When to Use IBM® Distributed Database Connection Services® (DDCS)

DDCS has been replaced by DB2 Connect™ Personal Edition and DB2 Connect™ Enterprise Edition.

The following information is provided for environments which may not yet have acquired these connectivity packages.

When connecting to DB2® for MVS/ESA, DB2® for VSE and VM(SQL/DS), or DB2® for IBM® i, you can use DDCS. DDCS can also be used to connect to any other DB2® server but it is more direct and efficient to connect from the local machine using the Administration Client directly to the DB2® server.

It does not matter where DDCS is installed as long as the Domino® server machine can connect to the DDCS machine through TCP/IP, SPX, or any other DB2-supported protocol.

Refer to the DDCS Install/Configuration document for instructions and software requirements. Connections to external systems may require additional communications software.

Sample Steps for Using DDCS

This example illustrates how DDCS works with the server. For this example, assume the following parameters:

  • The server is running on a Microsoft™ Windows™ computer named NP1.
  • The NP1 computer has the DB2® Administration client for Windows™ installed and will connect to the DDCS workstation using TCP/IP.
  • DDCS is installed on an AIX® machine named DB2GW.
  • Connectivity to a DB2® database on the MVS™ machine MVS1 is desired and will be made through APPC.

Here are the steps:

  1. The connectivity between DB2GW and MVS1 must be established though DB2GWs IBM® Communications Server and MVS1's VTAM®. The details of this configuration and configuration at the MVS™ host are not covered here; refer to the DDCS Install/Configuration manual for information.
  2. MVS1s node and database is cataloged at the DDCS machine. The following commands are issued to catalog the remote node and database: 
    CATALOG APPC NODE db2node REMOTE db2pic SECURITY PROGRAM

    In this example, db2node is a name you pick to refer to this host, db2pic is the Symbolic Destination Name you defined when you configured MVS1 in the IBM® Communications Server.

    CATALOG DATABASE db2db AS mydb AT NODE db2node AUTHENTICATION DCS

    In this example, db2db is the MVS™ database name, mydb is the database alias, and db2node is the node defined in the previous command.

  3. The services file on the DDCS machine (DB2GW) is modified to include an entry for a database instance (inst1c) and an interrupt connection (inst1i). The following DB2® command must be used. It tells the database manager to listen for connections to the instance from remote clients to the instance.
    UPDATE DATABASE MANAGER CONFIGURATION USING SVCENAME inst1c
  4. The environment variable DB2COMM is set to TCPIP. DDCS is started with the operating system command DB2START.
  5. Connectivity from NP1 is established through the DB2® Administration Client by defining the target database:
    CATALOG TCPIP NODE gw1 REMOTE db2gw SERVER inst1c
CATALOG DATABASE mydb AS mvsdb2 AT NODE gw1

    In this example, gw1 is the alias that will refer to the DDCS gateway and will be used by the server, db2gw is the TCP/IP name of the DDCS Gateway machine, and inst1c is the service name defined in step 3. The mydb alias is defined in step 2; mvsdb2 is the alias that will be used by IBM® Lotus Enterprise Integrator® (LEI).