Question & Answer
Question
How to understand the version details of JCC driver?
Which Db2 Connect and fix pack release corresponds to JCC version?
What is a Special Build?
What is a Debug/Temporary Build?
What is an iFix release
What is a T2zos PTF build?
What is a T2zos USS build?
What are the different JCC Binary types for LUW platform?
What are the different binary types for z/OS platform?
Answer
How to understand the version details of JCC driver?:
IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ also known as Db2 JDBC or JCC driver or Db2 Java driver.
JCC driver version format is <Major>.<Minor>.<Build number> e.g. 4.29.24
Major = 4, Major represents the JDBC Specification standard. (JDBC 4 Specification)
Minor = 29, Minor represents the mod/feature release to align with Db2 Connect release.
Build number = 24, This is an incremental build number and represents the Fix pack release or the Special build.
Build number = 24, This is an incremental build number and represents the Fix pack release or the Special build.
Which Db2 Connect and fix pack release corresponds to JCC version?
JCC for LUW platform is aligned with Db2Connect release, for both mod and fix pack releases.
Please refer below link for correspondence between each version of JCC driver with Db2 Connect version.
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/db2-jdbc-driver-versions-and-downloads
e.g.
Db2Connect 11.1 M3 FP3 is a mod release where the JCC version is JCC 4.24.92
Db2Connect 11.1 M4 FP4 is the next mod release where the JCC version is JCC 4.25.13
With the new mod release the Minor number changed from 24 to 25 in above example.
With the new mod release the Minor number changed from 24 to 25 in above example.
Db2Connect 11.1 M4 FP5 is the Fix pack release on M4 where JCC version is 4.25.23.
Db2Connect 11.1 M4 FP6 is the Fix pack release on M4 where JCC version is 4.25.25.
With the new fix pack release for the same mod release(M4), only the Build number changes.
After a Mod release, if there are APAR fixes added in the same release then the build number increases. When it is planned to make a fix pack release, the JCC driver release contains all the APAR fixes between the last fix pack and the current fix pack.
What is a Special Build?
When customer finds any bug in the mod/fix pack release of the driver, one APAR is created and a fixed driver with the new Build number will be provided to customer. E.g 4.25.24 i.e the build number incremented from actual release build number 23 to 24.
These are known as the Special builds. These are provided to customer through the PMR channel by L2 support. Build number is an incremental number based on the number of Special builds prepared in sequence.
Note: Special builds are always prepared on top of the last Special build made i.e SBs on a JCC version are always cumulative.
e.g.
If two customer issues were reported in the release of JCC 4.25.23, for one customer a fix made in 4.25.24 as Special build, then for the other customer issue, the Special build will be 4.25.25 which must contain the first fix provided as Special build.
A fix pack release is a Build with one or more APAR fixes (Special build). The latest driver present on the <Major>.<Minor> e.g 4.25 during the fix pack release will be treated as the fix pack release number. e.g 4.25.25.
What is a Debug/temporary Build?
While fixing a customer defect, due to specific reason, it is needed to validate the fix in customer test/production environment before preparing a Special build for customer. These drivers are for verification purpose only and are called Debug/Temporary builds.
While providing a debug build it is advised that after the verification completes, the debug driver should be replaced with an official Special/Fix pack build. Debug builds are built on intermediate code base which are not tracked once the issue is fixed and merged into Special/Fix pack Build.
The Debug build driver Build Number is an incremental on (multiple of thousand) the current Build number. e.g if customer is provided a Debug build on JCC driver version 4.25.23, the debug build version should be 4.25.1023 or 4.24.2023 etc, based on the number of debug builds provided.
The Debug build driver Build Number is an incremental on (multiple of thousand) the current Build number. e.g if customer is provided a Debug build on JCC driver version 4.25.23, the debug build version should be 4.25.1023 or 4.24.2023 etc, based on the number of debug builds provided.
What is an iFix release?
Immediately after a mod release, there may be a release with some very urgent or critical fixes known as the iFixes.
As the mod number of mod release and the iFix release is same, the only change is in the Build number. The Build number of the iFix release is appended with the iFix number.
e.g.
11.1 M4 FP4 iFix 1 has the JCC version number as 4.25.1301, where 4.25.13 is the jcc version for v11.1 M4 FP4
The appended ‘01’ represents as the iFix release on the mod release 4.25.13.
The appended ‘01’ represents as the iFix release on the mod release 4.25.13.
What is a T2zos PTF build?
PTF are the binaries generated based on a z/OS APAR also known as the SMPE builds for the Db2 z/OS.
You may please refer below link for details of JCC driver version for Db2 on z/OS APAR/PTFs:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm%C2%AE-data-server-driver-jdbc-and-sqlj-versions-and-db2%C2%AE-zos%C2%AE-apars
Customers mostly using a T2 z/OS connectivity using the PTF builds in the z/OS client.
After a Db2Connect release, based on a z/OS APAR, PTFs are built. JCC version of PTF are not same as the Db2Connect release. During the PTF build, if there are Special builds already made with defect fixes, the same driver is used for the z/OS build.
e.g.
After 11.1 M4 FP4 mod release (JCC 4.25.13) the PTF built on the same as 4.25.14 (PH05977/UI60494).
The Build number changed because there is one Special build (4.25.14) that exists on 4.25 already during the PTF build.
Note:
The Build number changed because there is one Special build (4.25.14) that exists on 4.25 already during the PTF build.
Note:
There is NO special build possible as PTF format on any older PTF builds. The PTF build is always on top of the last PTF build.
e.g.
After the 4.25.14, the next PTF build is 4.25.17 or 4.25.21, 4.26.16 etc.
A PTF cannot be built on any previous PTF.
e.g.
e.g.
After the PTF built on 4.26.16 (PH17211/UI65729), even though there are Db2Connect fix pack release (11.1. M4 FP5(4.25.23), 11.1 M4 Fp6 (4.25.25)) on JCC, it is not possible to build any PTF on those releases because 4.26.16 is a latest build than the 4.25.* releases.
But as applicable, the defects fixed in the fix pack release can be added to the JCC build, built on last PTF and a new PTF can be prepared on top of it.
But as applicable, the defects fixed in the fix pack release can be added to the JCC build, built on last PTF and a new PTF can be prepared on top of it.
e.g.
4.26.18(PH22490/UI68263) built on top of 4.26.16 (PH17211/UI65729), may contain the fixes that are either encountered newly or the same fixes are added in fix pack release (11.1. M4 FP5(4.25.23) or 11.1 M4 Fp6 (4.25.25)).
What is T2zos USS build?
T2zos USS builds are based on Unix system services file system. These are not in PTF or SMPE formats.
As these are USS format, these needs a manual effort to replace the files in USS. Unlike the PTF build, there is NO restriction in USS build to provide a Special build on older releases. It follows the same principles of Special/Debug build mentioned above.
What are the different JCC Binary types for LUW platform?
For LUW platforms, there are three types of releases available, viz, Mod, Fix pack and iFix releases and two types of un-released binaries available, viz, Special build and Debug build.
What are the different binary types for z/OS platform?
For z/OS platform, there is one type of SMPE releases available, viz, PTF and two types of un-released USS binaries available, viz, Special build and Debug build.
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Document Information
Modified date:
14 July 2021
UID
ibm16471511