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IBMs next version of its DB2 data server, code-named Viper 2, is set to slither onto the scene with a new set of data automation and performance enhancements that company officials believe will extend its information on-demand initiative and challenge database giant Oracle.
DB2 9.5, which will be available Oct. 31, completes the companys yearlong efforts to upgrade its data server portfolio and comes on the heels of the release last week of Information Management System 10. Company officials said DB2 9.5 builds on the success of DB2, which they said has propelled IBM to four straight quarters of double-digit growth in its database business.
“What were doing here with this release is continuing to raise the bar,” said Bernie Spang, director of IBM data servers, in an interview with eWEEK.
Taking a shot at Oracles 11g database, Spang said Oracle is following the lead of IBM, particularly in regard to the IBMs emphasis on pure XML data management.
“With Viper 2 were delivering at least twice the transactional performance of the XML data management [of DB2] … and were seeing up to five times storage reduction of compressed pure XML data,” Spang said. “Managing XML data well and managing it as data that can be queried—it can be a part of your businesses processes the same way as relational data—is a critical innovation that our clients are taking advantage of.”
Oracle has included a number of performance enhancements to XML DB in Database 11g, a feature that allows customers to natively store and manipulate XML data. When Oracle launched its marketing campaign for 11g in July, company officials said the support for binary XML was added to offer customers a choice of XML storage options to match their specific application and performance requirements.
The release of Viper 2 comes in tandem with DB2 Warehouse 9.5, which leverages DB2 9.5s new automation features and includes a host of new capabilities of its own, including embedded OLAP (online analytic processing) and embedded analytics for unstructured information.
Click here to read more about Viper 2.
DB2 Viper 2 also includes a number of automated features, such as autonomic memory management and integrated automated failover and backup, aimed at simplifying system setup and slash downtime. In addition, DB2 9.5 offers compliance features and tools modeled after the audit and encryption capabilities employed by DB2 on IBM System z.
Pricing will start at $50.25 per processor value unit or $170 per user, with a minimum of five users, for DB2 9.5 Express. DB2 9.5 Express-C will be available as a no-charge download with optional yearly support at $2,995 per server, company officials said.
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