Top 20 most-asked questions about Amazon RDS for Db2 answered

The brand new Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for Db2 providing permits clients emigrate their present, self-managed Db2 databases to the cloud and speed up strategic modernization initiatives. In our current webcast, IBM, AWS, clients and companions got here collectively for an interactive session. On this session:  

IBM and AWS mentioned the advantages and options of this new totally managed providing spanning availability, safety, backups, migration and extra.

AWS ran a dwell demo to indicate the best way to get began in just some clicks.

A panel of IBM Champions, shoppers and companions resembling Profile Centevo and The Fillmore Group mentioned their experiences utilizing Amazon RDS for Db2 and their modernization use instances.

Let’s look at the highest 20 questions on Amazon RDS for Db2 that we’ve acquired from our viewers, clients and companions alike: 

Basic

1. What variations and editions of Db2 are supported on Amazon RDS for Db2?

Reply: Amazon RDS for Db2 helps Db2 LUW v11.5.9 for Db2 Commonplace Version and Superior Version. Future variations of Db2 might be added to the service as they develop into out there.

2. How does Db2 differentiate from different engines on RDS, and what are its distinctive options?

Reply: Together with normal RDS options, Amazon RDS for Db2 helps key Db2 options, resembling row and column organized tables for combined and analytic workloads, the Adaptive Workload Optimizer to for higher useful resource administration, and rules-based entry controls for superior knowledge safety. Additionally, it helps present configurations, resembling the usage of saved procedures (PL/SQL and Java-based), with the power to vary database parameters and registry variables with DBADM entry.

3. How can I discover out about new options or deliberate technical updates for RDS for Db2? The place can I present suggestions?

Reply: To share suggestions on the product and study extra about new options or technical updates deliberate for Amazon RDS for Db2, join together with your IBM or AWS consultant to guide a gathering with IBM Db2 consultants. 

4. Can Amazon RDS for Db2 be used for operating knowledge warehousing workloads?

Reply: Sure, Amazon RDS for Db2 can help analytics workloads, however it isn’t a knowledge warehouse. Amazon RDS for Db2 helps single-node transactional, combined and analytics workloads. Db2 Warehouse, our cloud-native knowledge warehouse for real-time operational analytics, enterprise intelligence (BI), reporting and machine studying (ML), can also be out there as a completely managed service on AWS to help buyer’s knowledge warehousing wants. 

Scalability

5. What’s the most scale of an Amazon RDS for Db2 occasion? For instance, how a lot CPU, reminiscence and storage are wanted?

Reply: Situations can scale as much as 128 vCPUs and 4 TB of reminiscence with RDS for Db2. Check with the Amazon RDS for Db2 pricing web page for situations supported.

6. Are there any constraints on the variety of databases that may be hosted on an occasion?

Reply: At present, we help one Db2 database per occasion. For those who require internet hosting a number of databases per occasion, join with an IBM or AWS consultant to debate your wants and request a proof of idea.

7. Does Amazon RDS for Db2 help 32 KB Web page dimension?

Reply: Sure, Amazon RDS for Db2 helps 32 KB web page dimension.

8. Is autoscaling out there for Amazon RDS for Db2?

Reply: You should utilize automated storage scaling to robotically scale primarily based in your utilization. You may also set a threshold restrict for automated storage scaling. Compute scaling could be accomplished with a push of a button.

Excessive availability

9. What options does Amazon RDS for Db2 present for auto failovers, resembling Db2 HADR?

Reply: Amazon RDS for Db2 makes use of Multi-AZ for HA between availability zones (AZs). Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments present enhanced availability and sturdiness for database situations with an SLA of as much as 99.95%, making them a pure match for manufacturing database workloads. If you provision a Multi-AZ database occasion, Amazon RDS synchronously replicates your knowledge to a standby occasion in a unique availability zone (AZ).

10. How does Multi-AZ failover work?

Reply: If a deliberate or unplanned outage of your DB occasion outcomes from an infrastructure defect, Amazon RDS robotically switches to a standby reproduction in one other AZ if in case you have turned on Multi-AZ. The time it takes for the failover to finish relies on the database exercise and different circumstances when the first DB occasion turned unavailable. Failover instances are usually 60 to 120 seconds.

Backup and restore

11. At what degree are snapshot-based backups taken?

Reply: Backups in Amazon RDS for Db2 are taken on the storage degree. By default, automated backups of your DB occasion are securely saved in Amazon S3 for a user-specified retention interval. Additionally, you’ll be able to create snapshots, that are user-initiated backups of your occasion saved till explicitly deleted. You’re billed just for incremental storage use, and you may restore your DB occasion to any particular time through the backup retention interval, creating a brand new DB occasion. Restoring your database occasion could be accomplished by means of the AWS Console or Command Line Interface.

12. How are archived logs utilized for point-in-time restore?

Reply: We check with snapshots as storage-level backups. When automated backups are enabled, snapshots are taken each 24 hours, and archive logs are taken each 5 minutes. You’ll be able to use the archive logs for PITR. Additionally, you’ll be able to take guide snapshots as wanted. 

13. Will snapshot-based backup options help actions like redirected backups, that are frequent between completely different surroundings ranges, resembling manufacturing to check?

Reply: You’ll be able to restore a snapshot backup to a brand new Amazon RDS for Db2 occasion when migrating between manufacturing and testing environments.

Database administration, monitoring and instruments

14. What monitoring choices can be found for RDS for Db2?

Reply: Amazon RDS for Db2 offers built-in monitoring and well being checks to function the service. This consists of capabilities for alarming or notifying primarily based on monitoring metrics and log assortment with publishing capabilities. RDS for Db2 helps integrations with CloudWatch, RDS Enhanced Monitoring and the IBM Knowledge Administration Console.

15. Will we be capable to monitor and handle the Amazon RDS situations from the IBM Knowledge Administration Console?

Reply: Sure, you should utilize the IBM Knowledge Administration Console to observe databases on RDS for Db2.

16. How do I migrate on-premises AIX/Db2 to Amazon RDS? Can knowledge seize for steady updates nonetheless be carried out?

Reply: You should utilize the Db2 Migration Software (Db2MT) or the AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) emigrate from Db2 on AIX to Amazon RDS for Db2. 

17. For knowledge replication, what can be the scalable and optimum device to make use of for replicating Db2 on-premises to Amazon RDS for Db2?

Reply: You should utilize IBM Q® replication to maneuver knowledge between Db2 on-premises and Amazon RDS for Db2. 

Deployment and licensing

18. How are Db2 licenses used with Amazon RDS for Db2?

Reply: You’ll be able to convey your present Db2 Commonplace and Superior Version VPC-based licenses to make use of in Amazon RDS for Db2. Contact your IBM consultant in case you’d like to debate the best way to use your Db2 licenses in Amazon RDS. 

19. With the “convey your individual license” possibility, how is license consumption reported?

Reply: RDS for Db2 requires the usage of the AWS License Supervisor, which stories equally to the ILMT device. Contact your IBM or AWS consultant in case you’d like to debate this additional.

20. What can be the month-to-month value of operating Amazon RDS for Db2 with main and secondary situations in two AZs?

Reply: Check with the Amazon RDS for Db2 pricing web page for RDS Multi-AZ pricing.