DB2 Magazine E-Newsletter

April 24, 2002

DB2 MAGAZINE EMAIL NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4
http://www.db2mag.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. DB2 Application Development: DB2 Magazine Quarter 2, 2002
2. Asked and Answered: Should you partition to separate newer data from older data in a large table?
3. IBM News: DB2 for Linux Tech Guide, Tools Overview, Content Management Award
4. Skills and Certification: New Tutorials, Free Testing
5. At the Bookstore: Exploring IBM e-Business Software

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TO INDEX OR NOT TO INDEX
Don't underestimate or overestimate the importance of indexes when tuning your DB2 applications. Register for a FREE, 2 part, LIVE WEB CAST with internationally recognized expert, Haim Kopans on May 7 and 9.
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ALL ABOUT DB2 APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
From introductory concepts to the latest in Web services creation, DB2 Magazine has application development covered. The Quarter 2, 2002 issue, now online at http://www.db2mag.com/ offers tips and tricks for developers of all skill levels working on all platforms. Highlights include:

• When in Rome: Developing For DB2 ( http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q2/eaton.shtml ), an introduction to DB2 customs and culture.


• Web Services: Minding Your Business ( http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q2/hutchison.shtml ) and Web Services the Easy Way ( http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q2/chen.shtml ), which show the business uses for this new development approach and how to make Web services creation easier. A companion piece ( http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q2/chen2.shtml ), available only online, shows you how to create a Web service in a few easy steps.


• Granting Wishes: iSeries SQL Triggers, which introduces the new SQL triggers for DB2 for the iSeries ( http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q2/pavlak.shtml ).


• Cursors! Foiled No More ( http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q2/favero.shtml ), which explains why the new scrollable cursors in DB2 UDB for z/OS and OS/390 may be all the justification you need to upgrade to version 7.

ASKED AND ANSWERED
We have tables that are fairly large (more than 50M rows) and we can't purge data for business reasons. Should we split the data into two partitions (old and recent) so that the partition containing the subset of rows likely to be accessed is smaller? Robert Catterall offers some options online at http://www.db2mag.com/qanda/020423.shtml .

IBM NEWS
DB2 for Linux Technology Guide
Microsoft Windows may have lead year 2000 server shipments, but Linux servers rose to a surprising second place, creating new opportunities for relational databases on this platform. Should companies building on Linux servers choose an open-source relational database? The Applied Technologies Group, Inc. tackles that question in its free technology guide. You can read the guide online at https://www6.software.ibm.com/ dl/db2_01/techguide-i? S_PKG=dl&S_TACT=&S_CMP= .

IBM Data Management Tools Overview
An April Aberdeen Group profile highlights the latest IBM data management tools and utilities, noting their expansion to Unix, Windows, and Informix. "IBM Data Management Tools: New Opportunities for Cost-Effective Administration" cites the tools' low price-point, integration with new IBM database releases, scalability, and automation of DBA tasks as features attractive to customers. You can download the report at http://www-3.ibm.com/ software/data/ pubs/pdfs/ aberdeen0402.pdf .

IBM Named Leader in Enterprise Content Management
Consulting and training firm Frost & Sullivan awarded IBM its 2001 Market Engineering Award for excellence and innovation in delivering a complete infrastructure for enterprise content management. The report "European Enterprise Content Management Market" ( http://biz.yahoo.com/ iw/020403/ 040149.html ) cites IBM technology that enables customers to manage all forms of content with a unified integration layer.

SKILLS AND CERTIFICATION
New DB2 Certification Tutorials
IBM introduced six certification tutorials that correspond to the sections of the DB2 Fundamentals Certification (Exam 512). Each tutorial includes a link to a free DB2 UDB Enterprise Edition download. To try the tutorials, go to http://www7b.boulder.ibm.com/ dmdd/library/ tutorials/db2cert/ db2cert_tut.html .

Conferences Offer Free DB2 Certification
You can try a DB2 certification exam for free at several upcoming conferences: IBM DeveloperWorks Live (May 7-10 in San Francisco), IDUG North America (May 12-16 in San Diego), and The IBM Data Management Technical Conference (September 9-13 in Anaheim, CA). If the IBM events don't sound familiar, that's because they've been renamed. DeveloperWorks Live ( http://www-3.ibm.com/events/ ibmdeveloperworkslive/ ) combines the former WebSphere, Lotus DevCon, and Solutions conferences. The IBM Data Management Technical Conference ( http://www-3.ibm.com/services/ learning/conf/ us/dm/index.html ) combines the former Business Intelligence and DB2 Technical conferences and the Informix User Conference. A free certification exam is also offered in conjunction with the IBM Software Symposium June 10-14 in Vienna, Austria ( http://www-3.ibm.com/services/ learning/conf/ europe/sfw_symp/ ).

You can find more certification offers online at http://www-3.ibm.com/software/ data/db2/skills/ .

NOW PLAYING AT THE DB2 DEVELOPER DOMAIN
Writing a Web Application That Manipulates DB2 Data (Part 3),
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/ techarticle/0203vangennip/ 0203vangennip3.html

High Performance Inserts on DB2 UDB EEE Using Java,
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/ techarticle/0204pooloth/ 0204pooloth.html

DB2 UDB Family on Common Ground,
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/ techarticle/0204milligan/ 0204milligan.html

Problem Determination in a Multi-Component Environment,
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/ techarticle/0204vangennip/ 0204vangennip1.html

AT THE BOOKSTORE
Exploring IBM e-Business Software , by Casey Young

This detailed guide gives readers an explanation of e-business architecture, where IBM software products fit into that architecture, and where to get more information. Young, a senior performance analyst for DB2 Data Management Software at IBM, covers the main products and platforms for development tools and components, application server software, and secure network and management software. Find out more at the DB2 Magazine bookstore ( http://www.db2mag.com/bookstore/ ).