Troubleshooting Db2 instance creation errors

The topic provides solutions for common issues that you might encounter during the Db2 instance creation and management.

Resolving failed Db2 instance installations

If you encounter issues during the Db2 instance creation (for example, errors that are related to Docker, Colima, or Homebrew), you can restart the extension to recover from the failed installation.

Solution

  1. Reload VS Code by using one of the following methods:
    • Open the Command Palette (press Cmd+Shift+P on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Linux) and select Developer: Reload Window.
    • Press Cmd+R on macOS or Ctrl+R on Windows or Linux.

    After VS Code restarts, a pop‑up appears prompting you to complete the cleanup and reinstallation process.

  2. Follow the instructions to remove any incomplete or corrupted installation before proceeding with a fresh installation.

    Note: If VS Code was closed unexpectedly during installation, whether due to a crash or manual termination, the cleanup prompt automatically appears the next time you start VS Code.

Resolving common instance creation issues

Homebrew installation errors on macOS

Problem: The Homebrew installation process hangs or does not complete.

Solution:

  1. Check the terminal window that opened during installation for any prompts or error messages.
  2. Ensure that you entered your system password when prompted.
  3. If the installation is stuck, press Ctrl+C to cancel it, then reload VS Code and try again.
  4. Verify that you have a stable internet connection, as Homebrew downloads packages from the internet.

Docker or Colima fails to start

Problem: The Db2 instance creation fails with Docker or Colima errors.

Solution:

  1. Ensure that no other Docker-related processes are running on your system.
  2. Check that you have sufficient system resources (at least 4 GB of available RAM).
  3. On macOS, try manually restarting Colima by running colima restart in the terminal.
  4. If the issue persists, delete the existing instance and try creating a new one.

WSL integration errors on Windows

Problem: The Db2 instance fails to create in WSL.

Solution:

  1. Verify that WSL 2 is installed and set as the default version.
  2. Ensure that Docker Desktop for Windows has enabled WSL integration.
  3. Check that your WSL distribution has allocated sufficient resources.
  4. Restart Docker Desktop and try again.

Port errors

Problem: The Db2 instance creation fails due to port conflicts.

Solution:

  1. Check if another application is using the specified port.
  2. Choose a different port number (between 1 and 65535) when creating the instance.
  3. On macOS or Linux, use the command lsof -i :<port_number> to identify processes using the port.
  4. On Windows, use netstat -ano | findstr :<port_number> to identify processes using the port.

Resolving Db2 instance issues after external Docker container deletion

Problem: When a Docker container is deleted externally (outside the extension), clicking Update Db2 Instance (updating new Db2 instance) opens the Update Db2 Instance workflow that may display no data or behave unexpectedly due to the missing container.

Solution: To resolve this issue, complete the following steps:

  1. Close the Update Db2 Instance workflow opened in a new editor tab.
  2. Click Create Db2 Instance icon (Creating new Db2 instance) again.
  3. The Add Db2 Instance workflow opens in a new editor tab.

You can now install a new Db2 instance since the previous container was deleted.

If the installation fails or times out:

  1. Close the editor tab.

  2. Reopen the instance page by clicking the Create Db2 Instance icon (Creating new Db2 instance).

    A dialog appears prompting you to perform the cleanup and reinstall.

  3. Proceed with the cleanup.
  4. Install the Db2 instance again.

The installation should now complete successfully.

For problems specific to the Db2 Community Edition, for example, query execution errors, inherent limitations in the Docker image, or performance issues, see IBM Db2 Community Edition documentation.