driver for connectivity and comes with IBM Data Server Driver Package.

db2cli

An ODBC driver tool to do setup for ODBC/CLI driver, validate the installation, test ODBC connectivity, execute SQL and register DSN. It is an alternative for CLP which do not come with IBM Data Server Driver Installers.

testconn40

A .NET Driver tool to test connectivity and validate the .NET installation setup.

Open Source Drivers:

IBM provides drivers for popular open source languages: Go, Python, PHP, Ruby, Perl, Node.JS, and R. These drivers are collectively called as Open Source Drivers. Open Source Drivers uses ODBC/CLI driver internally to communicate with Db2 and Informix Database Servers.

NoSQL/JSON Driver

IBM provides drivers for MongoDB applications to use Db2 as a JSON document store. Using JSON driver, applications can store unstructured(NoSQL) data into Db2 and retrieve it.

Db2Connect Driver

An IBM Database Driver that provides license-based connectivity to Db2 for z/OS and Db2 for i-Series(AS400) database Servers from Linux, Unix and Windows platforms. If any of above drivers uses db2connect license to communicate with z/OS or i-Series server, we say it is db2connect driver.  Db2 Connect communicates through the ODBC/CLI Driver or the JDBC Driver