The IBM DB2 Connector Built for Database Modernization
Archive IBM DB2 data at petabyte scale across z/OS, LUW, and IBM i, in open format, compliant, and permanently accessible, independent of IBM systems.
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IBM DB2 Data Archiving, Done Right
Archon’s IBM DB2 Connector directly accesses DB2 databases across all deployment platforms: z/OS mainframes, Linux/Unix/Windows (LUW), and IBM i (AS/400). It extracts structured data into ADS. The connector handles DB2’s full data type library including BLOB, CLOB, XML, DECFLOAT, and TIMESTAMP, normalizing complex types for long-term Parquet/Delta Lake storage.
Whether you’re modernizing a mainframe DB2 environment to cloud-native databases, retiring IBM infrastructure to reduce license costs, or consolidating multiple DB2 instances into a single compliance archive, Archon handles the platform-specific complexity: EBCDIC conversion on z/OS, IBM i DB2 file structure extraction, and LUW Unicode normalization, without requiring platform-specific middleware.
- DB2 for z/OS, DB2 LUW (Linux/Unix/Windows), and DB2 for i (AS/400) all supported
- Full DB2 data type support including BLOB, CLOB, XML, DECFLOAT, and TIMESTAMP
- EBCDIC-to-UTF-8 conversion with CCSID codepage mapping for z/OS deployments
- Cross-application search via Archon Analyzer, no DB2 license required post-archive
- Parallel extraction to minimize production DB2 performance impact
Capabilities
Everything You Need for IBM DB2 Data Operations
Multi-Platform DB2 Extraction
A single Archon connector handles DB2 across z/OS mainframes, Linux/Unix/Windows, and IBM i. Platform-specific extraction optimizations such as z/OS DFSORT offload, IBM i JT400 JDBC, LUW parallel extraction are applied automatically based on the target environment.
Complex Data Type Normalization
DB2's BLOB, CLOB, XML, DECFLOAT, and TIMESTAMP types are normalized to Parquet-compatible equivalents during extraction. EBCDIC packed decimal fields on z/OS are handled natively, without manual data conversion scripting.
Mainframe Banking Compliance Archive
Every archived DB2 record is cryptographically hashed, timestamped, and written to WORM-compliant storage. Supports OCC and Federal Reserve record retention requirements for mainframe banking environments, NARA retention schedules for government, and state insurance commissioner requirements.
Cross-Application Search Across DB2 History
Archived DB2 data, including financial records, healthcare data, insurance policies, government records, is immediately searchable via Archon Analyzer without a live DB2 instance. Full-text and metadata search across the complete extracted dataset.
Use Cases
How Enterprises Use the IBM DB2 Connector
From large-scale platform migrations to day-to-day data sync, Archon’s IBM DB2 Connector covers the full lifecycle of enterprise CRM data management.
01 Mainframe Modernization and z/OS Retirement
Organizations decommissioning IBM z/OS mainframes as part of cloud modernization programs must extract DB2 for z/OS databases before hardware retirement. Archon extracts the complete z/OS DB2 dataset, including EBCDIC data, packed decimal fields, and BLOB content, and lands it in open Parquet format in ADS.
02 DB2 LUW Database Consolidation
Feed Salesforce opportunity and account data into Snowflake, Redshift, or BigQuery for BI reporting. Incremental loads keep latency low without overloading Salesforce API limits.
03 DB2 for i Application Decommissioning
IBM i applications built on DB2 for i including ERP, banking, insurance, retail systems, are frequently decommissioning targets. Archon extracts DB2 for i physical and logical files as part of a broader IBM i decommission, preserving the application data record before the platform is retired.
04 Healthcare and Government Record Retention
Healthcare systems and government agencies running legacy DB2 applications accumulate patient, citizen, and administrative records with long retention windows. Archon archives these records with HIPAA and NARA-aligned retention schedules, making them retrievable for audit and FOIA requests.
Technical Specifications
| Connection Method | JDBC/ODBC (DB2 Universal Driver), IBM Data Server Client |
|---|---|
| Platforms | DB2 for z/OS, DB2 LUW (Linux/Unix/Windows), DB2 for i (AS/400) |
| Supported Versions | DB2 9.x through DB2 12.x (z/OS), DB2 10.x–11.x (LUW) |
| Data Types | Full DB2 type support: BLOB, CLOB, XML, DATE, TIMESTAMP, DECFLOAT |
| Character Sets | EBCDIC (z/OS), ASCII, Unicode — all normalized to UTF-8 in ADS |
| Output Format | Parquet, Avro, XML, CSV, TXT, TSV, CSV, Excel |
| Transformation Rules | Filter, sort, supporting number, string - upper and lower, concatenation, substring, hard code value, order by, external blob configuration, custom query input by user |
| Retention Management | Policy-based retention with legal hold and WORM controls |
| Deployment | On-premises · Cloud (AWS) · Hybrid |
| Security & Compliance | TLS 1.3 in transit · AES-256 at rest · OCC · NARA · HIPAA · GDPR |
How It Works
Up and Running in 4 Steps
No engineers. No weeks of scoping. No surprises.
01
Connect to DB2
Authenticate via JDBC/ODBC using IBM Data Server Client. Archon auto-discovers all schemas, tables, data types, and inter-table relationships across z/OS, LUW, or IBM i environments. 02
Map & Configure
Define extraction scope, EBCDIC codepage settings, BLOB/CLOB handling, and retention policies. DB2 templates cover mainframe banking, healthcare, and government patterns. 03
Validate & Preview
Run a dry-run against sample data. The quality report validates EBCDIC conversion accuracy, BLOB extraction completeness, and type normalization before full extraction. 04
Archive & Monitor
Execute the full extraction with real-time progress tracking across platforms. Cryptographic hashes applied per record. Data searchable via Archon Analyzer on arrival.FAQ
Common Questions About the IBM DB2 Connector
- 1. Does Archon support DB2 for z/OS alongside DB2 LUW in the same migration project?
Yes, Archon supports both environments within a single, unified migration.
- 2. How does Archon handle DB2 EBCDIC data on z/OS mainframes?
Archon performs accurate EBCDIC-to-ASCII/Unicode conversion while preserving data integrity.
- 3. Can Archon extract DB2 BLOB and CLOB content types?
Yes, Archon fully supports extraction and archiving of BLOB and CLOB data types.
- 4. How does Archon ensure DB2 archives meet OCC record retention requirements?
Archon ensures compliance by enforcing policy-based retention, immutability, and audit trails aligned with compliance standards.
- 5. What is the typical throughput for large-scale DB2 for z/OS extraction?
Typically high-volume, parallelized extraction, ranging from terabytes to petabytes, depending on system and configuration.
Ready to archive your IBM DB2 data and retire the dependency?
Talk to an Archon integration specialist at archondatastore.com. Free consultation, no commitment, reply within 24 hours.
