Using an IBM Db2 database

If you want to use an IBM Db2 database, ensure that the database is installed and configured for use with WebSphere Commerce. If you want to use a remote database, then ensure that the Db2 client is installed before you install WebSphere Commerce.

Before you begin

Review the following requirements and limitations:
  • If you are planning on using the Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for Db2, the IBM Db2 Database license that is provided with WebSphere Commerce cannot be used due to licensing limitations.

    To use DB2 Database on Amazon RDS, you must contact IBM or an authorized reseller to obtain a license with a unique IBM Customer Number and Site Number.

    For more information on Db2 on Amazon RDS, see Getting started with new Amazon RDS for Db2 on the AWS News Blog.

  • The Db2 registry variable Db2_COMPATIBILITY_VECTOR is not supported.
  • Ensure that you have the appropriate Db2 level installed.

    You can check your version of Db2 database by issuing the following command from a Db2 command line: db2level.

  • If you are using a remote database, install the appropriate Db2 client to access the remote Db2 database.
  • Your existing Db2 database installation must be Db2 Enterprise Server Edition Version 10.5 Fix Pack 5 or later.
  • WebSphere Commerce Version 8.0.1.0 or laterIf you are on WebSphere Commerce Version 8 Mod Pack 1 or later, you can choose upgrade your existing IBM Db2 Version 10.5 database to IBM Db2 Enterprise Server Edition Version 11.1 or a later 11.1 Fix Pack. For more information about upgrading to Version 11.1, see Upgrading runtime environments to use IBM Db2 Version 11.1.
    Note: IBM Db2 Version 11. includes new optimization and has different performance characteristics designed to support high load environments with high concurrency.

For more information about the recommended level of Db2 to use, see Recommended software, fixes, and settings for WebSphere Commerce Version 8.0.

Procedure

  1. LinuxAIX Create the user IDs that are needed by WebSphere Commerce as outlined in Creating WebSphere Commerce users and groups.
    For information about how to create user IDs and groups, see your operating system documentation.

    Ensure that you set the passwords for the database user ID, since it can be possible to create the user ID without a password. If this database user ID does not have a password, WebSphere Commerce might not function correctly. When you specify a Db2 password, ensure that it meets the naming restrictions for WebSphere Commerce databases. If restricted characters are used in database passwords, you might encounter connection errors when you use utilities that take these passwords as input on the command line.

    Note: Some characters might correspond to special characters on certain operating systems and therefore must be escaped. For example, on UNIX, the $ character must be escaped like this character: \$
  2. LinuxAIX Add the Db2 Fenced user group to the list of groups that are associated with the WebSphere Commerce non-root user ID.
    For example, if you are using wasuser as your WebSphere Commerce non-root user ID, add that user to the db2fgrp1 group.
  3. LinuxAIX Add the Db2 Fenced user group to the list of groups that are associated with the Db2 database user ID.
    For example, if you used default values during your Db2 database installation, add db2inst1 as a user in the db2fgrp1 group. If you are planning to use a multiple node topology, do this only on the database server node.
    Note: The Db2 fenced user permissions are needed to run binaries or libraries that run outside of the Db2 address space. Since the physical location of these binaries or libraries are where the Db2 server resides, the permissions need to be set only on the server. So, if you want to use an existing Db2 installation that is remote to where you plan to install WebSphere Commerce, you do not need to set the permissions where you plan to install WebSphere Commerce. Additionally, if you do not need this level of security, you can use the instance owner as the fenced user. For more information about the Db2 Fenced user group, see the Db2 documentation.
  4. LinuxAIX If you are logged in as the database user ID or the WebSphere Commerce non-root user ID, log off so that these changes can take effect.
  5. If you are using a remote database server, update the Db2 profile registries on the database server by using the db2set command: 
    db2set Db2_WORKLOAD=WC
db2set Db2BIDI=yes

    For detailed information about Db2 profile registries and the db2set command, see your Db2 database documentation.

  6. Restart the Db2 database.