PREFACE

The purpose of this book is to serve as a self-study guide for the certification test required to become an IBM Certified Database Administrator (DBA) for DB2 Universal Database (UDB) version 8. In order to become certified, you must pass two exams:

1. 700 IBM DB2 UDB Version 8 Family Fundamentals

2. 702 IBM DB2 UDB Version 8 for z/OS Database Administration

In order to become an IBM Certified Database Administrator, you need to be familiar with the fundamentals of all DB2 platforms. This book covers DB2 UDB for z/OS, especially the topics on the 702 exam. If you are planning to become certified or would like an additional reference for information about DB2 for z/OS version 8, this book is for you. If you are interested in becoming an IBM Certified Professional, you will want to review the sample questions in Appendix C. For details on the other platforms, such as UNIX and Linux, and details needed for the 700 exam, refer to the other certification guide: DB2 Universal Database Version 8 for Linux, UNIX and Windows Database Administration Certification Guide, fifth edition, by George Baklarz and Bill Wong (Prentice Hall PTR, 2003).

The book is divided into five implicit sections.

1. Chapters 13 discuss the family of DB2 products, the DB2 z/OS environment, and access controls.

2. Chapters 46 cover the Structured Query Language (SQL), and its use, such as database objects creation, manipulation, and retrieval, as well as all DB2 database objects.

3. Chapters 79 describe common administration tasks and recovery issues. Chapter 9 also covers the architecture and implementation of data sharing in a parallel sysplex environment.

4. Chapters 1012 provide an introduction to application development for DBAs and some of the additional considerations for application development.

5. Chapters 1318 cover such topics as locking; advanced functions, such as stored procedures; and other object-relational extensions. Performance and optimization are covered in detail in Chapters 17 and 18.

This book can be used as a self-study guide to help you prepare for the DB2 Universal Database V8 for z/OS DBA certification exam or simply as a guide to DB2 Universal Database V8 for z/OS. For information about the DB2 UDB family or other DB2 platforms, refer to the other certification books. For detailed information about the exams, refer to Appendix C.