The path taken by application requests to reach the Db2 data store on z/OS for many years pivoted around the “classic” Db2 client and the Db2 Connect gateway. These pieces of software, for Db2, bridged the gap between the “distributed” (Db2 LUW) environment and the host (Db2 for z/OS, IBM i). The type of application (“legacy” client, web, mobile, or cloud) will for sure be a criterion to decide on the connection topology. What is the current state of the connection landscape for applications that have a Db2 backend as a target? What are the options, if any?