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IBM has released to the public a beta version of DB2 Viper 2, the newest incarnation of its data server.
Less than a year after releasing Viper, IBM is promising Viper 2 will expand on its predecessor by simplifying the development and administration of XML in DB2 with features such as a built-in SQL function that allows users to transform XML documents using an XML style sheet.
Other enhancements include better integration of workload management functionality into the database engine and automated backup maintenance.
“The enhanced security and workload management features of Viper 2 will extend the technological lead that DB2 has on the competition,” said Bernie Spang, IBMs director of data servers.
According to IBM, since the introduction of Viper last year, IBMs data server business has been on a roll, producing double-digit database revenue growth in the first quarter of 2007.
However, Oracle, which is slated to release Oracle Database 11g in July, remains the market share leader when it comes to the database space. A report by Gartner estimates Oracle holds 47.1 percent of the relational database software market in its hands, while IBM, the closest competitor, has 21.1 percent.