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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories IBM i Access Family
Created by Guest
Created on Jun 26, 2020

Update ACS .NET (IBM.DATA.DB2.iSeries) driver to support .NET Core

It IBM.Data.DB2.iSeries (when is the last time IBM called it the "iSeries") driver hasn't been updated since 7. 1. It still only supports .NET 2.0 which was released in 2005 and support ended in 2011. IBM charges big bucks for software maintenance, but this piece of software has been completely ignored.

This driver should be updated to the latest .NET standards and should support the open-source .NET Core.

Marked as Urgent because this hasn't been touched since 7.1 (3 versions).


Use Case:

Connect modern programming for Windows and other platforms now that .NET Core is open source to the IBM i DB2 database. .NET is one of the most widely used programming platforms in the world. All other databases provided support for .NET Core with the database.


Idea priority Urgent
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Aug 9, 2022

    Request for reconsideration.

    IBM i ACS driver should support .Net Core as well (it shouldn't matter from which language you use it)

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Nov 20, 2020

    Request for reconsideration.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jul 2, 2020

    Thanks for the info. That's exactly my experience.
    But int your explanation there is a missing link...
    What about the Node.js developers who got an open Source Database Access to DB2 for i?
    What about the Java Developers?
    Why do you only block .Net and why only on IBM i?

    Political decision? Strange? You offer DB2 for Windows with great .Net support....
    https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEPGG_11.5.0/com.ibm.swg.im.dbclient.adonet.doc/doc/c0070470.html

    IBM never learned how to get developers to their Platforms. It all started with OS/2 and it goes on and on. Why is the iPhone the most successful device ever? Because of it's price? No - because of it's Apps. Why is Windows so successful? Because it was the best back in these days? No - because of the amount of developers who created Software. If you don't want developers to work on your plattform then go on....
    My customers and I are very confused. IBM bought Red Hat to be No. 1 in Open Source and do at the same time such strange things for IBM i....
    You support Open Source via Pase (which is great and I use and love it!) but at the same time you don't support Database Access to .Net Core, which is a very important development platform running on all kind of Operating systems...

    On the other hand, I can thank you because I am offering all the .Net developers out there the fastest way to access DB2 for i via IceBreak RPG Rest Services.
    But the problem still is the software that is already running in so many companies who are not happy with this decision and I am afraid that this decision will be another drop for some customers that makes the barrel overflow (not sure if this is a well know expression in english - sorry :-) ) and is another argument for these who want to leave the platform.
    I don't understand it. If you will charge all other developers also (Java, Node.js, Php, Python, etc.) then your explanation would make sense. For many people it looks like IBM want's to milking the cow as hard and as long as it can do....
    This decision is not a step for a bright future of IBM i and that's a pity.
    Same for not porting .Net Core into the Pase environment...

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jul 1, 2020

    I have checked with the Db2 Connect team on this. They are not currently behind. They are up to date with the .Net Core support. Recently delivered an update to get them at the very latest levels. Pricing... IBM made a decision long ago to price the database and the access separate. Yes, this is not like others, that have everything in one large cost point. With IBM (and IBM I in particular) there are many options for accessing the database at a very wide range of price points depending on your requirements. If you do want the very latest and greatest enterprise support, that is delivered and kept current with th Db2 Connect support. At one time there was a singe cost point for that product, but several years ago, they made changes (largely for the IBM i community) to provide multiple different options with very affordable price points. I would recommend that you either contact your Business Partner, or if you want to connect with the Db2 Connect team directly, let us know here and we can connect you to get the exact requirements you have determined.

  • Guest
    Reply
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    Jun 29, 2020

    Also just curious how this can be declined before giving people an opportunity to vote on it? What is the point if you won't let people vote on RFEs?

  • Guest
    Reply
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    Jun 29, 2020

    IBM apparently doesn't know their own products. IBM DB2 Connect (which costs IBM i customers an additional $20,000 minimum) does not support the latest .NET technologies and is 2 years behind on drivers for .NET.

    The fact I have to purchase another $20K license just to access the database I have already paid for is absurd. No other database vendor does this. Will be hard justifying IBM products ever again.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jun 29, 2020

    IBM provides a full function Db2 Connector that does provide support for the very latest in .Net Connectivity. The IBM Db2 Connect product does provide this connection support. Details can be found both on the Knowledge Center - https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEPGG_11.1.0/com.ibm.swg.im.dbclient.adonet.doc/doc/c0010960.html as well as the product Web Page - https://www.ibm.com/products/db2-connect/pricing. The Db2 Connect product does come in 6 different editions today, to help with availability for the IBM i customers.

    Another alternative, would be to use Rest APIs as the communication and data bus. With the latest support for the Integrated Web Services engine, you can now wrapper both ILE program and service program calls with a Rest API call, and additionally you can also wrapper a SQL statement within a Rest call. This means that from .Net (or other locations) you can use a standard Rest approach for both business logic processing as well as direct Db2 Access , Here is a video that describes this support as well as shows examples of its use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-hp0_a6ka8

    As there are multiple options available, IBM has no plans on enhancing the .Net provider that is delivered as part of the ACS Windows Application Package.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jun 27, 2020

    Thanks for the Request. I demand that for many years and it is always ignored or blocked. Same for supporting .NET Core itself on the IBM i PASE like Node.js. There are millions of .NET Developers out there who are totaly blocked for IBM i and I don't understand the reason why IBM is doing that. Every DB2 on every platform support the most modern Entity Framework and .NET Core Environment. Only IBM i is behind.... A good alternative to ADO.NET is using fast Web Services. If you are interessted in the fastest native ILE Webservices on IBM i please contact me and/or take a look on this:
    https://www.mlitters.com/IceBreak.aspx
    https://www.system-method.com/icebreak

1 MERGED

Update ACS .NET (DB2.iSeries) driver to support .NET Core

Merged
The IBM.Data.DB2.iSeries (when is the last time IBM called it the "iSeries") driver hasn't been updated since 7. 1. It still only supports .NET 2.0 which was released in 2005 and support ended in 2011. IBM charges big bucks for software maintenanc...
almost 4 years ago in IBM i / IBM i Access Family 1 Not under consideration