IDUG EMEA 2026

In this presentation we will examine in detail the backup and recovery options available to DBAs for their Db2 environments. How to tune these utilities will be discussed and results will be reviewed from numerous tests. We will see what is the “art of the possible” from using local files, COS, Storage based copies, etc. … We will take a close look at the new version enhancements and how they can improve your backup and recovery experience.

Poorly written or optimized Db2 SQL queries can use huge amounts of CPU and render applications unusable causing business impact.
This session will cover the different types of access paths the Db2 Optimizes uses to return data for queries and discuss their merits and use cases. We will look at the data written by the DB2 optimizer in the EXPLAIN tables and how we can interpret the data using AI to determine if an SQL is going to be cheap or expensive to run.
The session will cover filter factors and the role of RUNSTATS on access path selection and cover how one can influence the access path.

In 2025, NatWest undertook a comprehensive reassessment of its Db2 recovery strategy to align with evolving banking regulations and to take advantage of modern platform capabilities. This review aimed to uncover limitations in existing processes, improve operational performance, and strengthen compliance.
As part of this effort, the bank evaluated Db2 utility features and automation tools that could streamline recovery activities, enforce consistent best‑practice standards, and reduce the need for continual manual tuning of utility options. Future resilience was also a priority, with the strategy designed to support NatWest’s planned adoption of Cyber Vault technology.
This session explores the challenges encountered throughout the transformation, the solutions implemented to overcome them, and the best practices that emerged—highlighting how NatWest is modernising its Db2 recovery landscape while preparing for the future.

To the average application, a database is often treated as a "black box": SQL goes in, and data comes out. But for those tasked with maintaining high-performance systems, "it just works" isn't enough. When a query hangs or a system spikes in CPU, understanding the mechanics "under the hood" is the difference between a quick fix and hours of guesswork.

This presentation takes you on a chronological journey of a query’s lifecycle. We will trace the path of a single PreparedStatement from the moment it leaves a remote application, through the DRDA protocol, and deep into the Db2 engine layers. We will explore:
- The Handshake: How client-server interactions and the SQLDA manage data exchange.
- The Brain: Inside the Query Compiler and Optimizer—how your SQL is transformed into an executable "Plan."
- The Engine Room: How the Runtime components interact with the Buffer Pools, Prefetchers, and Logger to retrieve your data.
- The Return: The mechanics of the ResultSet and how data is effic

Db2 pureScale environments are designed for high availability and scalability, but their behavior under load, failure, and recovery is often more nuanced than expected.
In this interactive session, we’ll challenge your understanding of pureScale through a series of real-world scenarios covering cluster services behavior and failure handling, locking, caching, and recovery. You’ll be asked to predict outcomes, diagnose issues, and uncover what really happens under the covers.
Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or relatively new to pureScale, this session will expose common misconceptions, highlight subtle behaviors, and deepen your intuition about how the system operates in production.
Come ready to participate, question what you think you know—and leave with insights you can apply immediately.