Use DB2 9 with WebSphere Community Edition to start Java EE development

Access XML like access to relational data

Before you start

About this tutorial

This tutorial teaches you to set up IBM WebSphere application Server Community Edition software in a linuxe or microsoft®windows environment (hereinafter referred to as Community Edition) and IBM DB2 9 database process. You will also see the steps involved in writing and deploying a Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (EE) application that runs on the Community Edition. You will learn about the advantages of DB2 9 PureXML technology in storing XML in native format, and learn how to use Community Edition as a server for Java EE applications.

Why use DB2 9?

DB2 9 is the industry's first hybrid data server that can manage both relational and pure XML-formatted data. DB2 has long provided high-performance data storage and SQL-standard access to relational data, along with data storage optimization and query optimization techniques such as data partitioning and advanced indexing. Now, based on its existing relational engine, DB2 has introduced a data storage engine for XML data optimization. Application developers can now store XML data directly in DB2 servers and gain immediate benefits from transactional processing, advanced data resiliency (resiliency), secure access, and, of course, the ability to use XQuery to search for large amounts of XML data.

XML data is often used for data exchange and document management between applications. The flexibility and self-describing nature of XML data makes it an ideal choice for many applications.

In the past, the ability to query XML data was greatly limited. Recently, a new, standards-based XML query Language has been published. This query language is called XQuery, and its version 1.0 was released in November 2005. It is an extension of the existing XPath 2.0 standard.

Why use Community Edition?

IBM WebSphere Application Server Community Edition is a Java EE application server built on Apache Geronimo, created by Apache Software Foundation An open source application server. If you need a lightweight application server as a test platform for running the Java EE application, and want a relatively stable, rigorously tested and universally supported and available build, Community Edition, both technically and economically, is the best choice for you. You can trust that the application server you are using is stable enough to run applications and prototypes, and that Community Edition can be downloaded and used free of charge. You can install it, let it run immediately, and then evaluate or demo the prototype. You can always use this product for free, purchase optional IBM support when needed, and even migrate to other WebSphere application Server products if necessary.

Goal

This tutorial will help you familiarize yourself with the management features of Community Edition and how to write Java code that stores XML in DB2 9 and uses the data in DB2 9. You will perform the following tasks:

Install the required software.

Create a DB2 9 database and configure Community Edition to use DB2 9.

Deploy a data source to the Community Edition for connection pooling.

Deploy an example Java application to the Community Edition.

Analyze the Java code of the sample application to understand how it works.