Answers to the 20 most asked questions about Amazon RDS for Db2

adminApril 9, 2024

The new Amazon Relational Database Service for Db2 (Amazon RDS) service allows customers to migrate their existing self-managed Db2 databases to the cloud and accelerate their strategic modernization initiatives. A recent webcast brought together IBM, AWS, customers, and partners for an interactive session. In this session:

IBM and AWS discussed the benefits and features of this new fully managed service, covering availability, security, backup, migration, and more.
AWS ran a live demo to show you how to get started with just a few clicks.
A panel of IBM champions, customers, and partners such as Profile Centevo and The Fillmore Group discussed their experiences using Amazon RDS for Db2 and modernization use cases.

Let’s take a look at the top 20 questions we’ve received about Amazon RDS for Db2 from audiences, customers, and partners alike.

Normally

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

answer: Amazon RDS for Db2 supports Db2 LUW v11.5.9 for Db2 Standard Edition and Advanced Edition. Future versions of Db2 will be added to the service as they become available.

2. How does Db2 differentiate itself from other engines in RDS and what are its unique features?

answer: Along with standard RDS features, Amazon RDS for Db2 supports key Db2 features such as row- and column-organized tables for mixed and analytical workloads, Adaptive Workload Optimizer for better resource management, and rule-based access control for advanced data protection. do. It also supports existing configurations such as using stored procedures (PL/SQL and Java based) with the ability to change database parameters and registry variables through DBADM access.

3. How can I find out about new features or planned technology updates for RDS for Db2? Where can I provide feedback?

answer: To share product feedback and learn more about new features or technology updates planned for Amazon RDS for Db2, contact your IBM or AWS representative to schedule a meeting with an IBM Db2 expert.

4. Can I use Amazon RDS for Db2 to run data warehousing workloads?

answer: Yes, Amazon RDS for Db2 can support analytics workloads, but it is not a data warehouse. Amazon RDS for Db2 supports single-node transactional, mixed, and analytical workloads. Db2 Warehouse, a cloud-based data warehouse for real-time operational analytics, business intelligence (BI), reporting, and machine learning (ML), is also available as a fully managed service on AWS to support your data warehousing needs.

scalability

5. What is the maximum size for Amazon RDS for Db2 instances? For example, how much CPU, memory, and storage do you need?

answer: Instances can scale up to 128 vCPUs and 4 TB of memory using RDS for Db2. Please see the Amazon RDS for Db2 pricing page for supported instances.

6. Is there a limit to the number of databases an instance can host?

answer:We currently support one Db2 database per instance. If you need to host multiple databases per instance, contact your IBM or AWS representative to discuss your requirements and request a proof of concept.

7. Does Amazon RDS for Db2 support 32KB page size?

answer:Yes, Amazon RDS for Db2 supports 32KB page size.

8. Is Auto Scaling available for Amazon RDS for Db2?

answer:You can use automatic storage expansion to automatically scale based on usage. You can also set threshold limits for automated storage expansion. Scale your computing at the touch of a button.

high availability

9. What solutions does Amazon RDS for Db2 provide for automatic failover, such as Db2 HADR?

answer: Amazon RDS for Db2 uses Multi-AZ for HA across Availability Zones (AZs). Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployments provide increased availability and durability for database instances with SLAs of up to 99.95%, making them a natural fit for production database workloads. When you provision a Multi-AZ database instance, Amazon RDS synchronously replicates data to the standby instance in a different Availability Zone (AZ).

10. How does Multi-AZ failover work?

answer: If a planned or unplanned DB instance outage is caused by an infrastructure fault, if you have Multi-AZ enabled, Amazon RDS automatically switches to a standby replica in another AZ. The time it takes for the failover to complete depends on database activity and other conditions that cause the primary DB instance to become unavailable. Failover time is typically 60 to 120 seconds.

Backup and Restore

11. At what level are snapshot-based backups performed?

answer: Backups in Amazon RDS for Db2 are performed at the storage level. By default, automatic backups of your DB instance are securely stored in Amazon S3 for a retention period that you specify. You can also create snapshots, which are user-initiated backups of your instance that remain until explicitly deleted. You are billed only for incremental storage usage, and you can create a new DB instance by restoring your DB instance to any point in time during the backup retention period. Restoring a database instance can be done through the AWS console or command line interface.

12. How do archived logs apply to point-in-time restore?

answer: Snapshots are called storage-level backups. When automatic backups are enabled, snapshots are created every 24 hours and archive logs are created every 5 minutes. Archive logs for PITR are available. You can also take manual snapshots as needed.

13. Does a snapshot-based backup solution support activities such as redirected backups that commonly occur at different levels of environments, from production to test?

answer: When migrating between production and test environments, you can restore snapshot backups to a new Amazon RDS for Db2 instance.

Database Management, Monitoring and Tools

14. What monitoring options are available for RDS for Db2?

answer : Amazon RDS for Db2 provides built-in monitoring and health checks for service operation. This includes monitoring metrics with publishing capabilities and alerts or notifications based on log collection. RDS for Db2 supports integration with CloudWatch, RDS Enhanced Monitoring, and IBM Data Management Console.

15. Can I monitor and manage my Amazon RDS instances from IBM Data Management Console?

answer: Yes, you can monitor databases in RDS for Db2 using the IBM Data Management Console.

16. How do I migrate on-premises AIX/Db2 to Amazon RDS? Can you continue to capture data for continuous updating?

answer: You can migrate from Db2 on AIX to Amazon RDS for Db2 using the Db2 Migration Tool (Db2MT) or AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS).

17. For data replication, what is the scalable and optimal tool that can be used to replicate Db2 on-premises to Amazon RDS for Db2?

answer : You can use IBM Q® Replication to move data between Db2 on-premises and Amazon RDS for Db2.

Distribution and Licensing

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

answer: You can take your existing Db2 Standard and Advanced Edition VPC-based licenses and use them with Amazon RDS for Db2. Contact your IBM representative to discuss using your Db2 license with Amazon RDS.

19. How is license consumption reported when I use the “Import existing license” option?

answerr: RDS for Db2 requires the use of AWS License Manager, which reports similarly to the ILMT tool. Please contact your IBM or AWS representative to discuss this in more detail.

20. What is the monthly cost to run Amazon RDS for Db2 using primary and secondary instances in two AZs?

Answer: For RDS Multi-AZ pricing, see the Amazon RDS for Db2 pricing page.