DB2 Magazine E-Newsletter

October 30, 2002

DB2 MAGAZINE EMAIL NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10
http://www.db2mag.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Now Online: DB2 Magazine Quarter 4, 2002
2. Asked and Answered:
   -- Should you use locksize TABLE in a data warehouse?
   -- Where to find more information about DB2 and WebSphere MQ
3. Readers Love the Blues: IBM tops readers' choice awards
4. What's Working In IT: 2002 RealWare Awards NetSeminar
5. Skills and Certification News
6. Now Playing at the DB2 Developer Domain
7. At the Bookstore: SQL Performance Tuning

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1. NOW ONLINE: DB2 MAGAZINE QUARTER 4, 2002

One year ago this month, IBM published a manifesto that issued a "Grand Challenge" to its competitors, colleagues, and customers: Find ways to build and deploy computing systems that regulate themselves and remove complexity from the lives of administrators and users. That manifesto introduced IBM's vision of autonomic computing; that is, of self-managed systems (inspired by the human nervous system) that perform key functions with minimal human intervention.

In 2002, the Self-Managing and Resource Tuning (SMART) project, one of many efforts across IBM inspired by this manifesto, brought DB2 closer to the autonomic vision with the introduction of new tools that automate DBA tasks and features built into DB2 UDB v.8.1 that promise to make the database software easier to use and manage. In the latest issue of DB2 Magazine, you can read all about IBM's plans to enable DB2 to take care of itself -- and what that means for DBAs. IBM authors explain the drive to develop autonomic computing and highlight the SMART features in DB2 today and on the horizon in "A SMARTer DB2," http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/lightstone.shtml

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DB2 UDB v.8.1 contains many SMART features, but they aren't the only interesting aspects of the 8.1 release, according to performance expert Philip Gunning. The DGI consultant provides complete roundup of 8.1's best new features in "Database Technology Leaps Ahead," which you can read online at http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/gunning.shtml

With all this talk of automation, should DBAs consider a career switch? Not so, according to the experts interviewed by DB2 Magazine editor Kim Moutsos. Automation won't replace DBAs, it will just free them to tackle the kinds of planning and prevention tasks that could make their jobs a lot more pleasant. To find out what these are, read "Where Do You Want to Go Next?" online at http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/moutsos.shtml

You can also vote for the project you'd most like to tackle if only you had more time in the DB2 Magazine online poll at http://www.db2mag.com

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A recent independent study found that DB2 delivers the lowest database Total Cost of Ownership for J.D.Edwards.
Get a free copy of this May 2002 study at:
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Other highlights of the Quarter 4 issue include:

*An online only article, straight from the pens of IBM customers Amica Mutual Insurance Co. and Royal Bank of Canada, on how they use IBM tools - and how they like them http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/tooltales.shtml

*An overview of the new release of IBM's small footprint database, DB2 Everyplace, by Paul Zikopoulos, http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/zikopoulos.shtml

*Advice on when to COMMIT on a read, http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/sampat.shtml

*Product news from IBM and its partners, including online only announcements from Protegrity and other vendors and recent DB2 benchmark news from IBM http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q4/product.shtml

2. ASKED AND ANSWERED

In your article "Tuning Up for OLTP and Data Warehousing" -- http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q3/hayes.shtml -- you mention that all user activity in a DW environment is read only. What's the impact of changing the Locksize for tables from the default of ROW to TABLE? Find out what performance expert Scott Hayes recommends at http://www.db2mag.com/qanda/021029b.shtml

I enjoyed your article on DB2 and MQ -- read "Do You MQ?" online at http://www.db2mag.com/db_area/archives/2002/q3/db2dba.shtml -- but I'm new to DB2 and have some questions. Is the queue integrated within DB2 or is it a separate operating system-specific type of queue like a global section held in memory? Also, can you explain what CICS is? Read DB2 DBA guru Robert Catterall's advice here http://www.db2mag.com/qanda/021029a.shtml

And, for more information on WebSphere MQ and DB2, try this series from the DB2 Developer Domain: DB2 and WebSphere MQ Integration Tutorial Part 1 http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/tutorials/0210weinmeister/index.html and Part 2 http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/tutorials/0210weinmeister2/

3. IBM TOPS READERS' CHOICE AWARDS

Magazine readers apparently love the blues - Big Blue's products, that is. IBM topped the charts in seven categories of the Intelligent Enterprise 2002 Readers' Choice Awards, including Specialized Data Management Products (DB2 Digital Library), Application Servers (WebSphere), Systems Integration/Consulting (IBM Global Services), and Enterprise Integration Middleware (WebSphere MQ). You'll find the complete list of winners at http://www.intelligententerprise.com/021030/517rca1_2.shtml

In a contest published last month, DM Review readers selected IBM in four of the nine categories in that magazine's 2002 Readership Awards, which you can read about at http://www.dmreview.com/master.cfm?NavID=62&EdID=5844

4. WHAT'S WORKING IN IT: 2002 REALWARE AWARDS NETSEMINAR

The winners and finalists of the 10th Annual RealWare Awards offer a rare and comprehensive view of what it takes to meet strategic business objectives in these tough economic times. The editors of the CMP Media LLC magazines Intelligent Enterprise and Transform lead a live discussion of what sets these companies apart with judges, vendors, and users who participated in the awards program. Join in the discussion on November 12 at 11:00 a.m. (PST). To register, go to http://www.netseminar.com/nss/showSeminar?sem_num=759

5. SKILLS AND CERTIFICATION NEWS

New Data Management Redbooks Available
Three new data management Redbooks highlighting DB2 and IMS are now available on the Data Management Redbooks Portal at http://publib-b.boulder.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/Portals/Data

Most IBM Redbooks, developed and published by IBM's International Technical Support Organization, are available in Adobe PDF format for online viewing, downloading, or printing.

A Fast Path to DB2 UDB System Administration
If you're an experienced IBM Informix Dynamic Server System Administrator or an Oracle System Administrator, check out the new IBM cross-training courses that will help you quickly transfer your skills to DB2. For more information and to register, go to http://www-3.ibm.com/software/data/education/sysadmin.html

New V.8.1 DB2 UDB Certification Guides
Several new certification guides are on their way to help you prepare for the DB2 UDB V8.1 certification exams debuting in November. Check the list for ordering information at http://www-3.ibm.com/software/data/pubs/certbooks.html

6. NOW PLAYING AT THE DB2 DEVELOPER DOMAIN

Building Wireless Java Applications Using DB2 Everyplace
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/techarticle/0210balani/0210balani.html

How to Set Up and Execute a Mobile Project with DB2 Everyplace
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/techarticle/0210mayer/0210mayer.html

Coding DB2 SQL for Performance: The Basics
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/library/techarticle/0210mullins/0210mullins.html

New Borland Zone for Developers
http://www7b.software.ibm.com/dmdd/zones/borland/

7. AT THE BOOKSTORE

SQL Performance Tuning , by Peter Gulutzan and Trudy Pelzer

SQL Performance Tuning contains tips, techniques, and best practices for database professionals. The hands-on guide covers SQL commands and queries over a wide range of conditions and environments. Every facet of the SQL environment is covered, from concurrency control to optimization. The book includes an overview of each of the most widely used DBMSs and provides tuning tips for common situations. For details or to purchase, go to http://www.db2mag.com/bookstore/