XML or JSON: When to choose what for your database

There is a new article on IBM developerWorks titled "XML or JSON: Guidelines for what to choose for DB2 for z/OS". It has been written by two very experienced technologists with DB2 background. Though the comparison and the many code examples for how to use either XML or JSON are for DB2 for z/OS, most of it also applies to DB2 LUW. So I recommend reading the article regardless of which "camp" you are in.

At the end of the XML vs. JSON comparison is a resource section with a list of good papers and documentation. In my blog's page on DB2 & pureXML Resources you will also find additional material on that topic.

With that to read enjoy the weekend!

From Lake Constance with love: A new Goodyear Blimp

A new Zeppelin (Zeppelin NT with NT as in "New Technology"), the next generation of Goodyear Blimps, it scheduled for its first flight today. It is the first of three. The components have been built in my current home town Friedrichshafen and been shipped to Goodyear to Ohio. There, the semi-rigid airship has been assembled.

BTW: Zeppelin flights in Germany can be booked at Zeppelinflug and you can learn more about the Zeppelin history at the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen.

Free trainings on using DB2 with BLU Acceleration

Many of you know that IBM is offering free trainings on Information Management products, so-called bootcamps, to business partners. Two new classes have been added that cover solely DB2 with BLU Acceleration:

• "Optimize BI - Analytics on DB2 10.5 with BLU Acceleration and focus on Cognos Bootcamp" - the title is almost as long as the 2 day bootcamp itself... It gives a deep dive into the BLU Acceleration technology and shows how DB2 fits into analytic scenarios
• "DB2 BLUcamp for SAP BW" is a one day workshop that introduces the BLU Acceleration technology and then details how to use it in a SAP environment

The new technology is also covered in some existing bootcamps. The regular "DB2 for Linux, UNIX, Windows Bootcamp" has an overview. The former DB2 Performance Bootcamp is now called "Performance Monitoring and Tuning for DB2 10.5 with BLU Acceleration for Linux, UNIX, and Windows" and discusses best practices from a monitoring and tuning perspective for BLU.

Business Partners can sign up using the registration links on the individual bootcamp pages. Free product certifications are usually offered at the end of a training session.