Operational Support

When you're implementing a DB2 environment, sufficient operational support must be available to administer the environment effectively. Operational support is defined as the elements of the organization responsible for supporting, maintaining, and running the applications.

This first major operational concern is the establishment of a staff who can support DB2. You can choose from four approaches to staffing for DB2 support. The first is to develop all DB2 expertise using the existing staff. This approach requires a significant amount of training and can result in slow DB2 implementation as your staff comes up-to-speed with DB2.

The second approach is to hire outside expertise. This approach usually results in a much faster implementation of DB2, but it can breed resentment from your current staff and result in a workplace where it is difficult to accomplish much because of a lack of cooperation between the old staff and the new.

The third approach is to entrust all DB2 development to an outside contracting or consulting firm. This approach is the worst. Although it results in quick development, no one is left to support the application after it is developed.

The fourth and best approach is to combine these strategies. Plan to train your brightest and most eager staff members , while augmenting that staff with several outside experts, temporary consultants , and contract programmers.

CAUTION

Do not fall prey to the classic mistake of over- reliance on consultants. Although consultants can be a crucial component required for success with DB2, be sure to create a conduit for knowledge transfer. Be sure to set up an environment where the consultant is required to share his knowledge and train his replacements . Do not allow a consultant to become irreplaceable.

Expertise (obtained outside or inside the organization) is required in each of the following areas:

Programmers	In addition to basic coding skills, must know SQL coding techniques and the teleprocessing monitor(s) in your shop. Should also have basic Web development skills if Internet applications are being developed.
Systems analysts	Must know DB2 development techniques, data modeling, and process modeling. Should be able to use the CASE tools in your shop.
Data analysts	Must be able to work with data administration and database administration to develop application-level models.
DBA	Must be knowledgeable in all aspects of DB2, with emphasis on the physical implementation of DB2 objects, DB2 utilities, SQL efficiency, and problem solving.
Technical support	Must have basic systems programming skills in addition to an understanding of DB2 installation, DB2 recovery, and day-to-day technical support.
Production control	In addition to basic job scheduling skills, must understand how DB2 is integrated into the organization. Must minimally be able to understand and issue DB2 commands when a problem occurs.
Help desk	Must be able to provide SQL expertise.

Another operational concern is the integration of DB2 standards, policies, procedures, and guidelines with existing (non-DB2) ones. These two sets of standards could conflict. For example, DB2 data sets must conform to a rigid standard, but this standard usually does not agree with the organization's current data set naming standards.

Another operational concern is enabling the production control personnel who submit and monitor production jobs to execute DB2 commands. Enabling operational personnel in this manner could conflict with the current nature of production support as a facilitator and not a doer.

Scheduling of and responsibility for DB2 utilities might pose a problem for your shop. Some utilities lend themselves more toward being developed and supported by a DBA or a technical support area, whereas others are more application-oriented. Sometimes great debates can ensue over who should have responsibility for each utility. There is no hard-and-fast standard that works for every organization. Base your utility standards on the needs, expertise and staffing level of your organization.