Product Decisions This Supports

Build vs. buy for DB2 connectivity: Use this package instead of building a custom Laravel DB2 connector when integrating Laravel/PHP applications with IBM DB2 — especially legacy enterprise systems such as iSeries, z/OS, or LUW.
Read-only reporting and analytics features: The new readonly mode with custom configuration in 2.1.0 supports product decisions around dashboards, exports, reconciliation tools, and internal reporting that must query DB2 without risking writes.
Architecture for hybrid systems: Supports Laravel apps that read from DB2 (ERP, mainframe, data warehouse) while writing elsewhere; read-only connections can enforce least-privilege access and separate credentials.
Roadmap confidence: Live database tests added in 2.1.0 improve confidence that DB2-backed modules are production-ready, reducing QA and release risk for DB2-dependent features.
Use cases: Internal admin tools over DB2, BI/reporting layers, legacy modernization, data synchronization, and read-only API services.

When to Consider This Package

Consider it when a Laravel/PHP application must connect to IBM DB2 and there is no first-party Laravel driver.
Adopt it when you need read-only DB2 access for reporting, analytics, or least-privilege enforcement — the new readonly mode is directly relevant.
Evaluate it when your team wants a community-maintained driver with live database tests (2.1.0+) rather than an untested wrapper.
Look elsewhere if you are using PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server, where Laravel has native support.
Look elsewhere if you require vendor-backed SLAs, advanced DB2 feature parity beyond standard query builder/Eloquent usage, or cannot run live DB2 tests in CI.
Treat package maturity as a criterion: live tests are a positive signal, but assess maintenance activity and issue response before committing.

Executives: This package lets Laravel applications integrate with existing IBM DB2 systems, preserving legacy investments. The new read-only mode reduces risk of accidental writes in reporting and analytics use cases, while live database tests improve reliability before release.
Engineering: Version 2.1.0 adds readonly connections with custom configuration and live DB2 test coverage. Use it for DB2-backed Laravel integrations, especially read-only reporting workloads; validate fit against native Laravel database drivers and confirm CI access to a live DB2 instance for testing.