Database names are the identifying names you or your users provide as part of the CREATE DATABASE command or API. These names must be unique within the location in which they are cataloged. For example, for UNIX-based implementations of DB2, this location is a directory path, while in OS/2 implementations it is a drive letter.
Database alias names are local synonyms given to local or remote databases. These names must be unique within the System Database Directory, in which all aliases are stored for the individual instance of the database manager. When a new database is created, the alias defaults to the database name. As a result, you cannot create a database using a name that exists as a database alias, even if there is no database with that name.
When naming a database or a database alias, the name you specify:
| Note: | To avoid potential problems, do not use the special characters @, #, and $ in a database name if you intend to use the database in a communications environment. Also, because these characters are not common to all keyboards, do not use them if you plan to use the database in another country. Finally, on Windows NT systems, ensure that no instance name is the same as a service name. |