The CA Technologies Database Management Solutions for DB2 for z/OS is a collection of software applications for managing running copies of DB2 on IBM's mainframe systems. It includes tools for improving performance, backing up DB2 databases and executing routine administration tasks.

With release 16, a number of components have been updated to ease migrations to DB2 10, such as the Plan Analyzer tool. Each DB2 database has something called a plan, which contains instructions for the database on how to access certain sets of data as quickly as possible. To upgrade to a newer version of the database, the administrator has to rebuild, or "rebind," the plan, Combs said. Plan Analyzer can now inspect the current plan and offer suggestions as to the best way to rebind the plan for the upgraded database.

Another feature is for scheduled reboots of the database. DB2 10 allows administrators to make more configuration changes to a database without needing to restart the database immediately. The CA software will keep track of the changes that have been made and can schedule a good time to restart the database, perhaps during a time of minimal use. The software can also analyze the configuration and offer a list of possible changes to speed performance.

Version 2.5 of CA Mainframe Chorus for DB2 Management has a number of DB2 updates as well. The software repackages the traditional mainframe green-screen format into a more user-friendly visually oriented look and feel. The new interface could be useful for younger administrators who may not be as familiar with the traditional ways of the mainframe, Combs said. New features here include better data analysis, improved search capabilities and the ability to tap into external knowledge sources, such as user forums.

The price for each package varies greatly, depending on configuration. Typically implementations will cost "in the tens of thousands of dollars," Combs said.