Previously known for power but not usability, DB2 Universal Database has new easy-to-use wizards and strong support for open-standard XML and Java, making it a competitive solution. DB2's performance on our tests was middle-of-the pack, but its comparatively low price tag will be a strong incentive for many.

DB2's administrative console, Control Center, is among the best we tested. The Java-based tool's graphical wizards simplify common administration chores such as defining new databases and managing objects. We particularly liked the backup wizard. On the downside, the Control Center's window occasionally didn't refresh when we think it should have, and its performance-monitoring tools were not as easy to use as Oracle9i's and Microsoft SQL Server's.

For working with SQL scripts and queries, the DB2 Command Center offers a comprehensive feature set. Like SQL Server, DB2 can display results in a grid. It was the only tool in our roundup that let us query and edit data on the fly, but we wish it reported tablespace sizes in bytes rather than in blocks.

DB2 also shows plans for optimizing SQL statements, including a graphical display of how it will execute a query. DB2's cost-based optimizer does a lot to speed up queries. We liked the SQL Assist, which helps you build SQL statements. Though the Command Center doesn't have a standard Windows menu structure and its 18-character identifier limit is too small, it's a capable and usable administrative tool.

For more experienced administrators, DB2's console-based Command Line Processor can run SQL queries and manage the DB2 environment; it offers commands for putting databases on- and off-line and for batch-mode backups. We used DB2's extensive online help for this, which provides both an InfoCenter window and HTML help. Although switching between browsers was awkward, the help system was clear.

In its clustering, IBM parallelizes SQL queries across different nodes and avoids resource contention problems—like a really efficient manager who divides a project among eight workers so they don't step on each other's toes.

DB2 comes with a J2EE application server—IBM WebSphere. The version we tested has tools for using Web services—the only of their kind in our roundup. Though you'll need to write Java code in IBM's included VisualAge for Java Pro, you can call DB2 stored procedures via Web services. (Microsoft is planning similar capabilities for a SQL Server add-on.)

DB2's support for Java runs deep. Like the Sybase and Oracle databases, DB2 supports using Java (and SQLJ) for stored procedures. A distinguishing feature for developers is the wizard-driven stored-procedure builder. It let us easily create several order-processing procedures.

DB2's support for ongoing XML standards currently exceeds that of Oracle9i and SQL Server. The current version supports XPath queries, bulk XML inserts, and record sets returned in XML. We found basic XML processing with DB2 just as simple as with SQL Server for querying results and inserting XML into a database.

DB2 ships with a generous set of modules, including a basic OLAP package called the OLAP Starter Kit. (A separately priced package—DB2 OLAP Services—offers even more.) We tested the Starter Kit with order and sales data from our sample online store. Again, DB2's wizards helped us begin defining a data cube and performing basic statistical analysis. And we liked how the Data Warehouse Center offers easy scheduling of data replication to an off-line warehouse.

Like Sybase's and Microsoft's database servers, DB2 can link to heterogeneous enterprise data sources. To this end, it ships with DB2 Extenders for text, XML, and even audio and video files. But it doesn't offer bitmap indices. There's a DB2 OLE DB driver for linking to Microsoft products and a JDBC 2.0 driver for working in Java.

When importing tables for our testing, DB2 wouldn't let us reorder columns, and we could assign index table spaces only at table creation time. To its advantage, DB2 automatically redistributed tablespace data across multiple drives.

DB2 works with IBM MQSeries, a message-oriented middleware server for asynchronously driven publish/subscribe systems. Separate connectors are also available for SAP R/3 and other data sources. In days gone by, IBM might have invited you to place all your data in DB2 format, but the company has made great strides in letting DB2 interoperate with different databases and types of data.

In all, this version of DB2 adds usability, strong support for open standards, and interoperability. It's also reasonably priced for an enterprise-class product.