This is the first version of DB2 to support RDF. RDF data in three parts, a subject, a predicate and an object. The predicate describes the relationship between the two other pieces of data. Structuring data this way allows software programs to understand how disparate pieces of information may fit together. IBM uses the technology in its Rational Jazz collaboration software to identify dependencies in a software development process.

Other enhancements to DB2 include that backups can be done more quickly and basic I/O has been accelerated, IBM said.

Another feature is designed to make the database more flexible. It now features multi-temperature data management, where administrators can designate the specific storage devices for certain classes of data. Data that needs to be accessed quickly, for instance, can be stored on speedy solid-state drives, whereas less valuable data can be stored on more inexpensive, though slower, tape drives.

The software offers a new way to query temporal data, through a feature called time travel. This feature has been popular with users of the z/OS version of DB2, Spang said. A user or a program can examine data as it existed in the database during any given period of time. This can be useful in analyzing emerging trends. While programmers can already write code to extract such data, the software provides hooks to make queries easier to execute.

The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. has been testing DB2 through an early access beta program. The company switched its SAP databases in 2008 from Oracle to IBM, and has since saved US$1 million in licensing, maintenance and storage costs since then, according to Tom DeJuneas, Coca-Cola IT team manager.