You can configure IBM Lotus Domino to run with DB2 databases and IBM® Lotus® Notes® databases. You can also access and view data stored in Notes databases as well as data stored in DB2 databases. When working with your data, there is no visible difference between the data stored in a Notes database and data stored in a DB2 database.

When you run Domino with DB2, there are three distinct interactions that occur between Domino and DB2. They are:

• Domino uses DB2 as an alternate data store for Notes data.
• Specific sets of data are pushed from an NSF to DB2 in the form of DB2 Access Views (DAVs).
• A Notes view can be built based on an SQL query in the form of Query Views.

  Note DAVs and Query Views are explained later in this topic.

For more information, see the topic Enabling the Domino server to communicate with the DB2 server.

DB2 Access Views

A DB2 Access view (DAV) is a shared resource that lets you define a DB2 view of Notes data. DAVs enable you to leverage the data that is stored in DB2. While the DAV actually exists in DB2, it is accessible by both Domino and non-Domino applications. Using DAVs is an option; you can set up your Domino and DB2 configuration to use DAVs if you choose to.

Access to the DAV is managed by the DB2 Access server installed on the DB2 server.

For more information about the DB2 Access server, see the topic Installing the DB2 Access server on the DB2 server.

The DAV makes the data available directly by SQL. Third-party applications that use Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) can read the data.

For more information about DB2 Access Views, see the topic "DB2 Access Views" in the IBM® Lotus® Domino™ Designer documentation.

Query views

A Query view is another type of IBM® Lotus® Notes® view. Like other types of Notes views, query views are design elements that are part of Notes applications. A query view uses an SQL query to populate its data instead of using a view formula that selects notes from a Notes database. If you want to create a query view based on data in a Notes database that resides in DB2, you must first have defined and populated a DAV.

Data in DB2 databases is accessed and manipulated through System Query Language (SQL) statements.

When you create a Notes view that is based on an SQL query, keep the following tips in mind:

• If the query view references only non-Domino data, you cannot "open" the notes in the Notes view. It will literally be a Notes view of DB2 data.
• If the query view references Domino data via a DAV and selects the #NOTEID from the DAV, you can open the note.
• A Query can be composed dynamically in the Notes client application, for example, by using the @prompt function. For example, the application can prompt the user for STATE and then query only the people who live in the selected state.
• A Query View can join data from multiple DB2 tables and views; therefore, you can join data from two NSFs by joining two separate DB2 Access Views.

A benefit of using DB2 to access data is that Query Views are dynamic; you can re-execute them with different SQL statements to quickly access specific notes. Regular Notes views need to be rebuilt using the Update and Updall tasks, but Query Views do not; therefore, they do not take up space in the NSF. Query Views can do things that regular Notes views cannot do, for example, they can join data from multiple NSFs and they can access non-Domino data. Non-Domino data is any data visible to DB2.

For more information about Query Views, see the topic "Query Views" in the IBM® Lotus® Domino™ Designer documentation.

DB2 and Domino authentication

When accessing Notes data from a DAV or Query view, users need both a Notes user name and a DB2 user account name. For access to DAVs from SQL, the user connects as a specific DB2 user name. This DB2 user account uses the corresponding Notes user name to verify Domino access rights (ACLs) to the Notes data. For access to a Query View from Notes, the user connects to Notes using their Notes ID, and the Query View uses the corresponding DB2 account name to verify DB2 access privileges for the data being accessed.

Benefits of using Domino with DB2

Domino with DB2 offers benefits to Domino customers and to DB2 customers. Domino customers benefit from improved performance and scalability, the ability to use relational constructs, access to SQL-based views of Notes and non-Notes data, greater transaction processing speed, and fast access to DB2. DB2 customers benefit from improved XML/collaboration support, Domino services, Notes application development support, and integration of Domino data into DB2 applications. Domino with DB2 also offers full enforcement of Domino security.

Some key features of Domino with DB2 are listed here:

• Domino with DB2 supports Domino security. SQL queries return rows of data if the user has "Read" permission in the ACL for the NSF and is a valid Reader, that is, the user's name appears in the Reader fields for the requested data.
• Any version of the Notes client that has access to the Domino server can access the Domino databases stored in DB2.
• You save memory in the Unified Buffer Manager (UBM) pools when NSF databases are moved into DB2. By default, Domino uses 1/8 to 3/8 of available memory. Use this NOTES.INI variable with the recommended value of 25:

  NSF_BUFFER_POOL_SIZE_MB=25

Installation and setup procedures
Databases created with Domino
Domino and DB2 supported platforms and configurations
Supported platforms and hardware and software requirements

Glossary