IBM Db2
relational model database server

Db2 is a family of data management products, including database servers, developed by IBM. It initially supported the relational model, but was extended to support object–relational features and non-relational structures like JSON and XML. The brand name was originally styled as DB2 until 2017, when it changed to its present form. In the early days, it was sometimes wrongly styled as DB/2 in a false derivation from the operating system OS/2.
History
DB2 traces its roots back to the beginning of the 1970s, when Edgar F. Codd, a researcher working for IBM, described the theory of relational databases, and in June 1970, published the model for data manipulation.
In 1974, the IBM San Jose Research Center developed a related database management system (DBMS) called System R, to implement Codd's concepts. A key development of the System R project was the Structured Query Language (SQL). To apply the relational model, Codd needed a relational-database language he named DSL/Alpha. At the time, IBM did not believe in the potential of Codd's ideas, leaving the implementation to a group of programmers not under Codd's supervision. This led to an inexact interpretation of Codd's relational model that matched only part of the prescriptions of the theory; the result was Structured English QUEry Language or SEQUEL.
IBM bought Metaphor Computer Systems to utilize their GUI interface and encapsulating SQL platform that had already been in use since the mid-80s.
In parallel with the development of SQL, IBM also developed Query by Example (QBE), the first graphical query language.
IBM's first commercial relational-database product, SQL/DS, was released for the DOS/VSE and VM/CMS operating systems in 1981.
The public source identifies “IBM Db2” as relational model database server. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around relational, model and database.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “IBM Db2”, the useful work is to connect “relational model database server” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q431195. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2017, 1970, 1974 and 1981.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “IBM Db2”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow IBM Db2 primary sources, IBM Db2 archive and relational research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “IBM Db2”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “IBM Db2” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.