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Status Submitted
Workspace Db2
Components Db2 Connect and Drivers
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 17, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

Unable to identify 'Data Server Driver Package' software on Red Hat (.swidtag needed)

Background

'Data Server Driver Package' is software that IBM offers via Fix Central and advertises as standalone software in their documentation. https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/db2/11.5.x?topic=overviews-data-server-clients

The software/installer installs two Data Server products: 'DS ODBC and CLI' and 'DS JDBC and SQLJ'. These products can also be installed individually and are offered individually via Fix Central.

Our company uses HCL's BigFix to identify products. BigFix uses the ILMT Readiness 4.0 catalog and can also identify rpm packages that are installed (RHEL only).

Since DSDP isn't installed via an rpm package, BigFix is unable to see if the software is installed. Instead, it can report on the .swidtag of a software on *nix servers.


Issue

Issue is found on RHEL servers. Or *nix servers. This is for DSDP v11.5 and v12.x.

DSDP doesn't have its own .swidtag file. This is an issue since scanning software can't properly identify if it's installed.

There is an .swidtag file that gets installed, but it's for ODBC/CLI. i.e. ../ibm/dsdriver/properties/version/ibm.com_IBM_Data_Server_Driver_for_ODBC_and_CLI-11.5.0.swidtag

DS JDBC/SQLJ doesn't have its on swidtag either and it's also installed via DSDP.

Since DSDP doesn't have its own .swidtag (and isn't installed via a rpm/deb package), scanning software can't properly identify if it's installed.


Propose Solution

As mentioned above, IBM treats DSDP as its own software. It should be properly identified as such. Our company downloads and uses DSDP specifically. We don't install ODBC/CLI and/or JDBC/SQLJ individually.

DSDP should have its own .swidtag. That way we can identify if DSDP is installed on our RHEL servers.

Technically JDBC/SQLJ should have its own .swidtag as well since its being installed but there is no identification around that. Though if DSDP has its own swidtag, then it's assumed that ODBC/CLI and JDBC/SQLJ is also installed since they are what makes up DSDP.

Additionally, the .swidtag should properly display the correct version that is installed. i.e. the specific modpack/fixpack/CSB. e.g. If you install v11.5.9000.17828, the swidtag will only show v11.5.0. Can the swidtag be more verbose and give the actually fixpack/CSB/version that is installed as well?

Wild request: can Data Server products be offered by rpm/deb packages for *nix offerings?

Needed By Quarter

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