Connect to IBM DB2 resources from workflows in Azure Logic Apps

Applies to: Azure Logic Apps (Consumption + Standard)

When your automated integration workflow needs to work with resources in your DB2 database, use a DB2 connector to perform operations on your database. For example, your workflow can list tables or rows, add rows, update rows, delete rows, run queries, and execute stored procedures. These actions can return data from your database for other actions in your workflow to use.

Azure Logic Apps provides the following DB2 connector versions:

• Managed connector: Available for Consumption and Standard workflows. For an on-premises DB2 server, this connector requires the on-premises data gateway.
• Built-in connector: Available only for Standard workflows. This connector runs in-process with the Azure Logic Apps runtime and connects directly to DB2 over TCP/IP without the on-premises data gateway.

Both versions communicate with remote DB2 servers across a TCP/IP network. You can use either version to access cloud databases such as IBM DB2 for Windows running in Azure virtualization.

This guide describes the operations and connection setup for both connector versions.

Supported platforms and versions

The DB2 connector supports the following IBM DB2 platforms and versions along with IBM DB2 compatible products that support Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) SQL Access Manager (SQLAM) versions 10 and 11:

Connector technical reference

The DB2 connector has different versions, based on logic app type and host environment.

Managed connector operations

The DB2 managed connector supports the following database operations, which map to the corresponding actions in the connector:

For more information about the managed connector and these actions, see DB2 managed connector reference.

Built-in connector operations

The DB2 built-in connector supports the following actions:

For more information about the built-in connector and these actions, see DB2 built-in connector reference.

Prerequisites

• An Azure account and subscription. Get a free Azure account.

• An IBM DB2 database, either cloud-based or on-premises.

• The logic app resource and workflow from where you want to access your DB2 database.

  The DB2 connector provides only actions. If you have an empty workflow, you must first add a trigger that works best for your scenario.

  The examples in this guide use the Recurrence trigger.

  For more information, see:

  • Create a Consumption logic app workflow
  • Create a Standard logic app workflow

• Connection requirements depend on the connector version:

  • Managed connector: To connect to an on-premises DB2 database, first install and set up the on-premises data gateway. The gateway isn't required when the DB2 server is publicly available or accessible in Azure.

  • Built-in connector: The on-premises data gateway isn't required. The Standard logic app hosting environment needs network access to the DB2 server and port.

Add a DB2 managed connector action

The following example uses the DB2 managed connector and shows how to add the Get tables action. To use the built-in connector with a Standard workflow, select Built-in in the connector gallery, and then select a DB2 built-in action, such as DB2 tables.

1. In the Azure portal, open your logic app resource and workflow in the designer.

2. Follow the general steps to add the DB2 action named Get tables.

   The connection information pane opens so you can provide details to connect your DB2 database.

3. Follow the steps to create a connection for a cloud-based database or on-premises database, then return here to continue.

4. After you successfully create the connection, the Get tables action information pane appears and shows that no other information is necessary:

   

5. Continue to Test your workflow and view output tables.

Set up a connection for the DB2 managed connector

Follow the steps based on whether you have a cloud or on-premises DB2 database. After you provide the necessary connection details, select Create new, and return to the previous steps.

Before you create a managed connector connection to an on-premises database, make sure that you install and set up the on-premises data gateway. This gateway requirement doesn't apply to the built-in connector.

Set up a connection for the DB2 built-in connector

For mission-critical Standard workflows, use the built-in connector. The built-in connector connects directly from the Azure Logic Apps runtime to your DB2 server over TCP/IP and doesn't use the on-premises data gateway. Ensure that the Standard logic app hosting environment has network access to the DB2 server and port.

In the workflow designer, select Built-in, select the DB2 action that you want, and create a connection. Provide the following information as applicable to your DB2 environment:

Test your workflow and view output tables

The following example shows output from the managed connector's Get tables action. You can test a workflow that uses a built-in connector action in the same way. To manually run your workflow, on the designer toolbar, from the Run list, select Run. After your workflow finishes, you can view the output from the run.

1. If the run details page doesn't open, follow these steps based on your logic app:

   • Consumption: On the logic app sidebar, under Development Tools, select Logic app designer.

   • Standard: On the workflow sidebar, select Run history.

2. In the Runs history list, select the latest workflow run, for example:

   • Consumption

     

   • Standard

     

3. On the run details page, review the status for each step in your workflow. To view the inputs and outputs for each step, select that step, for example:

   

   1. To view the inputs in JSON, select Show raw inputs.

   2. To view the outputs in JSON, select Show raw outputs.

      The outputs include a list of tables, for example:

      

Related content

• Managed connectors for Azure Logic Apps
• Built-in connectors for Azure Logic Apps
• What are connectors in Azure Logic Apps