Where is my DB2 Control Center?

Recently I was reading the DB2 for Linux, Unix, Windows version 9.7 (DB2 for LUW 9.7) product overview when I noticed a section on deprecated features. What caught my eye was the title, "Control Center tools and DB2 administration server (DAS)." This section says that, starting with DB2 for LUW version 9.7, the Control Center tools and DAS have been deprecated and might be removed in future releases. Also noted is the availability of a new suite of GUI tools for managing DB2 for LUW.

These features have been dropped:
• Activity Monitor
• Command Editor
• Configuration Assistant
• Control Center and associated wizards and advisors
• Control Center plug-in extensions
• DB2 administration server (DAS)
• Event Analyzer
• Health Center
• Indoubt Transaction Monitor
• Journal
• License Center
• Memory Visualizer
• Query Patroller Center
• Replication Center
• Satellite Administration Center
• Task Center

The replacement for Control Center is a suite of products that IBM wants customers to purchase under the brand Optim. The link provided at the bottom of the product overview page takes you to a section that describes these products.

Another option is IBM Data Studio. This no-charge offering provides a basic set of tools for database development and administration. IBM Data Studio is packaged as either a stand-alone install or with a development IDE. The difference is the stand-alone does not include SQLJ, Data Web Services or XML development.

From a DB2 object management perspective, IBM Data Studio is limited. When I tried it, I could create a table space, but I couldn't manage it. And I couldn't stop, start, alter, unload, load or run utilities like imagecopy and reorg -- I could do all of these things with Control Center. However, for development you still have the ability to create a table and edit the contents of the table.

So what do you think of this change in IBM’s direction? Please register your opinion in Comments.

Comments

[Peter]

Dropping DB2 Control Center (free, albeit a little slow and buggy) and not giving us another free tool that does not have the same functionality is a real nice corporate money making strategy :)
DB2 LUW was getting some market share from Oracle because it was cheaper to deploy and manage; strategies like this will ensure that the playing field is level again.
I have the same gripe with LUW compression where you gotta buy a separate license to enable compression. Looks like sales people and finance managers rule the roost at IBM.

[david tolleson]

Actually, the DB2 Information Center's statement about the Control Center is too general and should have been more specific. For example, the Replication Center is not deprecated, dropped, or any other d-word that makes it sound like it's going away :) Instead, it's just the opposite. If you check the What's New under Replication and Event Publishing, you'll see that the Replication Center was actually enhanced for 9.7:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v9r7/topic/com.ibm.swg.im.iis.prod.repl.rel.info.doc/topics/iiypriiireplv97.html

One of the reasons for this is that nothing has been added to Optim or Data Studio to support IBM's data replication technologies for DB2. Obviously, there is a desire to do so :) but until it happens, we aren't likely to deprecate or drop the Replication Center.

Thanks,
Product Manager,
InfoSphere Replication Server
(Q+SQL Replication)

[Keith]

Personally, I cringe every time I have to open any Java/Eclipse-based programs/solutions. Just now, I waited an entire 1.5 minutes just for Data Studio to open. I had to check task manager just to make sure something was happening. For me, usability with these apps is difficult. There seems to be a learning curve just to use Java-based interfaces...

I am glad to see Control Center go. It was terrible when I first used it 5 years ago.

I always wanted to see IBM create a tool that would graphically show me how my database is running like other tools do. I can do the math and write a bunch of scripts, but sometimes you just want a quick answer. Similar to Quest's Spotlight on DB2, but more awesome.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1435473604]

It's a very foolish (stupid) decision that a customer must pay for using a graphical tool (Optim) to efficiently manage DB2 (Example: Performance Expert!).

IBM should learn from Microsoft. Each new version of SQL Server brings more facilities and administrative functions, improving the work and productivity of DBA (all tools are included with the purchase of a license and should not be paid separately)

http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/manageability.aspx

Other examples: Teradata, MySQL, Oracle ... IBM in the opposite market.

[Curt Cotner]

I think there is a fairly big misunderstanding of the strategy and direction in your summary above. Yes, IBM has announced the intent to remove Control Center from the DB2 product. Yes, it is IBM's intent to replace Control Center with a combination of the free Data Studio product and some enhanced Optim products that are for fee. However, all those pieces are not yet in place, which is why Control Center is still supported and part of the DB2 product. We won't take the final step of removing Control Center until our customers have a viable replacement story.

Some of the items you've listed are going to remain no-charge and will likely be integrated into Data Studio. Others will be converted to chargeable Optim products, but when we do that we will add significant new function that will hopefully convince our customers that they are getting good value for the price. Final details on all this have not been formally announced by IBM, so it would not be appropriate for me to go into further details in this forum.

Regards,
Curt Cotner
VP and CTO of IBM Database Technology

[carlos]

Tell you where I'm bothered. the control center product...worked for me in some shape for or fashion. What's most disturbing is that IBM has not learned from the other open systems vendor, Free, is always good. A rich wealth of features to help manage a system, and some minor things with tweaks are always good. The pricing strategy is the killer. flat fee the software and you would be in better shape than you are now. Now you've opened up competition for the likes of a BMC and a quest. Not Strategically thinking...

[Bala Sengodan]

Control center and Configuration Assistant are very good. Using configuration assistant, configuring a remote database and creating the ODBC source are very neet.

Data Studio is painful. It is too complex. No clear instruction for many functionalities available in data studio.