IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ enhancements

The IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ contains a number of major enhancements for the Db2 version 11.1 base product, its mod packs, and its fix packs. Each fix pack for a release is cumulative; that is, a particular fix pack contains the enhancements and new features that were included in previous fix packs.

11.1 enhancements

In Db2 version 11.1, the following enhancements are available in Version 3.71 or Version 4.21 of the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ. Version 3.71 contains functions from Version 3.0 or earlier. Version 4.21 contains functions from Version 4.0 or later, and Version 3.0 or earlier.
Table 1. IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ enhancements and new capabilities in 11.1
Enhancement Description
OSGi compliant bundling of driver jars

OSGi compliant Db2 drivers are now available. This enables the following functionality:

  • OSGi management of the Db2 drivers.
  • More accurate dependency resolution of the drivers at install time.
  • Deployment of multiple versions of the driver into the same OSGi.
Serviceability enhancements The following serviceability enhancements have been introduced:
  • Circular tracing for driver Serviceability dumps. Event data is now dumped into two rotating files for each JVM. Files now reach a size of maximum 2MB before being recycled.
  • You can configure SQL codes with comma separated error codes.
  • You can suffix an 'n' or 'p' to SQL codes for negative and positive SQL codes respectively.
  • You must configure SQL Warnings with a "+" sign prefix or 'p' suffix.
  • Integer constants related to logging diagnostic information for error codes in the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ has been discontinued.
db2sqljcustomize enhancement for -hostLangJAVA option

You can distinguish which language a package has been created with using the genDBRM hostLangJAVA clause.
useCachedCursor property You will obtain optimal performance when this property is left unconfigured. Explicitly set the property to true or false if you desire older driver behaviour.
Compatibility with Netezza With this release, the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ offers compatibility in some key areas for driver applications written specifically for Netezza. The compatibility includes support for Netezza specific driver connection string, connection properties and DataSource APIs.
Common connection string for IBM Data Servers The driver connection URLs follow the format jdbc: <subprotocol>:<subname>, where subprotocol defines the database connectivity mechanism. With this release, the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ accepts a new subprotocol - "ibmdb" - to be specified in connection URLs. Using this subprotocol value will allow applications to connect to any of the various IBM data servers that the driver provides connectivity to. It will also ease migration of applications from one IBM data server to another without requiring any code change. The current data server specific subprotocol values continue to be supported for backward compatibility.
Layout transformations for Bi-directional (bidi) text Presently, when dealing with bi-directional texts, applications rely on custom solutions to apply appropriate layout transformations. With this release, the driver provides applications the ability to configure appropriate layout transformations that the driver applies when transmitting bidi text between the client and the server, and vice versa.
Specification of custom cipher suites for SSL connections The driver's SSL connectivity options have been enhanced to allow specification of cipher suites to be used when establishing SSL connections.

11.1 MP1 FP1 enhancements

In Db2 11.1 Mod Pack 1 and Fix Pack 1, the following enhancements are available in Version 3.72 or Version 4.22 of the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ. Version 3.72 contains functions from Version 3.0 or earlier. Version 4.22 contains functions from Version 4.0 or later, and Version 3.0 or earlier.
Table 2. IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ enhancements and new capabilities in 11.1 Mod Pack 1 and Fix Pack 1
Enhancement Description

keyUsage property

A new driver integer property, keyUsage, is introduced so that an application can enable the driver to select the digital certificate.

Preserve statement cache at rollback for Db2 for z/OS®

The dynamic statement cache, which is used by the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ to improve the performance for Java applications, can now be preserved across both commit and rollback points.

DRDA FAST LOAD for Db2 for z/OS

The IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ is enhanced to support all kinds of file formats. You no longer need to provide the delimiter type option and the zload API is enhanced to reflect the enhancements.

New function level support for Db2 for z/OS continuous delivery

The driver introduces a new proprietary API, getDatabaseFunctionalLevel, which allows applications to get the functional/build level of the server.

Encrypted user ID and password on SERVER_ENCRYPT

In the future, the driver client will be improved to extend its ability to renegotiate encrypted credentials (for example, user IDs and passwords).

11.1 MP2 FP2 enhancements

In Db2 V11.1 Mod Pack 2 and Fix Pack 2, the following enhancements are available in Version 4.23 of the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ.

Version 4.23 contains functions from Version 4.0 or later, Version 3.72 contains functions from Version 3.0 or earlier.

Table 3. IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ enhancements and new capabilities in V11.1 Mod Pack 2 and Fix Pack 2
Enhancement Description
External Table support in JCC The driver supports remote external tables through the methods execute, executeQuery, and executeUpdate of the java.sql.Statement and java.sql.PreparedStatement JDBC interfaces.

CLPPlus: The driver supports the following external table operations : create, unload and load.

It is supported with Type 4 Connectivity.
Addition of new API to return the FP level of the server
  • Support for DatabaseMetaData.getDatabaseProductVersion method to identify the data server to which an application is connected.
  • Support for DatabaseMetaData.getDatabaseProductName method to obtain additional information about the data server.
T4 connectivity enablement for IMS Allows Type 4 Connectivity in IMS environment.
Allows Type 4 Connectivity in IMS environment
  • T2 z/OS connectivity enabled to connect to a DB2 V12 server with V12 functionality.
  • Support for getDatabaseFunctionalLevel() API to get the DB2 Functional Level.
  • Enabled statement pooling in T2 z/OS environment with IMS ESAF DB2 thread pooling.
Application Development Enhancement
  • Support concurrentAccessResolution options on methods executeBatch() and executeQuery().
  • CLPPlus: Add support for sessionglobalvariables in db2dsdriver.cfg file.
  • CLPPlus : DB2 z/OS zLoad support.
Security Enhancement
  • Configurable API Client certificate store of SSL connection.
  • Configurable API for TLS protocol.
  • Kerberos constrained delegation support in JCC via DriverManager Interface. Earlier supported via data source only.

11.1 MP3 FP3 enhancements

In Db2 V11.1 Mod Pack 3 and Fix Pack 3, the following enhancements are available in Version 4.24 of the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ.

Version 4.24 contains functions from Version 4.0 or later, Version 3.72 contains functions from Version 3.0 or earlier.

Table 4. IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ enhancements and new capabilities in V11.1 Mod Pack 3 and Fix Pack 3
Enhancement Description
External Table Enhancement
  • Compression (GZIP and LG4) support.
  • New API for ExternalTable to return log and bad file name.New API for ExternalTable to return log and bad file name.
Usability Enhancement JCC to return Db2Connect version.

java -cp db2jcc4.jar com.ibm.db2.jcc.DB2Jcc -info
DB2 z/OS zLoad enhancement Support added to handle loadstmt from a file.
Security Enhancement Java Driver and CLPPlus support to authenticate through IAM server. (LUW server only)

11.1 MP4 FP4 enhancements

In Db2 V11.1 Mod Pack 4 and Fix Pack 4, the following enhancements are available in Version 4.25 of the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ.

Version 4.25 contains functions from Version 4.0 or later, Version 3.72 contains functions from Version 3.0 or earlier.

Table 5. IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ enhancements and new capabilities in V11.1 Mod Pack 4 and Fix Pack 4
Enhancement Description
Heterogeneous batch support for multi-row INSERT in SQLJ Added support for multi-row INSERT in heterogeneous batches using SQLJ.
Enhancement to the workload balancing and automatic client reroute algorithm for connections to Db2 for z/OS data servers When failover occurs, route to the group IP address.
New db2.jcc.clientApplcompat.db2.jcc.override.clientApplcompat configuration properties The clientApplcompat property can now be specified at the driver level as well as at the Connection or DataSource level.