IBM is beefing up its DB2 database, adding new workload management and system administration capabilities and introducing a new departmental version of its InfoSphere Warehouse data warehouse software.
DB2 and InfoSphere Warehouse are critical technologies in IBM's push into business analytics, one of the growth areas IBM is targeting with its software, service and consulting offerings.
New development capabilities in DB2 9.7, until now known by the code name "Cobra," make it easier to move applications developed for other databases to the IBM platform. That should make the database attractive to ISVs and other channel partners, said Bernie Spang, marketing director for IBM data management software.
"So now we're going to bring a new generation of partners onboard," Spang said. "This opens up new opportunities."
Among the new workload management tools in DB2 9.7 is the ability to set different processing priorities for different categories of applications. That prevents someone running a complex, database-hogging query when a business is trying to run financial reports at the end of a quarter, for example. The database also can be set with conditional workloads that can shift priorities between applications when a workload threshold is exceeded.
A new user interface simplifies administrative tasks, freeing up database managers' time. "You want your database administrators to be doing high-value tasks for the business," Spang said. IBM said the time savings can be as high as 35 percent.
DB2 9.7 includes new technology for analyzing XML data -- a data format that's increasingly used in transaction processing. And the new release more effectively compresses data, reducing the amount of space needed to store data and cutting related data storage costs, including the cost of energy needed to run storage systems.
InfoSphere Warehouse 9.7 Enterprise Edition, a new release of the data warehousing technology that runs on DB2, provides new tools that make it easier to build and deploy a data warehouse and develop data warehouse applications. And a new Departmental Edition of InfoSphere Warehouse 9.7 is designed for data analysis applications in departments and midsize businesses.
The new releases of DB2 and InfoSphere Warehouse will be generally available in June. IBM plans to make trial versions of the products available before then.
