Welcome to all things DB2 for z/OS. This is your one stop, your only stop, and your final stop to find out all you'll ever want to know about DB2 for z/OS. We'll be discussing how to upgrade to the latest DB2 version, have detailed "how it works" discussions, some performance tips, maintenance alerts, baby updates, with a few guest posts thrown in occasionally. In addition, you'll find all of the latest DB2 news and gossip, arrival notifications of the latest articles, books, seminars, and teleconferences, along with details on all of the major conferences. I'll occasionally be throwing in a post covering our z/OS operating system and our System z hardware. Plus, there will always be something entertaining posted every once in a while. This is the place you'll find just about anything you need to know to stay current with DB2 for z/OS, z/OS, or System z. This is also the place to get that little bit of lite reading each morning to start your day off on the right foot.
Updated: 2 days 12 hours ago
The IBM Mainframe has just raised the bar: Introducing the "IBM zEnterprise System"
No more subtle hints at the end of this blog. July 22, 2010 has arrived. With it, IBM's latest (and maybe greatest) mainframe has arrived also. The IBM zEnterprise System; their hybrid mainframe. With 96 5.2 GHz processors, up to 3 TB of memory... more to come...
Have you signed up for IBM's Breakthrough System Virtual Event for July 22
If not, why not? This could be one of the more significant events being held this year... maybe even in the last decade.
SQL performance best practices
No, I'm not going to discuss SQL performance best practices, although it does seem that SQL tuning is something I get more calls for every week. No, for this post I'm just going to point you to a short blurb out on the IBM support web.
DB2 10 for z/OS introduces the new EXPLAIN privilege
New, cool, and simple to useÂ… What else could you ask for? Oh, not enough, you want even moreÂ… How about, it will make your life as a DB2 DBA or DB2 security administrator simpler and more productive. Just how, you might ask? IÂ’ll tell you howÂ…
An addendum to last week's DFSMS post
Yes, another addendum.. What can I say, I like the word.... err, I mean I like keeping things as complete as possible. In my post last week on DFSMS ("DFSMS; I think it may actually catch on", I discussed the DB2 catalog and DB2 directory moving to DB2 managed control or SMS controlled. That could be an "Oh my goodness..." to some because I left out what might be a pertinent piece of information. What does DB2 1
Hopefully, this is the last time we hear about DB2's Private Protocol
Private protocol was introduced more than 20 years ago in DB2 V2.2 giving us a way to talk between mainframe DB2 subsystems. Although private protocol was limited to dynamic SQL only and never did support stored procedures once they arrived, it did open the DB2 doors to distributed processing. It did have one very nice feature that would end up keeping private protocol hanging around for quite some time; three-part names. A feature DRDA (Distributed Relational Database Architecture) wouldn't have for another 1
A rose by any other name...
As I'm sure you know, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a quote by good old William Shakespeare from a little thing he wrote entitled "Romeo and Juliet"; you may have heard of it.
What does it have to do with DB2? If I really stretch your imagination a bit, I can tie it into the names DB2 has had over the years.
DB2 10 is making me feel safer already
Everyone likes to talk about DB2 performance. And if it's not performance, it's SQL and Application stuff. There are even long conversations about installation, migrations, backup and recovery, and disaster recovery. However, you just don't hear all that much about security. Yes, it's out there.. just not as much as I think it should be.
May 2010 RSU1006 service package now available
Testing for RSU1006 is now complete. It contains all service through the end of March 2010 not already marked RSU plus PE resolutions or HIPER/Security/Integrity/Pervasive PTFs and their associated requisites and supersedes through May 2010.
IBM Smart Analytics Optimizer webcast
Back on November 11, 2009, I published a blog entry that discussed a little something we are working on that we previewed at IOD 2009 in Las Vegas. It was Smart Analytics Optimizer. If you missed that blog entry or need a refresher on what Smart Analytics Optimizer is, check out that November blog post at "Would you believe BI queries at 10X the speed?".
Will I see you in Phoenix next week at SWARUG???
On July 14, 2010, we are going to take a shot at kick-starting the Southwest Area Regional User Group (SWARUG). It seems SWARUG hasn't had a meeting in a while so we are about to fix that. To paraphrase an old television commercial; "a user group is a terrible thing to waste".
An addendum to last week's DB2 Catalog post
Last Tuesday (June 29, 2010) I published a post discussing some of the changes to the DB2 Catalog in DB2 10 for z/OS. It turns out that post didn't cover that set of catalog changes completely. This post will complete it.
DB2 10 for z/OS; where were you a few months ago?
This could easily be my shortest post ever.
A few months a ago I was doing some performance tuning work. What would have been really handy would have been to pin a couple of table in the buffer pools.
DFSMS; I think it may actually catch on
"May actually catch on" is my attempt at humor. Probably bad humor, but humor just the same. You see, I've been around DFSMS since the day it joined the world of MVS (yes I said MVS, and on purpose) tools. It arrived on the scene back in 1993 (27 years ago) and DB2 professionals are still coming up with reason why they do NOT want to use it. We have been trying to change that attitude for years. It does do some nice things for you all in DB2 land. However, what's probably more important right now is that it is going to be a necessity when you get ready to move to DB2 1
The DB2 Catalog and Directory are about to go through a some major changes
The DB2 catalog and directory have fascinated me as long as I have worked with DB2. Maybe it's the IMS in me that occasionally wants to show its face. I remember back in the days of DB2 Tech Conferences doing presentations on how to use REPAIR (online utility) and DSN1CHKR (stand-alone utility), how to follow and fix links (parent/child segment relations), and hash chains. Those were the days.
Independance Day
I know, nothing to do with DB2, z/OS, and System z. However, it's something I would like to discuss.
This coming weekend we will be celebrating Independence Day here in the United States, what we tend to refer to as the "4th of July". It's a day we should be celebrating our independence, as the Holiday's name implies. So, I have a few reminders for you all in the States...
zIIP-ity doo dah, zIIP-ity aye - A new APAR and zIIP posts summary list
DB2 9 for z/OS only APAR PM02853: "CLASS 2 CPU AND SPECIALTY ENGINE TIMES INCORRECT FOR RRS THREADS" addresses an issue where in certain, very specific cases, not enough class 1 time and possibly incorrect class 2 CP and specialty engine times could be collected. The APAR cover has a little more detail.
DB2 10 for z/OS, z/Journal Magazine, and me
This will be a nice short post for a Friday morning. I just wanted to let everyone know that z/Journal Magazine published my DB2 10 article.
APAR Friday: Its returned, but a day late, of course... (smile)
I was doing some reading this morning while having breakfast and came across a couple of APARs that I thought might be of interest. The titles in most cases speak for themselves. However, I'll attempt to add a few interesting tidbits about a few of them to help things along.
Would you like to know fo tuning DB2's SQL?
Tuning SQL can be so much fun. It's something I always look forward to... NOT... However, if you have to tune SQL, at least we have a few tools that can help make the chore a little less annoying... Of course, what's really great about have tuning tools, you tend to have people who understand how to take advantage of them. You can now benefit from just such a situation.