WebSphere supports a number of databases for using either the WebSphere 4 repository or both versions of WebSphere for application storage. Table 11-1 and Table 11-2 list the directly supported versions of various databases. Depending on the drivers and platforms, your mileage may vary given that there are numerous other databases and data servers available (for example, nonrelational ones such as object-oriented databases).
Database | Supported Versions |
---|---|
Oracle 8 i | 8.1.7 |
Oracle 9 i | 9.0.1, 9.2 |
Informix Dynamic Server | 7.31, 9.21, 9.3 |
SQL Server Enterprise 2000 | 2000 with Service Pack (SP) 2 |
SQL Server Enterprise 7 | 7 with SP 2 or SP 4 |
IBM DB2 Workgroup Edition | 7.2 with FixPack 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 |
IBM DB2 Workgroup Server Edition | 8.1 with FixPack 1 or 2 |
IBM DB2 Enterprise Edition | 7.2 with FixPack 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 |
IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition | 8.1 with FixPack 1 or 2 |
IBM DB2 Enterprise Extended Edition | 7.2 with FixPack 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 |
IBM DB2 for iSeries | 5.1 |
IBM DB2 for 390 systems | 6.1, 7.1 |
Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise | 12.0 |
Database | Supported Versions |
---|---|
Oracle 8 i | 8.1.7, 8.1.7.4 |
Oracle 9 i | 9.2, 9.2.0.2, 9.2.0.3 |
Informix Dynamic Server | 7.31, 9.3, 9.4 |
SQL Server Enterprise 2000 | 2000 with SP2 |
SQL Server Enterprise 7 | 7 with SP4 |
IBM DB2 Workgroup Edition | 7.2 with FixPack 7, 8, or 9 |
IBM DB2 Workgroup Server Edition | 8.1 with FixPack 1 or 2 |
IBM DB2 Enterprise Edition | 7.2 with FixPack 7, 8, or 9 |
IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition | 8.1 with FixPack 1 or 2 |
IBM DB2 Enterprise Extended Edition | 7.2 with FixPack 7, 8, or 9 |
IBM DB2 for iSeries | 5.1, 5.2 |
IBM DB2 for zSeries | 6.1, 7.1 |
Cloudscape | 5.0.10, 5.0.12, 5.1.21 |
Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise | 12.0, 12.5 |
Specifically, Table 11-1 lists all the IBM-certified relational databases for WebSphere 4.
Table 11-2 lists the certified databases for WebSphere 5.
The relational database mix of available servers is somewhat the same between the two versions of WebSphere.
Caution | The Cloudscape 5.0.10 and 5.0.12 database server versions as provided in Table 11-2 aren't supported in a production environment. Version 5.1.21 is supported as a production database server. |
Although not officially supported by IBM, many other databases work with WebSphere. Just make sure your database is truly American National Standards Institute (ANSI) SQL-92 compliant and that it can support recent versions of Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) ”see the "JDBC Database Integration" section. I've worked with databases such as MySQL, mSQL, and PostgresSQL as well as a number of nonmainstream databases and data stores such as NCR Teradata and Progess Software's ObjectStore.
Remember, at the end of the day, you're communicating to the database via some form of JDBC (the preference) or Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). The performance is therefore bound to four components :
The chosen database itself
The network between the database and application tier
The JDBC or ODBC driver performance
The WebSphere pool manager configuration
You'll now look at optimizing the communication between WebSphere and the database.