RDS for Db2 selection knowledge
This document is the human-readable companion to selection-knowledge-input.json.
It describes the Amazon RDS for Db2 service facts that the cross-service
aws-database-selection skill uses to recognize and reason about RDS for Db2
workloads. Both files carry the same facts; the JSON is the machine-readable
form and this Markdown narrates it.
Service and editions
- Service: Amazon RDS for Db2 (
amazon-rds-for-db2). - Engine editions: Standard Edition (
db2-se) and Advanced Edition (db2-ae).
Licensing
RDS for Db2 uses a bring-your-own-license model. Provisioning requires two IBM identifiers supplied on the instance:
rds.ibm_customer_idrds.ibm_site_id
Source-migration scenarios
The in-scope source databases and the recommended approach for moving each to RDS for Db2:
| Source | Approach | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Db2 for z/OS (db2-zos) |
Replatform | Schema conversion with ADB2GEN; change data capture via Q Replication/IIDR, Qlik, or Precisely; DMS supports full-load only; AWS SCT is not supported for this source. |
Db2 LUW on Linux (db2-luw-linux) |
Restore or replicate | Backup/restore or replication into RDS for Db2. |
Db2 LUW on AIX (db2-luw-aix) |
Near-zero-downtime via Q Replication | Continuous replication keeps cutover downtime minimal. |
Db2 LUW on Windows (db2-luw-windows) |
Near-zero-downtime via Q Replication | Continuous replication keeps cutover downtime minimal. |
Db2 on AS400 / IBM i (db2-as400) |
Replicate | Replication-based path into RDS for Db2. |
Hard constraints
Managed-service constraints that shape what RDS for Db2 can and cannot do:
- No host SSH access.
- No unfenced C/COBOL stored procedures.
- Code page and collation are immutable after database creation.
High availability and disaster recovery
- Multi-AZ deployments for in-region resilience.
- Cross-region mounted standby replica for disaster recovery.
Security
- Customer-managed KMS keys (BYOK) for encryption at rest.
- Self-managed Active Directory with Kerberos authentication.
- Db2 audit delivery to Amazon S3.
- Minimum (least-privilege) IAM policy for the service.
Anti-patterns
Approaches to avoid when selecting or designing for RDS for Db2:
- Using AWS SCT for a Db2 for z/OS source (not supported for that source).
- Offloading reads from the cross-region mounted standby replica.