Accessing mainframe DB2 databases via DB2 Connect from Linux

[RobJ]

I'm trying to configure DataStage 7.5.1A Enterprise on a Linux (SLES 9) server.

I think I'm pretty much there, but I want to clarify whether it's supposed to be possible to read data from mainframe DB2 using the DB2 UDB Enterprise Stage, or whether I'm limited to the DB2 UDB/API Stage when accessing mainframe DB2 databases?

Does anyone know for sure?

I'm currently getting the following message:

Error executing View Data command:

##F TNDB 000228 18:09:48(001) <main_program> Fatal Error: APT_DB2Utils::dbversion:unrecognized version string: `DSN07011'.

Rob

[track_star]

The DB2 EE operator will not connect to mainframe DB2. You have to use the ODBC EE operator or the DB2 API stage.

[RobJ]

The DB2 EE operator will not connect to mainframe DB2. You have to use the ODBC EE operator or the DB2 API stage.

Thanks track_star. Are there any benefits to using the ODBC EE Stage rather than the DB2 UDB/API Stage?

[rhys.jones@target.com]

Our experience is you get marginally better performance using the API stage vs. the ODBC stage. ODBC also won't do an automatic failover, so your jobs stop functioning if your mainframe suddenly loses an LPAR, whereas DB2Connect can support high availability.

Probably the nicest thing about the API stage is it's less administration. With ODBC, you have to setup the DSN connect string every stinking time you have a new database and it becomes challenging keeping all the DSN names organized and tracked. DB2Connect does all the cataloging of the logical names for you.

[mangrick]

Rob,

can you tell me whether you were able to design a sparse look up under this configuration.

We have a similar situation DS EE 7.5.1.A on AIX and a DB2 V8 on mainframe.

Since the DB2 API stage does not support sparse lookups in this configuration we switched to EE ODBC stage. However the sparse lookup doesn't work either.

In the log file the job writes the following ...

Lookup_53,0: [DataDirect][ODBC DB2 Wire Protocol driver][UDB DB2 for OS/390 and z/OS]INVALID SECTION NUMBER 201
Lookup_53,0: Failure during execution of operator logic.

Did anyone else manage to do a sparse lookup against a DB2 V8 on mainframe?

Thankful for every hint.

Mathias

[RobJ]

Rob,

can you tell me whether you were able to design a sparse look up under this configuration.


Did anyone else manage to do a sparse lookup against a DB2 V8 on mainframe?

Mathias,

We haven't tried to do a sparse lookup from DataStage on Linux or AIX using the ODBC EE Stage. Our main execution platform is DataStage under USS (i.e. on the mainframe). In that environment, we have done sparse lookups successfully via the DB2 EE Stage, but clearly that's not available to you on AIX.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Rob.

[rhys.jones@target.com]

Yes, the sparse lookup is possible via the enterprise stage, but only when going against a non-mainframe UDB/DB2. You can only connect to mainframe using the API stage (unless on USS), which doesn't support sparse lookup.

The trick on an AIX or Sun platform is that you have to make sure that all the DB2 nodes that are configured in your config file are included in your DB2NODES.CFG file. For some reason the operators of the sparse lookup validate the nodes in that file, but don't when doing a normal lookup.