Can any of our businesses afford to wait until we copy and consolidate data for analysis?  We can’t wait any longer to meet challenges like dynamic pricing and yield optimization.  Gartner coined the term “Data Gravity” in 2016 to help illustrate the weight of the data we have all accumulated through generations of applications, mergers, partner alliances, industry consortia and more.  The duration of the effort we make to extract and transform transactional data to populate our BI Cubes, Data Warehouses and Data Marts can force businesses to miss time-sensitive opportunities.

The best way forward is to do what was formerly unthinkable, to perform analysis on the transactional data.  We used to copy the transactional data for analysis, to make sure that the people who are counting the money didn’t get in the way of people who are making the money.  There isn’t time for that anymore.  We need to make sure both can play well together in the same data stores.  Gartner coined another term to describe this solution: Hybrid Transaction / Analytical Processing (HTAP).  IBM’s Db2 features around AI, BI, and DW have the power to solve the problem of delivering the most current information to support our businesses. 

Al Martin of IBM reviewed these powerful new and existing Db2 features for AI at the IDUG North America conference in Charlotte during June.  Al explored these new features by offering insights on how IBM approached the software, hardware and architectural requirements necessary for these successes.  Information Architecture is a cornerstone for the success of IBM’s Db2 products, including the new features around ML, AI, and DevOps.  To quote Al Martin:  “There is no AI without IA.”  

IBM Db2 for z/OS –

• IBM Db2 AI for z/OS empowers the Db2 Optimizer to determine the best query paths
  • Personally, I’m intrigued by the prospect of leveraging this kind of integration of ML, AI and Domain knowledge for real-time business performance problems.
• Self-service for DevOps and faster application development
• Db2 Analytics Accelerator – has deeper integration between Db2 and the Accelerator to provide true real-time insight from the transactional data, Integrated Synchronization technique which guarantees data coherency between Db2 for z/OS and the Accelerator

IBM Db2 11.5 for LUW (new!) – includes new features for AI, Developers, and the Enterprise

• AI features
  • ML Optimizer
  • Natural Language Query & Generation with Augmented Data Explorer
• Developer Features
  • Jupyter and Visual Studio Code framework support
  • Drivers for Python, Go, and language support
  • Code samples and code patterns to kickstart development
  • Query blockchain with Db2 SQL
• Enterprise Features
  • pureScale enhancements for improved resiliency
  • improved performance with BLU enhancements
  • external table support

Db2’s new features, built upon a strong foundation, keep making it easier to get out there and defy Data Gravity!

About Bernie O’Connor

Bernie O’Connor is an IBM Champion and a Director of IT whose other roles included Application Developer, Development Manager, DBA, DBA Manager, Technical Architecture, BI/DW/Analytics, Pricing Analytics, Computer OPS, System Programmers and Admins, Web Services, M&A and Divestitures.  Bernie is a member of the IDUG Speaker Hall of Fame, and served as IDUG North America Conference Chair (2005 – Denver), IDUG Board Member (2004-2009), and IDUG President (2007-2008).  Bernie is active in the Midwest Db2 Users Group (mwdug.org), and with the Evanta CDO conference.  Bernie’s industry experience includes Insurance, Banking, Publishing, Manufacturing and Distribution.