Adding database connections to the Database Explorer
The Database Explorer view allows you
to explore and work with schema objects within your databases, as well as a
myriad of other functions. The capabilities of the IBM Viper II DS DWB far
exceed those of its predecessor. If you’re familiar with the DB2 DWB in DB2 9,
these differences will become obvious to you as you work through this series With
that said, simply looking at a database connection object in the IBM DS DWB
Database Explorer view and comparing it with its predecessor in the DB2 DWB should
convince you that the IBM DS DWB is far from a simple upgrade:
Although this article focuses on
DB2 9 and DB2 Viper II for Linux, UNIX, and Windows data server connections,
you can use the same steps to connect to the following data servers: Apache
Derby version 10+ and later, IBM Cloudscape version 5.1 and later, all
supported versions of DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows, all supported versions
of DB2 for i5/OS, all supported versions of DB2 for z/OS, and Informix IDS
versions 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 10.0 and later, and 11.0 and later.
To add a database connection to
the Database Explorer window, perform the following steps:
1.
Right-click anywhere in the Database
Explorer window and select New Connection:
The New Connection wizard opens:
Note: If the IBM DS
DWB doesn’t have enough information to connect to a target data server, a status
icon (
) will appear
at the top of your window. This is a common error indication method within
Eclipse so you should always look at the top of a window before clicking Finish
or OK, and so on.
2. Expand
DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows in the Select a database manager list
and select All Versions. The Connection URL details box will
automatically change and update the required fields with the last database entry added to the System Database Directory.
Since my system only has the
TOOLSDB (created during the installation) and the SAMPLE (created after
installing DB2 Viper II) databases on it, the IBM DS DWB automatically updated
the required connection information fields with the SAMPLE database’s
parameters:
You can use the JDBC Driver field
from Step 1 to change the driver and the security method (if it is external to
DB2) that is used to make the database connection. By default, the IBM DS DWB
will use the native security facility with SERVER
authentication to make this connection:
Selecting Other allows you
to customize the information for this connection as would be required if, for
example, you were building a connection to a DB2 data server but using third-party
drivers. You can fully customize this process, as shown below. (Note that as
soon as you select this option, the error indicator 
appears
since the page requires more information.)
Note: If
you select the default driver again, all of the previously displayed information
is restored.
You can also change where the
native DB2 authentication challenge takes place using this window. For example,
to have authentication take place on the client (something I generally don’t
recommend for reasons beyond the scope of this article), select the Use
client authentication check box:
As you can see in the previous
figure, any changes you make to the Connection URL details box
dynamically updates the generated connection string in the Connection URL field.
3. Test
the data server connection by entering the appropriate credentials in the User
information box and clicking Test Connection. If the connection is
successful, click Next.
You may notice that you can also
just click Finish to add the connection; however, the IBM DS DWB offers
you some further data server customizations that can come in handy (especially
in large environments), so for illustration purposes, don’t add the connection
just yet.
If the
connection isn’t successful, you will see a message indicating so. For example:
Alternatively, when you click Next
on the Connection Parameters page, the IBM DS DWB will automatically test
the connection for you and display a message if the connection is unsuccessful.
If the connection is successful, the Filter window opens.
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