IBM Puts Extra Barbs in 'Stinger' for LinuxWorld

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While speed and performance are considered requisite constants in the realm of database software, major vendors aim to keep their products fresh by adding new features.

On the strength of that notion, IBM is poised to unveil a few new features to its next-generation Universal Database next week at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in New York City. Fittingly, the new offerings are geared for the open-source operating system, Linux.

Code-named “Stinger,” the revised DB2 code will help customers build better Linux clusters. One of these, DB2 Partition Advisor, can be used to split up and boost the performance of databases over many servers in minutes instead of weeks.

No other database vendor has an autonomic tool such as this directly integrated with a database, according to Gary Schneider, Director, Linux Business Development, IBM Information Management.

Stinger, which will appear as DB2 8 late in 2004, is also supporting IBM’s 64-bit POWER platform, which will be
unveiled next week at LinuxWorld, Schneider told internetnews.com.

While IBM currently makes xSeries 64-bit platforms based on Intel chips, the 64-bit Power platform is geared for demanding workloads such as in Linux clustersand will be available in IBM pSeries and iSeries servers. Those interested in previewing DB2 support for Power can begin to request participation on Jan. 21.

Lastly, Schneider said new Stinger features support version 2.6 of the Linux kernel, which he said will help IBM’s database clusters scale higher and perform faster.

IBM continues to see momentum in the Linux database space as the operating system becomes increasingly equipped to handle enterprise-class applications. For IBM, more than 1,000 customers and partners deployed DB2 on Linux, a key stat as IBM looks to drown out the talk of rival database products such as Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle 10G, and even open-source databases such as MySQL.

Generally, the market for running database servers on Linux is expected to vault past $3.4 billion 2004, according to research firm IDC.

IBM has a penchant for gradually taking the wraps off its forthcoming database software at major events.

Stinger’s last new features were unveiled at Microsoft’s Professional Developer’s Conference in Los Angeles in October. Those tools help programmers simplify and automate the development of Microsoft .NET applications.