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DB2® refers to the IBM family of information management software products, and, more specifically, to the IBM relational database management system. As background, note that in the 1970s, IBM worked on a seminal experimental database management system named System Relational, or System R, that influenced many later relational systems. System R is discussed further in the IBM Systems Journal paper “System R: An architectural overview,” by M. W. Blasgen et al. (Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 41-62, 1981). In 1982, IBM first gave the name DB2 to its Database Management System. DB2 is now available on a range of platforms that include UNIX™, Linux™, and Windows™ systems as well as on the IBM System z™.
This paper provides an overview of DB2 and describes its major features. It also provides an overview of architectural considerations and of the relationship of the product with the host operating system MVS™. Finally, the authors give a view of the implementation by carefully following the flow of a database request. Today, DB2 represents a portfolio of information management products, with far-reaching and worldwide application. DB2 is optimized for the rapidly growing clustered server market that focuses on high availability and disaster recovery. Today, more than 60 million DB2 users from 425,000 companies worldwide rely on IBM DB2 Information Management Solutions.
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