With IBM DB2 9.7's new compatibility and enablement features, DBAs tasked with moving Oracle databases to DB2 will find out-of-the-box "enablement" functionality that streamlines tasks and fast tracks time to completion.
Running the Oracle to DB2 Enablement Trail
I was pleased to see the press release about Oracle to DB2 enablement features that were included in the DB2 9.7 LUW product.
I have had to convert a few databases myself and it wasn't a pleasant experience, either for me or for my Oracle DBA counterparts, so this was welcome news. I knew what the word “conversion” meant; I had done that, but what did the word “enablement” really mean from my DBA perspective? I brushed off my old “conversion” blinders, picked up my snazzy new “enabled, no-line bifocals”, put on my trail running sneakers and began to run the Oracle to DB2 Enablement Trail from mile Marker #10 all the way to the finish line.
At each mile marker, I stopped to enjoy the view and even took a couple of pictures. Here’s my travelogue.
Trail Marker #10
ORACLE FORMS: The trail took a bit of a twist here when I noticed some folks were using Oracle forms. Fortunately, I was able to jump over that issue since there is an automated conversion translation tool that converts these to Java while maintaining the original form’s “look and feel”.
Trail Marker #9
OCI: Another minor twist in this trail just appeared. It seems that some shops still use the Oracle Client Interface to connect to their databases. With IBM DB2 9.7 at Fixpack 1, the road ahead straightens out if you use the OCI compatible client, DB2CI. This trail is going to have to get a lot more challenging than this to stop us, but based on what I see, we will reach the finish line in record time!
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