Re: MySQL and DB2 storage engine for IBM i

Thanks for this information, Jon. I hope IBM and Zend are able to work out
something for IBM i (and AIX) since there appears to be a lot of interest
and momentum behind the iAMP stack.

Blake

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To those trying to work out what the heck is going on, here's as
"official" an unofficial IBM response as I can coax from Rochester without
IBM legal getting involved.

There are 2 components involved in the MySQL solution:

1) The base MySQL binaries and
2) The IBM i DB2 Storage Engine.

Oracle/MySQL owns the base product and IBM owns the Storage Engine.

Oracle/MySQL decided to end-of-life the IBM i binaries for the base
product. IBM tried to dissuade them but were unable to do so. (I suspect
that too few people purchased support contracts - and of
course Oracle view IBM i as a significant competitor.)

IBM's EOM notice simply announced that IBM was discontinuing their
re-seller agreement with MySQL/Oracle which allowed IBM i customers to
order the MySQL product through IBM sales channels. Most people were
downloading from MySQL (or getting MySQL with Zend's PHP package) and not
ordering through IBM, so it did not make sense to continue to allow
customers to order in this fashion. That is the only thing that IBM has
"discontinued". (And with the discontinuing of the binaries there would
have been nothing to order anyway!)

IBM provided the support for the Storage Engine, and often resolved other
MySQL issues for customers who called, and will continue to do so.

IBM is working to find an alternative solution to continue to provide the
base MySQL IBM i binaries and to find a way to continue to distribute the
IBM i DB2 storage engine. Announcements will be made once those
arrangements are in place.

That's as good as we're going to get for now I think.


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com