db2db2-zos

How to emulate DB2 for z/OS under Windows or Linux?


DB2 for z/OS differs in much details from DB2 for Windows and Linux. But my development environment is Windows 10, with WSL2 for Linux and Docker.

There is an official IBM DB2 Docker Image which I use to test DB2 SQL with. But that is the Linux DB2, where e.g. I didn't notice that I used the "fancy", unsupported on z/OS, boolean Data-Type.

For better testing I need to run the z/OS version of DB2 under Windows. I don't care if natively, in WSL2 or in Docker. Ideally it should be free, like the DB2 Docker Community Edition, which was made with development and CI/CD in mind (my scenario exactly). It doesn't seem to have a z/OS mode.

Is there any solution?


Solution

  • I need to run the z/OS version of DB2 under Windows.

    Short answer...You can't.

    Long answer, (which is news to me) IBM does sell (for $5,000+/user/year) the IBM Z Development and Test Environment that runs on x86 hardware. But that's an entire z/OS environment, not just Db2. Probably overkill for your development.

    Outside of that, you should be looking to develop and test against a Development/Integration/QA/... instance of Db2 running on your mainframe.