The DB2 Universal Database Family


DB2 Universal Database, Version 8.1 is the latest release of IBM's popular data management software that was first introduced in 1989. Like previous versions, DB2 UDB V8.1 runs on a wide variety of platforms (AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP), and several editions are available ”each of which has been designed to meet a specific business need. These editions, along with an extensive suite of add-on products that provide additional storage capability and advanced connectivity, are collectively known as the DB2 Universal Database Family.

The heart of the DB2 Universal Database Family is comprised of six different editions of DB2 UDB, designed to support increasingly complex database/ user environments, and two developer's editions, containing a rich set of tools that can be used to develop applications that interact with DB2 UDB databases, regardless of where they reside. These editions are:

  • DB2 Everyplace Database Edition

  • DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition

  • DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition

  • DB2 Workgroup Server Edition

  • DB2 Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition

  • DB2 Enterprise Server Edition

  • DB2 Personal Developer's Edition

  • DB2 Universal Developer's Edition

All of the DB2 UDB editions available, along with the type of computing environment each edition is primarily designed for, can be seen in Figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1. DB2 Universal Database Editions.

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Each DB2 UDB edition utilizes the same database engine, recognizes ANSI Structured Query Language (SQL), and offers an abundance of graphical user interface (GUI) tools that can be used to both manage and interact with DB2 UDB databases and database objects.

DB2 Everyplace ”Database Edition and Enterprise Edition

DB2 Everyplace is both a relational database management system and a synchronization server that allows enterprise applications and data to be accessed from mobile devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and handheld personal computers (HPCs). With a footprint of approximately 180 kilobytes, DB2 Everyplace can be run on any of the following operating systems:

  • Palm OS

  • Symbian OS Version 6

  • Microsoft Windows CE/Pocket PC

  • Win32 (Windows NT and Windows 2000)

  • QNX Neutrino, Linux, and embedded Linux devices

DB2 Everyplace is available in two editions: DB2 Everyplace Database Edition and DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition. DB2 Everyplace Database Edition is designed to be used by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and application developers who wish to create powerful mobile and embedded applications that work with DB2 Everyplace database data stored directly on a mobile device. On the other hand, DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition is designed to be a complete datacentric mobile synchronization server. This secure server is responsible for managing the distribution and synchronization of data between mobile device users and back-end data sources such as DB2 UDB, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft SQL Server. (Synchronization is performed whenever a connection to the backend data source is detected .)

The Command Line Processor (CLP) is available with both DB2 Everyplace Database Edition and DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition. It can be used to execute industry standard SQL statements; thus with DB2 Everyplace, users can create or drop database objects (such as tables and indexes), as well as insert, update, delete, or retrieve specific data values. Additionally, both editions of DB2 Everyplace come with a complete set of development tools that can be used to build, deploy, and support DB2 UDB applications that work with both a DB2 Everyplace database and with enterprise data stored on any supported back-end database server.

DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition

DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition (PE) is a single-user database management system that is designed to be used on Personal Computer (PC) systems running any of the following operating systems:

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

  • Windows XP (with FixPack #4 or later)

With DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition, a user can create, manipulate, and administer any number of databases; however, each database created must reside on a storage medium managed by the PC on which the DB2 UDB software has been installed. Remote clients cannot access databases that are under DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition's control, but PCs running DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition can act as remote clients and access data stored on other DB2 UDB servers. Furthermore, DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition allows databases under its control to be managed from remote DB2 UDB servers, which makes it the perfect edition for standalone or remote office implementations that do not require multiuser capability. Figure 2-2 shows the database environment that can exist when DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition is used.

Figure 2-2. DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition database environment.

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DB2 Workgroup Server Edition

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition (DB2 WSE) is a full-function, client/server database management system designed to be used on microcomputers that have up to 4 CPUs and are running any of the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • HP-UX

  • Solaris

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

  • Windows XP

For the most part, DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition is functionally equivalent to DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition. However, DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition does not provide integrated mainframe connectivity, and its feature set is somewhat limited (for example, 64-bit computing, Data Links, and external Web-based usage are not supported). Figure 2-3 shows the database environment that can exist when DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition is installed.

Figure 2-3. DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition database environment.

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Remote clients can access databases that are under DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition's control, and computers running DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition can act as remote clients to other DB2 UDB servers. In both cases, client/server communications are performed using one of the following communications protocols:

  • Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

  • NetBIOS

  • Internet Packet Exchange/Sequence Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX)

  • Advanced Program-To-Program Communications (APPC)

  • Named Pipes

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition is ideal for small- to medium- sized business environments that need a full-function database server that is scalable and available over a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). It is also useful for departments that are comprised of a small number of internal users who need a relational data store.

DB2 Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition (DB2 WSUE) is essentially DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition with a simplified per-processor licensing model, as opposed to the capacity (registered user) pricing model DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition uses. And like DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition, DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition can be used on microcomputers that are running any of the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • HP-UX

  • Solaris

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

  • Windows XP

However, because its licensing model is different, DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition provides support for external Web-based usage. This makes it the perfect choice for departmental or small business environments that need Web-based access to their data and for departments and businesses whose sheer number of users makes per-processor licensing more attractive than the capacity licensing model used by DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition.

DB2 Enterprise Server Edition

DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition (DB2 ESE) is a full-function, Web-enabled client/server database management system designed to be used on any size server that is running one of the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • HP-UX

  • Solaris

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

In addition to providing all of the functionality found in DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition, DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition comes packaged with a tightly integrated connectivity product (DB2 Connect) that allows it to participate in heterogeneous networks using the Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) protocol. This feature allows up to five DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition users to interact with iSeries and zSeries-based DB2 databases, as well as non-database host resources like CICS, VSAM, and IMS. (If more user connectivity is needed, you can purchase additional DB2 Connect user entitlements .) Figure 2-4 shows the database environment that can exist when DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition is installed.

Figure 2-4. DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition database environment.

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Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) is comprised of two distinct components : an Application Requestor (AR) and an Application Server (AS). Any client that implements an Application Requestor can connect to any server that has implemented an Application Server, and any server that implements an Application Server can be accessed by any client that has implemented an Application Requestor. Thus, if only one DRDA component has been implemented on a client or a server, communication can only flow one way. With DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition, both an Application Requestor and an Application Server are implemented, so communications can flow in both directions ”provided the iSeries or zSeries server that DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition is attempting to communicate with also has implemented both an Application Requestor and an Application Server.


DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition is designed to meet the database server needs of midsize to large businesses, particularly where Internet and/or enterprise connectivity is important; its scalability and reliability, coupled with its robust feature set, make it the ideal foundation for building data warehouses, online transaction processing systems, or Web-based solutions, as well as an excellent back-end for packaged solutions like ERP, CRM, or SCM.

Database Partitioning Feature

With Version 7.1, a special edition of DB2 UDB known as DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Extended Edition (EEE) had to be used if you wanted to divide (or partition) a single database into two or more sections within a large SMP workstation or across multiple workstations running the same operating system. With Version 8.1, the ability to partition a database is provided through a special feature of DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition known as the Database Partitioning Feature (DPF).

When enabled, the Database Partitioning Feature provides users with multiple benefits, including the ability to support very large databases or complex workloads and increased parallelism for administration tasks . And where DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Extended Edition was a completely different product, the Database Partitioning Feature is license-activated and does not require the installation of additional products before database partitioning can be performed. Thus, if you already have DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition installed and determine that it would be beneficial to partition one or more of the databases that are under its control, it is not necessary to remove the current installation and install a new edition. Instead, you simply purchase a Database Partitioning Feature license for each server you plan to create database partitions on.

Figure 2-5 illustrates how the Data Partitioning Feature can be used in conjunction with DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition to produce a clustered database server environment.

Figure 2-5. Clustered database server environment produced by DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition and the Data Partitioning Feature.

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DB2 Personal Developer's Edition

DB2 Personal Developer's Edition contains both the single-user database management system that is provided with DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition and a software development toolkit (SDK) that can be used to develop desktop applications that interact with single-user databases that fall under DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition's control. Using the tools provided with the DB2 Personal Developer's Edition, a developer can construct applications that interact with DB2 UDB databases, using a wide variety of available methods :

  • Embedded Structured Query Language (SQL)

  • IBM's Call Level Interface (CLI), which is comparable to Microsoft's Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface

  • DB2 UDB's rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

  • Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)

  • SQLJ

The toolkit provided with DB2 Personal Developer's Edition contains a set of libraries and header files for each programming language supported (COBOL, FORTRAN, C, C++, and Java), a set of sample programs to help with your development efforts, and an SQL precompiler/binder, which is used to process source code files containing embedded SQL so that they can be compiled and linked by a conventional compiler. Like DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition, DB2 Personal Developer's Edition is designed to be used on Personal Computer (PC) systems that are running any of the following operating systems:

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

  • Windows XP (with FixPack #4 or later)

Furthermore, applications developed with the toolkit provided with DB2 Personal Developer's Edition can be run on any PC on which DB2 Personal Developer's Edition or DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition has been installed.

DB2 Universal Developer's Edition

DB2 Universal Developer's Edition is designed to be used by Independent Software Vendors and application developers who wish to build solutions that utilize the latest DB2 Universal Database technologies available. This comprehensive developer's package includes each edition of DB2 Universal Database except DB2 Everyplace, all three DB2 UDB clients, both editions of DB2 Connect, all of the DB2 Extenders, the DB2 Warehouse Manager, DB2 Intelligent Miner, and the same software development toolkit that comes with DB2 Personal Developer's Edition. However, because DB2 Universal Developer's Edition provides an application developer with a package that contains all of the tools needed to design, build, and prototype applications for deployment on any DB2 client or server platform available at a relatively low cost, none of the software provided in this package can be used to establish a production system.

DB2 Universal Database Clients

In order to create a client/server environment, you must have some kind of client software installed on the workstation that will serve as the client before communications with a server can be established. Consequently, most DB2 Universal Database editions contain the software needed to set up two or more types of clients. Three types of DB2 Universal Database clients are available:

  • DB2 Run-Time Client

  • DB2 Administration Client

  • DB2 Application Development Client

Any one of these three clients can be created (by installing the appropriate client software) on any number of workstations; however, the type of client you elect to create for a given workstation should be determined by the requirements of that workstation. For example, if a particular workstation will only be used to execute a database application that interacts with a database stored on a DB2 UDB server, it would need to be set up as a DB2 Run-Time Client (by installing the DB2 Run-Time Client software appropriate for the operating system found on that workstation). As you can see from this example, in order to know which client to create for a given situation, you need to understand how each of the three clients available differ and when each one should be used.

DB2 Run-Time Client

The DB2 Run-Time Client provides workstations running a variety of operating systems with the ability to access DB2 UDB databases that are controlled by one or more DB2 UDB and/or DB2 Connect servers. This client is a lightweight client that provides basic connectivity, which allows client workstation users to issue interactive SQL statements that access data stored on a DB2 UDB/DB2 Connect server. Likewise, the DB2 Run-Time Client allows applications using ODBC/CLI, JDBC, SQLJ, and OLE DB to run on a client workstation and interact with data stored on a DB2 UDB/DB2 Connect server.

DB2 Run-Time Client software is available for the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • HP-UX

  • Solaris

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

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Although the DB2 Run-Time Client provided with earlier versions of DB2 UDB contained GUI facilities, such as the Configuration Assistant, most of those facilities have been removed in Version 8.1 to reduce storage space requirements. In fact, the only GUI tool available with the Version 8.1 DB2 Run-Time Client is the ODBC/CLI Administration tool.


Figure 2-6 shows the environment that can exist when the DB2 Run-Time Client is used to access a DB2 UDB server.

Figure 2-6. Typical DB2 client-server environment.

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DB2 Administration Client

Like the DB2 Run-Time Client, the DB2 Administration Client provides workstations running a variety of operating systems with the ability to access DB2 UDB databases that are controlled by one or more DB2 UDB and/or DB2 Connect servers. However, where the DB2 Run-Time Client provides basic connectivity capabilities, the DB2 Administration Client provides basic connectivity and the ability to perform administrative operations on DB2 UDB databases that reside on a DB2 UDB/DB2 Connect server from a client workstation. To help with this endeavor, the DB2 Administration Client comes with a rich set of administrative tools (the Control Center and the Configuration Assistant) as well as support for Thin Clients.

DB2 Administration Client software is available for the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • HP-UX

  • Solaris

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

DB2 Application Development Client

Like the other clients, the DB2 Application Development Client provides workstations running a variety of operating systems with the ability to access DB2 UDB databases that are controlled by one or more DB2 UDB and/or DB2 Connect servers. However, unlike the other clients, the DB2 Application Development Client also provides a collection of both GUI and non-GUI tools and components that can be used to develop, test, and run applications designed to interact with databases that reside on DB2 UDB/DB2 Connect servers. As you might imagine, the application development tools provided with the DB2 Application Development Client are the same as those provided with the DB2 Developer's editions (the Development Center, a set of libraries and header files for each programming language supported, a set of sample programs to help with your development efforts, and an SQL precompiler/binder, which is used to process source code files containing embedded SQL so that they can be compiled and linked by a conventional compiler). The Application Development Client includes the tools and components provided with the DB2 Administration Client product as well.

DB2 Application Development Client software is available for the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • HP-UX

  • Solaris

  • Linux

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

Other DB2 Universal Database Products

Along with the DB2 UDB editions that make up the core of the DB2 Universal Database Family, several other products designed to expand and enhance the functionality and capabilities of DB2 UDB are available. These products, which make up the remainder of the DB2 Universal Database Family, are:

  • DB2 Connect

  • DB2 Relational Connect

  • DB2 Extenders

  • DB2 Data Links Manager

  • DB2 Warehouse Manager

  • Information Catalog Center

  • DB2 Query Patroller

  • Query Management Facility

  • DB2 OLAP Server

The following sections describe each of these products.

DB2 Connect

DB2 Connect provides a robust, highly scalable communication infrastructure that is used to connect PCs and LAN-based workstations to mainframe and minicomputer databases managed by DB2 for z/OS, DB2 for MVS/ESA, DB2 for VSE/VM, and DB2 for AS/400. DB2 Connect also allows DB2 UDB applications to interface with a wide variety of off-the-shelf products, such as spreadsheets (Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel), decision-support tools (BusinessObjects, Brio and Impromptu, and Crystal Reports ), non-DB2 databases (Lotus Approach and Microsoft Access), and client/server application development tools (PowerSoft, PowerBuilder, and Borland Delphi). DB2 Connect is an add-on product that must be purchased separately unless DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition is installed; a limited-use version is provided with DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition. Once DB2 Connect is installed and configured, DB2 UDB applications that run on Linux, UNIX, and Windows platforms can work with any supported database/product transparently . However, in order for the reverse to be true (i.e., DB2 UDB applications that run on mainframes and minicomputers can interact with DB2 UDB databases stored on Linux, UNIX, and Windows platforms), DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition or higher must be installed on the Linux, UNIX, or Windows workstation.

DB2 Connect is available in several editions and each is designed to address specific data access and usage growth needs. The DB2 Connect editions that are available are:

  • DB2 Connect Personal Edition

  • DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition

  • DB2 Connect Application Server Edition

  • DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition

DB2 Connect Personal Edition (PE) . DB2 Connect Personal Edition provides direct connectivity between Linux and Windows workstations and mainframe/iSeries database servers. It is designed for traditional two- tier client-server environments in which each client application connects directly to the desired database on the server. This edition of DB2 Connect does not accept inbound requests for data and cannot be used with multiuser systems and multiuser application servers.

DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition (EE) . DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition provides direct connectivity between Linux, UNIX, and Windows work stations and mainframe/iSeries database servers. It is designed for two-tier client-server applications where the use of a mid-tier gateway server is desirable. Unlike DB2 Connect Personal Edition, DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition accepts inbound client requests and is suitable for use in environments where the number of concurrent users can easily be determined or where the number of registered users is relatively small. However, this edition of DB2 Connect is not suitable in environments where multitier client server applications or Web-based applications are used, because determining the number of concurrent users in such environments is not practical and licensing every registered user may be cost-prohibitive.

DB2 Connect Application Server Edition (ASE) . DB2 Connect Application Server provides the same functionality as DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition; this edition is designed to provide a cheaper alternative to DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition for environments in which one or more multitier applications will access enterprise data with regular frequency, and the growth of the number of users of these applications is expected to be slow or minimal over time.

DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition (UE) . DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition essentially provides an unlimited number of both DB2 Connect Personal Edition and DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition licenses; this edition is designed to provide a pricing alternative for environments where either a large amount of access to enterprise data is needed today or a large amount of mainframe access will be needed sometime in the future.

DB2 Relational Connect

DB2 Relational Connect works in conjunction with DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition to provide native read access to Informix IDS, Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Essentially, DB2 Relational Connect allows you to combine data stored in other DBMSs with data that is being managed by DB2 UDB; differences between DB2 UDB functions and data types are mapped so that a collection of different databases can be viewed and manipulated as if they were managed by a single resource. DB2 Relational Connect is an add-on product that must be purchased separately. Typically, it is used to create a federated database environment or to make data stored in another DBMS product available to the DB2 Data Warehouse Center.

DB2 Extenders

In most relational database systems, data is stored according to its data type, and DB2 Universal Database is no exception. Therefore, in order to store a wide variety of data, DB2 UDB contains a rich set of built-in data types, along with a set of functions designed to manipulate each data type provided. DB2 UDB also allows users to create their own data types (known as user-defined types) and supporting functions (known as user-defined functions) to better handle data that does not map directly to one of the built-in data types. Building on this capability, the developers of DB2 UDB created several sets of user-defined data types and user-defined functions for the sole purpose of managing specific kinds of data. Collectively, these sets of user-defined data types and functions are referred to as extenders, because they extend the basic functionality and capabilities of a DB2 UDB database. Currently, five different extender products are available. They are:

  • DB2 Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

  • DB2 Text Extender

  • DB2 Net Search Extender

  • DB2 XML Extender

  • DB2 Spatial Extender

DB2 Audio, Video, and Image Extender

As the name implies, the DB2 Audio, Video, and Image Extender contains a set of user-defined data types and functions that allow a DB2 UDB database to store and manipulate nontraditional data such as audio clips, movies, and pictures. The data types and functions that are provided by the DB2 Audio, Video, and Image Extender can be used just like any of the built-in data types and functions in SQL statements. And because SQL can be used to construct multi-data-type queries, this extender provides a lot of flexibility when searching for information. For example, a query could be written to locate a particular movie by searching for its description, the date it was recorded, or its total playing time. Additionally, the Query By Image Content (QBIC) capability provided with this extender can be used to locate images that have a particular color combination, or that have colors and/or textures that are similar to those of another image.

DB2 Text Extender

The DB2 Text Extender contains a set of user-defined data types that can store complex text documents in a DB2 UDB database and a set of user-defined functions that can extract key information from such documents, regardless of where they are stored (text documents can be stored either in a DB2 UDB database or in a file system that is accessible to the DB2 Database Manager). This extender's strength comes from IBM's powerful linguistic search and text-mining technology; this technology allows users to construct queries that will search through any kind of text document, including most word processing documents for:

  • A specific word.

  • A specific phrase.

  • A particular word sequence.

  • Word variations (such as plural forms of a word or the word in a different tense).

  • Synonyms of a particular word.

  • Similar-sounding words.

  • Words that have a similar spelling.

  • Words that have a particular pattern (for example, all words that begin with the characters "data").

DB2 Net Search Extender

The DB2 Net Search Extender provides application developers using Net.Data, Java, or DB2's Call Level Interface (CLI) with a way to integrate the search functionality provided by the DB2 Text Extender into their applications. Because the DB2 Net Search Extender is similar to, but performs faster than, the DB2 Text Extender, it can be particularly advantageous when used with Internet applications, where search performance on large indexes can be critical and the ability to scale the processing of concurrent queries is needed. The key features the DB2 Net Search Extender provides include the following:

  • The ability to create multiple indexes on a single column (indexing proceeds without acquiring row-level locks).

  • The ability to create indexes across multiple processors.

  • The ability to search for a particular word or phrase.

  • The ability to search for words that have a similar spelling.

  • The ability to perform wildcard searches (for example, search for all words that begin with the characters "net").

  • The ability to control how search results are sorted.

  • The ability to limit the number of search results returned.

  • The ability to search for tags or sections (with or without using Boolean operations).

It is important to note that unlike other DB2 extenders, which provide their functionality through a set of user-defined data types and user-defined functions, the DB2 Net Search Extender provides its functionality through a set of stored procedures.

DB2 XML Extender

The DB2 XML Extender contains a set of user-defined data types and functions that can be used to store extensible markup language (XML) documents in a DB2 UDB database (as character data) and to manipulate such documents, regardless of where they are stored (either in a DB2 UDB database or in a file system that is accessible to the DB2 Database Manager). The DB2 XML Extender can be used to decompose (extract) XML elements from a document and store them in columns and tables; it can also compose (create) new XML documents from existing character and numerical data or previously extracted XML data. And because the same powerful search capabilities provided with the DB2 Text Extender are available with the DB2 XML Extender, specific items can be quickly located within a set of XML documents.

DB2 Spatial Extender

Traditionally, geo-spatial data has been managed by specialized Geographic Information Systems (GISs) that because of their design, have been unable to integrate their spatial data with business data stored in other relational database management systems and/or data sources. However, shortly after DB2 Universal Database, Version 5.0 was released, IBM, together with Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), a leading manufacturer of spatial database systems, created a set of user-defined data types for describing spatial data (for example, points, lines, and polygons) and a set of user-defined functions to query spatial objects (for example, to find area, endpoints, and intersects). This set of user-defined data types and functions make up the DB2 Spatial Extender.

The DB2 Spatial Extender can be used to store, generate, and analyze spatial information about geographic features. With this extender, spatial data can be stored along with nonspatial business information in the same DB2 UDB database and presented in a three-dimensional format. This capability allows businesses to make geospatial business-intelligence decisions without having to physically move data from one location to another.

DB2 Data Links Manager

The DB2 Data Links Manager allows you to manage and manipulate data that resides in both unstructured files (for example, audio clips, images, and video streams) and in a DB2 UDB database. Files that are stored outside of a DB2 UDB database reside in file systems that are accessible to the DB2 Database Manager and are managed as if they were stored inside the database; the DB2 Data Links Manager takes control of the file system and allows DB2 UDB to provide enhanced access control over all files that reside in the file system, ensuring referential integrity is maintained and the files become part of backup and restore operations (which are crucial for data management in transactional environments). And because files linked to a DB2 database by the DB2 Data Links Manager are backed up asynchronously whenever a file reference is stored in a DATALINK column, the data backup image produced is smaller and can be generated more quickly than if the file data was stored directly in the database itself (for example, as a LOB).

The DB2 Data Links Manager can also maximize application performance and reduce network traffic by strategically storing external files close to where they will be needed. Furthermore, little or no change is required in existing DB2 UDB applications; they can often take advantage of the DB2 Data Links Manager as soon as it has been installed.

DB2 Data Links Manager is an add-on product that must be purchased separately. It is available for the following operating systems:

  • AIX

  • Solaris

  • Windows NT

  • Windows 2000

File systems supported include:

  • AIX Journaled File System (JFS)

  • Solaris UNIX File System (UFS)

  • Windows NT File System (NTFS)

DB2 Data Warehouse Center and Warehouse Manager

Collecting and storing data is a process that almost every business performs. However, in order to make business intelligence decisions that are based on data that has been collected, you must have the right tools, and more importantly, the data must exist in a format suitable for analysis. Often, this means that data must be extracted from the system in which it resides, cleansed, transformed, and then loaded into one or more data warehouses (or data marts), which must be updated on a regular basis and managed themselves .

The DB2 Data Warehouse Center and the DB2 Warehouse Manager are designed to help you create and maintain DB2 UDB data warehouses. The DB2 Data Warehouse Center, which is an add-on product that must be purchased separately unless DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition is installed, has the capability to extract, transform, and load data into a data warehouse. Furthermore, the DB2 Data Warehouse Center has the ability to move data between multiple source and target systems without having to go through a centralized server. This allows data warehouses to be constructed in a much more efficient manner.

The DB2 Warehouse Manager provides enhanced extract, transform, and load (ETL) functionality not found in the DB2 Data Warehouse Center. (In fact, DB2 Warehouse Manager contains one of the most powerful distributed ETL job-scheduling systems in the industry.) It also provides full refresh and incremental update data movement options, and it can take advantage of IBM's integrated data replication functions. The DB2 Warehouse Manager is an add-on product that must be purchased separately, and it is packaged with three additional tools that are designed to help simplify data warehouse management. These tools are:

  • Information Catalog Manager

  • Query Patroller

  • Query Management Facility (QMF)

Information Catalog Manager

The Information Catalog Manager provides metadata management and repository functionality that helps end users find, understand, and access information stored in a DB2 UDB data warehouse. The Information Catalog Manager automatically registers shared information objects, and it can be populated from the DB2 Data Warehouse Center, as well as from a variety of other tools, including Query Management Facility (QMF), Brio, Business Objects, Cogos, Hyperion Essbase, and popular desktop tools, such as Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3.

Query Patroller

As the number of users interacting with a data warehouse increases , the response time associated with each individual query tends to decline. That's because when multiple queries reach the data warehouse at the same time, the core database's load manager must spend time handling query switching, and the overhead involved with switching has a negative impact on performance. DB2 Query Patroller provides a way for database administrators (DBAs) to both control the execution of queries and manage the resources required by those queries, by prioritizing and scheduling all queries in such a way that switching overhead is minimized while resource utilization is maximized. DB2 Query Patroller also provides a way for DBAs to set individual user and group priorities, as well as user query cost thresholds. This capability ensures that a data warehouse delivers query results to its most important users first. Furthermore, it has the ability to limit usage of system resources by stopping "runaway" queries before they can start.

Because DB2 Query Patroller is closely integrated with DB2's SQL optimizer, it performs cost analysis on queries as they are submitted, and then schedules and dispatches those queries so that the load is balanced whenever possible. This is accomplished by performing an Explain operation to check the cost of a query; if the value returned exceeds the query cost threshold assigned to the user (or the group the user is a member of), DB2 Query Patroller places the query on hold and runs it at a later time. DB2 Query Patroller then frees up the user's desktop to perform other work (including submitting other queries) while waiting for the original query results to be returned.

Query Management Facility

The Query Management Facility is a tightly integrated and powerful query and reporting tool that can be used with any DB2 relational database management system. It provides an environment that is easy to use, yet powerful enough for application developers; with the Query Management Facility, users can quickly build queries and reports through its interactive interface, integrate query results with a wide variety of tools (such as spreadsheets, personal databases, and Web browsers), and restrict user access to sensitive data and valuable system resources.

DB2 OLAP Server

DB2 OLAP Server allows you to create an online analytical processing (OLAP) environment using DB2 Universal Database. This product is based on OLAP technology that was developed by Hyperion Solutions Corporation (which is marketed as Hyperion Essbase), and it can be used to create a wide range of multidimensional planning, analysis, and reporting applications that interact with data warehouses. The DB2 OLAP Server contains over 100 built-in functions, including financial, statistical, and mathematical functions, and it has the capability to store multidimensional databases as sets of relational database tables. And, because the DB2 OLAP Server is built on Hyperion Essbase technology, it provides the same functionality as Hyperion Essbase and supports the widely adopted Hyperion Essbase Application Programming Interface (API), which is accessible by a broad range of front-end analysis tools and business applications, as well as by standard SQL query tools. You also have the option of using the Essbase Application Manager and Essbase commands to create a DB2 OLAP application and its associated databases.

DB2 OLAP Server is an add-on product that must be purchased separately; however, most editions of DB2 Universal Database come with a scaled-down version of DB2 OLAP Server, known as the DB2 OLAP Starter Kit. (The DB2 OLAP Starter Kit provides the same functionality as DB2 OLAP Server, but only for three concurrent users.)

How DB2 Universal Database Products Are Packaged

We have just seen the majority of the products that make up the DB2 Universal Database Family and we have seen that some of these products are add-on products that must be purchased separately. When you purchase a particular edition of DB2 Universal Database, you automatically receive a set of products, as well as the core DB2 UDB database engine. Table 2-1 shows the set of products that are found in each DB2 Universal Database edition available.

Table 2-1. Products That Come with Each DB2 Universal Database Edition Available

DB2 UDB Edition

Products Provided

Everyplace Database Edition

Everyplace Database Edition

DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition

DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition

DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition

DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition

IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology

Distributed Debugger for Java Stored Procedures

Complementary Products

Net Search Extender (single user)

DB2 Spatial Extender (single user)

Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

WebSphere Studio Site Developer Advanced (trial)

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition

DB2 Administration Client

DB2 Run-Time Client

IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology

Distributed Debugger for Java Stored Procedures

Complementary Products

Net Search Extender (five-user limit)

DB2 Spatial Extender (five-user limit)

Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

WebSphere Studio Site Developer Advanced (trial)

WebSphere MQ

QMF for Windows (trial)

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition

DB2 Administration Client

Run-Time Client

IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology

Distributed Debugger for Java Stored Procedures

Complementary Products

Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

WebSphere Studio Site Developer Advanced (trial)

WebSphere MQ

QMF for Windows (trial)

DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition

DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition

DB2 Administration Client

DB2 Run-Time Client

IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology

Distributed Debugger for Java Stored Procedures

Complementary Products

Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

WebSphere Studio Site Developer Advanced (trial)

WebSphere MQ

QMF for Windows (trial)

Data Management Tools (Try & Buy)

DB2 Personal Developer's Edition

DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition

DB2 Connect Personal Edition

DB2 Application Development Client

IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology

Distributed Debugger for Java Stored Procedures

Complementary Products

DB2 Net Search Extender

DB2 Spatial Extender

Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

WebSphere Studio Site Developer Advanced (trial)

Borland Products (30-day trial) ”Borland Delphi Enterprise, Borland C++ Builder Enterprise, Borland Kylix Enterprise

DB2 Universal Developer's Edition

DB2 Universal Database Personal Edition

DB2 Universal Database Workgroup Server Edition

DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition

DB2 Connect Personal Edition

DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition

DB2 Data Links Manager

DB2 Net Search Extender

DB2 Spatial Extender

DB2 Warehouse Manager

DB2 Intelligent Miner Scoring

DB2 Intelligent Miner Modeling

DB2 Intelligent Miner Visualization

Audio, Video, and Image (AVI) Extender

DB2 Administration Client

DB2 Application Development Client

DB2 Run-Time Client

IBM Developer Kit, Java Technology

Distributed Debugger for Java Stored Procedures

Complementary Products

DB2 Everyplace Software Development Kit

WebSphere Application Server, Advanced Developer Edition

WebSphere Studio Site Developer Advanced (trial)

WebSphere MQ

QMF for Windows

Data Management Tools ”DB2 Web Query Tool, DB2 Table Editor, DB2 High Performance Unload (Try & Buy), Recovery Expert (Try & Buy), Performance Expert (Try & Buy)

DB2 Everyplace Enterprise Edition Borland Products (30-day trial) ”Borland Delphi Enterprise, Borland C++ Builder Enterprise, Borland Kylix Enterprise



DB2 Universal Database V8.1 Certification Exam 700 Study Guide
DB2 Universal Database V8.1 Certification Exam 700 Study Guide
ISBN: 0131424653
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 68

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