What is DB2 Express-C?
IBM DB2 Express-C is a no-charge community edition of the DB2 data server. It is ideal for small businesses and multi-branch companies, as well as developers and business partners who serve these clients. DB2 Express-C can be setup quickly, is easy-to-use, and includes self-managing capabilities. It also embodies all of the core features of the more scalable DB2 editions, including Data Studio, Time Travel Query, pureXML and Compression Backup.
DB2 Express-C is available for download and deployment at no charge. Optional yearly subscription is available for users who require technical support or additional functionality, such as High Availability, Row and Column Access Control and SQL Replication.
ISVs and business partners who want to embed or include a free database as part of their solutions can distribute DB2 Express-C at no-charge upon registering with IBM. Many no-cost enablement, marketing, and sales benefits and flexible OEM options are available for partners who distribute or want to drive revenue with DB2 powered solutions.
DB2 Express-C technical info
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DB2 Express-C may be run on any sized system with any amount of processors and memory, however DB2 Express-C will limit total resource utilization as follows:
- Processor: 2 cores
- Memory: 4 GB
Operating Systems:
- Linux (32bit, 64bit)
- Windows (32bit, 64bit)
IBM also offers a low cost Yearly Subscription option (also known as Fixed Term License or FTL) that DB2 Express-C users can easily upgrade to by installing a license certificate. The subscription license includes the following additional benefits and features not included in the no-charge unwarranted edition of DB2 Express-C:
- 24/7 Customer Support, fixpacks, upgrade protection
- High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HADR)
- Increased resource utilization: 4 cores and 8GB memory
- Enhanced security with Row and Column Access Control along with Label Based Access Control
If you require higher scalability or other advanced features, DB2 Express-C can be seamlessly upgraded to the following DB2 Editions, without requiring modifications to your applications: