Things to Know Before Using IBM Db2 Warehouse: Use Cases, Features, and Case Study
The term data warehouse has become prominent in today’s digital era. With constant enhancements, industries strive to accommodate real-time data analytics and cloud computing technologies to facilitate smooth transactions.
The history of data goes back to the 20th century. Organizations required a method to store and retrieve all of their information as data started to multiply in the 1970s and 1980s.
The phrase “data warehouse” is credited to computer scientist Bill Inmon, the father of data warehousing. He started defining the notion in the 1970s. His 1992 book Building the Data Warehouse, which is considered a foundational work on data warehousing technology, was published.
Database 2 (Db2), which IBM first released on one of its primary platforms in 1983, is one of those products.
Db2 is still in use as a relational database. Older organizations and industries continue to keep their data on Db2 despite the emergence of alternative database management systems. It keeps putting out new versions as well.
You will discover everything there is to know about Db2, including its definition, usage, and methods.
What is IBM Db2?
IBM Db2 Warehouse is a preconfigured, client-managed data warehouse that operates in virtual private clouds, private clouds, and other infrastructures that support containers.
When cloud-like flexibility is sought but preserving data management is imperative, this data warehouse is the ideal solution. It has in-memory processing to give prompt answers to queries and massively parallel processing (MPP) to help scale out and scale up capabilities as demand rises.
How does it work?
The overall IBM hybrid data warehouse approach, which deliberates to give enterprises the flexible architecture they want in the dynamic, quickly evolving world of big data and cloud computing, is enhanced by Db2 Warehouse.
Db2 Warehouse is an alternative to IBM’s broader hybrid data warehouse approach, which gives businesses the flexible architecture they require in the rapidly evolving and dynamic fields of big data and cloud computing.
A shared analytics engine across Db2 Warehouse on the cloud allows workloads related to analytics to be shifted between public and private clouds without requiring any modifications.
Workloads related to analytics can be moved across public and private clouds without requiring changes to the applications because Db2 Warehouse and Db2 Warehouse on Cloud share an analytics engine.
Oracle SQL, Db2, and IBM Pure Data System for Analytics fueled by IBM Netezza technology are all compatible with Db2 Warehouse technology. This interoperability makes it easier to migrate analytics workloads, depending on the application, to the cloud or Db2 Warehouse.
Features of IBM Db2 warehouse
Among the top data warehouses, IBM DB2 stands out for providing an extensive feature set and an array of advantages to satisfy the demanding requirements of companies across all sectors and sizes.
1. Tools for modeling and design
You can build, model, and reverse engineer physical database schemas with DB2 Warehouse thanks to its modeling and design tools, which are based on and compatible with IBM Rational Data Architect software.
It offers several functions, such as change management, model validation, compliance analysis, impact analysis, and physical data modeling for a single database or company.
2. Visualization and data mining
DB2 Warehouse has data mining features that allow for integrated analytics of the data in the enterprise data warehouse. The DB2 Warehouse development environment supports and allows the development of standard data mining model algorithms, such as clustering, associations, classification, and prediction.
Additionally, third-party modeling programs may import these methods in the PMML (Predictive Model Markup Language) format, which is industry standard.
3. Management of workload
SQL query performance management and monitoring features are provided by DB2 Warehouse to help you manage the workload in the warehouse more effectively.
Query classification and threshold profiles allow SQL queries to be scheduled, prioritized, and run in a way that optimizes performance and available system resources.
4. Embedded analytics
With the help of integrated, Web-deployed analytics apps, IBM DB2 Alphabox software offers genuine multidimensional query and calculation capability throughout all data warehouse levels.
Alphablox software supports comprehensive end-to-end analytics for the dynamic warehouse solution thanks to a considerably improved relational cube server, tight connection with the DB2 Warehouse OLAP toolkit, and data mining features.
5. Optimized and improved OLAP architecture
DB2 Warehouse can directly analyze the dynamic data warehouse for best online analytical processing (OLAP).
Using the relational warehouse schema, you may develop, modify, import, export, and use OLAP models thanks to DB2 Warehouse software tools. Furthermore, it offers optimization suggestions that significantly enhance the functionality of integrated OLAP tools.
Some use cases of IBM Db2 Warehouse
1. Simplify Data Engineering
You can reduce the number of Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) steps in your workflow by using shared metadata and open table formats in object storage. With this configuration, you may preserve lineage and reproducibility while using various query engines on a single copy of your data, optimizing your data engineering services.
Additionally, DB2 Warehouse streamlines data interchange. Sharing your data for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications is made easy with Watsonx.data. Direct data promotion to DB2 makes data conveniently accessible for reporting and business intelligence requirements.
With the help of this integration, you can efficiently manage and use your data across a range of workflows and applications.
2. Secured Data Sharing
Securely sharing data between internal users and external stakeholders allows businesses to avoid the need for duplicate data. This feature streamlines information dissemination processes by providing a single platform to manage access and distribute information efficiently.
When DB2 Warehouse uses the IBM Knowledge Catalog, it provides complete control and management of data sharing. The IBM Knowledge Catalog provides comprehensive metadata management and control that helps businesses ensure data quality and regulatory compliance.
3. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
For training and running models on data housed in the warehouse, Db2 Warehouse provides integrated machine learning (ML) functions.
It enables data scientists and engineers to train and analyze complex machine learning models directly in the database engine, eliminating the requirement for data migration and using well-known tools like R and Python.
The warehouse also has native connections to the open data lakehouse platform watsonx.data, which can optimize and scale analytics and AI applications while improving speed and reducing storage costs.
Furthermore, Db2 Warehouse offers a single view of the data, analytics, and AI estate without ETL or data duplication, allowing users to share trusted data with built-in governance and support for open data and table formats.
4. Reporting & Dashboard
Users of IBM Db2 Warehouse may simply build reports and dashboards thanks to seamless connections with a range of BI tools, including IBM Cognos Analytics, Tableau, Microsoft PowerBI, Google Looker, and more.
This functionality assists users in connecting to many data sources and creating visually stunning and interactive dashboards.
Customers who utilize Db2 can take advantage of its advanced features and functionalities, which include high availability and scalability, support for complex queries, and the ability to manage large volumes of data.
5. Workload optimization with AI
Workload optimization for analytics and AI is one of IBM Db2 Warehouse’s primary capabilities. Making the most of your resources is possible with Db2 Warehouse since it distributes your workloads across multiple engines. Builds of ML models that require a lot of resources can be carried out in your lake house without affecting the workload of your warehouse’s BI and dashboards.
Additionally, Db2 Warehouse enables you to scale storage and computation within the warehouse console by your resource demands, maximizing your cost savings through adaptable workload scaling.
Case Study: How IBM Helped Active International?
Active International provides a range of business and financial solutions to enable its clients to achieve more. With its foundations in corporate commerce, Active transforms itself and keeps up with the needs of the “what’s next?” economy by collaborating with its technological partners.
What challenges did the company face?
The fundamental solutions model offered by Active International offers a crucial chance to swap out unused, unsold, or slow-moving merchandise for superior services.
With over 35 years of experience in corporate trade, Active International is a well-known expert in the industry that helps many organizations get the most out of their assets.
Active’s area of competence is in financial business solutions, corporate trading, and consulting. Its mission is to help businesses create value and exceed stakeholder expectations.
The media buying team worked around the clock to satisfy demands and collaborate. They began attempting to figure out how to fully utilize technology and scale their operations to provide advertisers with affordable nationwide coverage at combined local costs.
There are several phases in the media lifecycle. At Active International, the process starts with creating a customized bundle of media services for every customer. The media team assists the client in defining realistic campaign goals by creating a comprehensive image of the target audience they are attempting to reach.
The group then conducts a thorough analysis of industry data to determine which of Active International’s available media slots best suit the strategies of individual clients. After placing the ads, the team focuses its effectiveness on ensuring the content gets aired on the correct channels and time.
The Solution
Active International has created a suite of intelligent apps in collaboration with IBM and Essextec that optimizes the media lifecycle and expedites strategic prospecting procedures, hence increasing the productivity and efficiency of the company’s core operations.
Essextec and Active International developed an integrated solution to automate critical parts of the media management lifecycle for the company’s unwired network using a suite of IBM Cloud solutions, including IBM Db2 Warehouse on Cloud, IBM Cloud Databases for MongoDB, and IBM Messages for RabbitMQ.
The technology assists the business in several ways, including tracking client media expenditure against their current trade credit balance, optimizing media pricing bids, and acquiring media at the best possible price.
The company recently released XACTV, an independent media product that allows advertisers to estimate and optimize local media market inventory, track key performance indicators (KPIs) throughout their campaigns, and navigate the complex media marketplace.
The outcome of the solution
With the help of IBM technology, Active International was able to secure its data, expedite the return on investment, and streamline its advertising buying operations.
The amount of time needed to find new leads has decreased for the organization. Business development directors can complete analytics procedures in minutes instead of hours when evaluating a new client’s feasibility.
Conclusion
Data warehouse consulting services stand out in the constantly changing field of data management because they skillfully combine state-of-the-art technology with decades of experience.
Db2 Warehouse seamlessly transitions between cloud computing and data integrity, providing the freedom of cloud computing with a preconfigured, client-managed approach.
Db2 Warehouse, however, is a symphony of features meant to harmonize the intricacies of contemporary data analytics, not merely data storage.
Db2 Warehouse offers a smooth experience for companies of all kinds, from powerful modeling tools to integrated data mining capabilities, from workload management to embedded analytics.