I just installed DB2 Express on my machine (Freebie). I went through Configuration Assistant and set up connection from my machine to our mainframe box. That all went fine. But, when I try to connect using my userid and password I get a message telling me I have licensing problem. I have done the same thing in the past with full blown version of DB2 and did have a file to run with db2licm. But this is a free version. It should not require me to have a license file. Especially, since no license file has been provided. Can anyone help me with this please. Thanks

You don't have DB2 Express, you have DB2 Express-C (two different products). However, this is not the cause of your problem.

To access mainframe DB2, you need DB2 Connect for it to work.

You could download a copy of DB2 ESE "try and buy" edition, which gives you 90 days trail for DB2 and also 90 days trial for DB2 Connnect included with that. In previous versions of DB2 (such as version 8) DB2 ESE included free DB2 Connect, but now you only get 90 days free trial on DB2 Connect even if you permenantly license the DB2 ESE server license.

Thanks Marcus.

I thought DB2 Express-C comes with a poor man's version of DB2 Connect. I also thought the configuration assistant which comes with DB2 Express-C is part of the DB2 Connect. I do have a coleague of mine here who did connect to mainframe after installing DB2 Express-C. Now I have a feeling that may be he did have DB2 Connect on his machine before he installed DB2 Express C.

Either that, or he is going to the mainframe via a DB2 Connect Gateway machine, and not directly. Many shops with a need to access mainframe DB2 from a distributed system will set up a DB2 Gateway machine with a "server" version of DB2 Connect.

Thank you Marcus.