DB2 FAMILY NEWS From IBM Software Solutions Division June 1994 Volume 2 Number 2 =========== IN THE NEWS: ------------------------------------------ POWERparallel RISC-Based Solutions Use DB2 In May, IBM* announced that DATABASE 2* AIX/6000* (DB2/6000*) will support IBM POWERparallel RISC-based computers. The DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product will fully exploit the parallelism of IBM hardware, significantly reducing elapsed time for complex queries and response time for transactions. It will support very large databases, hundreds of gigabytes, across multiple nodes of a POWERparallel system. "The DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product is the first to demonstrate near linear scalability on a 64-node processor," says Janet Perna, Director of Database Technology, IBM Software Solutions Division. "This allows customers to grow their applications and processing power incrementally without disrupting their existing systems. IBM revealed its DB2/6000 plans at the same time as the company's Large Scale Computing Division and Power Parallel Systems business unit announced the next generation of parallel processors and software, including enhancements to the Scalable POWERparallel Systems SP1* and SP2*. "We're very pleased to see that the DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product will exploit the scalability of the POWERparallel platform to provide an industry-leading, high-performance database system," says Irving Wladawsky-Berger, General Manager, IBM Power Parallel Systems. "I'm convinced that the combination of parallel DB2/6000 on the SP platform will create new and wonderful applications for customers, allowing them to analyze and manage vast amounts of all kinds of data. The Perks of Parallelism The DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product will enable customers to expand databases by adding nodes incrementally and with near-linear performance improvements. Availability will improve because failures can be isolated to an individual processor. So, while the failed node is recovered, the rest of the system can continue to operate smoothly. To exploit multi-node parallelism in the complex query market, the DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product will decompose SQL queries into many parts, which will then run on multiple nodes in parallel. This can reduce response time significantly. In addition to queries, all database functions can be performed in parallel, such as updates, index creation, backup and restore. And most importantly, customer investments are protected because parallel exploitation will be performed automatically without any changes to application prgrams. IBM recently demonstrated the DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product at several industry trade shows, including UniForum and DB Expo in San Francisco and CeBIT in Europe. The DB2/6000 Parallel Edition product is currently in beta testing with a selected set of customers. Availability will be announced later this year, so watch for it! --------------------------------------------------------- Meeting Changing Needs: the 1994 DB2 Technical Conference Since premiering in 1991, the DB2 Technical Conference has offered leading-edge information on the continuing growth and enhancement of the DB2 family of products. This year, join us at the Marriott Orlando World Center from September 25 to 30 for an event that keeps on getting even bigger and more exciting! Explore a wide range of topics including: DB2 Version 3 updates; managing complex client/server configurations; the future of DB2; employee relations; performance/tuning; building applications; information warehouse; industry changes and needs; and so much more! At the 1994 DB2 Technical Conference, you will experience: * Three full days of forums for managers * Detailed technical discussions * The most comprehensive DB2 product exposition featuring more that 70 software providers * Industry peers for informal discussion and networking * Query panels with prominent DB2 experts to help you find solutions to your most pressing issues * Highlighted discussions on the latest versions of DB2, DB2/2 and DB2/6000, and the new roles of PCs and workstations in the DB2 family * DB2 product developers from IBM's Santa Teresa and Toronto labs, Dallas Systems Center consultants, and an outstanding faculty from IBM. Without a doubt, this offers something to suit every user's background, experience and need. DB2 system and database administrators, planners, programmers, application developers, and managers will all find answers to their questions and begin to explore new territories! For further information and to register, call: 1-800-955-1238 (in N. America) 1-312-644-6642 (outside N. America) ------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Summer Edition of DB2 family news! It's been a very busy spring for us in IBM Database Technology. Wetve been working hard to produce the very best data management products in the LAN and workstation markets. In May, IBM announced a number of new products and releases. Among the announced products are: * DB2/2 Version 1.2, which includes support for the IPX/SPX communications protocol and an enhanced driver that supports applications using Microsoft** Open Database Connectivity (ODBC**) specifications * DB2/2 and DB2/6000 Version 2, which includes extensions for objects and multimedia, as well as an industry-leading SQL optimizer * DB2/400, which provides a broadly enhanced version of the widely-used AS/400 integrated relational database manager, a welcome addition to the DB2 Family * DB2 Parallel Edition for AIX, which exploits the proven power of parallelism of IBM's hardware, significantly reducing response time for complex queries while supporting many more transactions * DB2 for HP-UX**, and DB2 for Solaris Operating Environment**, which marks the first DB2 offering for non-IBM platforms. In this and subsequent newsletters, we will be constantly updating you with the latest DB2 announcements. Stay tuned! We also issued several white papers that discuss IBM strategies and goals in several areas: Data Management, Parallel Database, Data Replication, Multimedia, and Object Support. If you want to know about the IBM data management strategy, see the white paper titled, 'Data Management: IBM Strategies and Solutions.' (To obtain copies of this and other white papers, see page 4 of this newsletter.) The summer and autumn will be busy for us too, delivering the goods. To meet your needs for decentralized and open client/server environment, we're continually improving our products by giving you better performance, greater availability, and much more function. We're dedicated to being the vendor capable of providing you with industry-leading solutions for your business. Send us your comments using the Reader Reply Card on page 25. In closing, enjoy your summer and thank you for being an important part of the DB2 Family. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Span the Globe with DB2: IDUG's Third Annual European Conference What better way to receive the latest training and education than at the International DB2 Users Group's Third Annual European Conference, to be held October 10 to 14 at the Nice Acropolis in Nice, France. A wide variety of DB2 technical challenges and solutions for new, intermediate and advanced DB2 product family users are addressed by experts from around the globe. More than 500 IT professionals at all technical levels are expected to attend. Don't miss your chance to network with leading-edge users, vendors, consultants, and IBM developers from around the world by attending the best DB2 educational program ever presented in Europe. More than 40 technical sessions, offering presentations on DB2/2, DB2/6000 and DB2 for MVS are featured in this high-quality education and training forum. Sessions are presented by international DB2 users, vendors and consultants with a broad range of experience, practical solutions and top-notch skills. For example, IBM developers will discuss advanced DB2 product family topics, trends, directions and more. Advanced sessions will meet the needs of experienced users, along with many courses for those just starting out with DB2 or migrating from other DBMSs. A wide variety of leading-edge presentations have been carefully selected. Topicsinclude: Application Development DB2/2 DB2/6000 Data Modeling CASE Client/Server (Distributed) Database Administration Systems Programming Management Emerging Technologies. Come to meet and discuss problems, exchange ideas and share solutions during the open forum discussion groups. Conference keynote speakers offer in-depth information on topics of general interest. Be a part of an interactive panel discussion with IBM DB2 developers and users where you'll get fast answers to your tough technical questions directly from the experts. Each presentation is given by highly-rated experts known for their advanced skills and unque experience. The exhibit area and vendor-sponsored presentations provide a rare occasion to see product demonstrations up close, learn about the latest industry advancements and experiment first-hand with the latest DB2 tools. Evenings are filled with vendor-sponsored hospitality suites and receptions t an excellent opportunity to network and interact with other DB2 users in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. New this year at IDUG's European Conference are three concurrent one-day seminars offering todayts DB2 professionals up-to-the-moment, in-depth analysis of the hottest relational technology topics taught by uniquely qualified instructors. These seminars are held Friday, October 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (A separate registration fee is required and includes all program materials and meals offered throughout the day.) Act now to receive the early registration discount! The registration fee includes: * All meals and social functions * All conference program materials * Participation at all technical presentations, IBM and DB2 user panels, and open forum discussion groups * One set of conference proceedings * Unlimited access to exhibit area * Hospitality suites and receptions * One-year membership in IDUG, including IDUG GLOBE newsletters, technical bulletins, other IDUG publications, and voting privileges (user members only). For more information: In the U.S.: IDUG Headquarters 401 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611-4267 (312) 644-6610 or (312) 527-6777 (voicemail) FAX: (312) 321-6869 In Europe: IDUG c/o Kommunedata I/S Latrupparken 40 2750 Ballerup Denmark + 45 44 97 97 71 FAX: + 45 44 66 12 99 IDUG On-Line: Internet: idug@mcs.com CompuServe: 72410,531 ------------------------------------------ Wide Variety of Publications Now Available White Papers * Data Management: IBM Strategies and Solutions * Commercial Parallel Database: the DB2 Story * Data Replication: the IBM Story * Multimedia and the DB2 Family * Object Support and the DB2 Family Solutions Directory For a list of complementary tools and applications available to work with IBM database products, please refer to the DB2 Client/Server Solutions Directory. The April 1994 version describes more than 400 products. This directory is available on CompuServe** in the IBMDB2 forum (please look for the DB2VEND file in the DB2/2 section). Also available is the AS/400 Client/Server Application Directory which includes over 1,500 DB2/400 client/server applications organized by industry/market segment. The IBM publication number is G325-6202. Technical Reports There is an IBM Santa Teresa Laboratory Technical Report (03.457) titled tObject and Relational Databases: IBM's Strategy. How Do I Get Copies? To obtain free copies of the DB2 Client/Server Solutions Directory, the IBM white papers listed above, or the technical report on Object and Relational Databases: IBM's Strategy, readers in the U.S. should call 1-800-IBM-3333 and ask for extension STAR 706. Canadian readers may also call 1-800-565-SW4U and ask for extension 973. To send a fax requesting these materials, please fax your name, mailing address, and the titles of specific materials that you want to: 1-408-463-2750. Please address your fax to Data Management Information. You can also download the papers from CompuServe. Simply type: GO IBMDB2 and enter the Open Forum library (#16). IBM employees can access the publications through MKTTOOLS conference disk. To request soft copy of the following, issue the VM/CMS commands as listed here: * Commercial Parallel Database: The DB2 Story: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get db2par * * Data Management: IBM Strategies and Solutions: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get datasolu * * Data Replication: The IBM Story: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get db2rep * * Multimedia and the DB2 Family: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get db2mm * * Object Support and the DB2 Family: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get db2obj * * Object and Relational Databases: IBM's Strategy: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get oostrat * * DB2 Client/Server Solutions Directory: tools sendto usdist mkttools mkttools get db2vend package --------------------------------------------------------- Here is a list of vendors using DRDA (as of October 1993) Vendor Name Borland International Cincom Systems, Inc. Cross Access Corporation Information Builders, Inc. (IBI) Informix Software, Inc. Ingres Corporation Micro Decisionware, Inc. (MDI) Novell Object Technology Intl., Inc. (OTI) Oracle Corporation Progress Software Corporation Sybase, Inc. Wall Data, Inc. XDB Systems, Inc. =========================== DB2/2 AND DDCS/2 DEPARTMENT --------------------------------------- IBM Releases DB2/2 V1.2 and DDCS/2 V2.2 IBM DATABASE 2* OS/2* (DB2/2) V1.2 and Distributed Database Connection Services*/2 (DDCS/2) V2.2 are 32-bit OS/2 relational database products for desktop and client/server LAN workstations. They include the functions contained in the currently-available DB2/2 V1 and DDCS/2 V2 products, with the exception of the Distributed Client Enabling features, which have been replaced with the DB2 Client Application Enabler/DOS V1.2 and DB2 Client Application Enabler/2 V1.2 code. DB2/2 V1.2 and DDCS/2 V2.2 database clients can connect to any IBM relational database in an enterprise. DB2/2 V1.2 includes common client support to allow OS/2, DOS, and Windows** clients to access DB2/2, DB2/6000, DB2 for HP-UX, and IBM host relational database productstall from the same client workstation. New Functional Enhancements to DB2/2 V1.2 UPDATED DATABASE CLIENT-ENABLING SUPPORT DB2/2 V1.2 - Client/Server includes DB2 Client Application Enabler/DOS V1.2 and DB2 Client Application Enabler/2 V1.2. These two client application enablers are replacements for the DOS, Windows and OS/2 Distributed Client Application Enabler Features that are included in Extended Services with Database Server V1 and DB2/2 V1 - Client/Server. DB2 Client Application Enabler/DOS V1.2 and DB2 Client Application Enabler/2 V1.2 provide the following enhancements: 1. Easy packaging and licensing options With Extended Services with Database Server V1 and DB2/2 V1 - Client/Server, a copy of the distributed client application enabler feature had to be purchased for every client workstation where it was installed and used. The new DB2 Client Application Enablers for DOS and OS/2 do not need to be purchased every time a new client workstation wants to connect to a DB2/2 V1.2 database server. Instead, customers can simply install the DB2 Client Application Enabler/DOS V1.2 or DB2 Client Application Enabler/2 V1.2 from the diskettes included with DB2/2 V1.2 Client/Server onto their client workstations. Customers must ensure, however, that each of the DB2/2 V1.2 database servers and DDCS/2 V2.2 gateways are licensed for the appropriate number of concurrent users. Compliance for these users is provided by the 10-user and 50-user connection packs which can be ordered ith DB2/2 V1.2 - Client/Server and DDCS/2 V2.2 - Multi-User Gateway. 2. Support for the Novell NetWare IPX/SPX communication protocol This support allows DOS, Windows, and OS/2 users on a Novell NetWare** LAN to access DB2/2 database servers and, using DDCS/2, IBM DB2 host relational databases. No additional communication product needs to be installed or configured differently from what Novell users are currently using to connect to a Novell NetWare LAN. This greatly simplifies development and management of IBM relational databases in a Novell NetWare LAN environment. The DB2/2 database server is running with OS/2, not as a NetWare Loadable Module. 3. Support for TCP/IP communication protocol This support allows users of DOS, Windows, and OS/2 workstations to access DB2/6000 and DB2 for HP-UX database servers and DDCS/6000 and DDCS for HP-UX gateways using the TCP/IP protocol. 4. Support for Firefox, Inc. NOV*IX for NetWare communication product This support is targeted specifically to users of DOS and Windows workstations on Novell NetWare LANs to access DB2/6000 and DB2 for HP-UX database servers and other IBM DB2 databases (through DDCS/6000 and DDCS for HP-UX). This product significantly reduces the effort required to deploy DB2/6000 and DB2 for HP-UX servers on Novell NetWare LANs. NOV*IX** for NetWare** does not require each database client workstation to load the TCP/IP communication protocol. Instead, NOV*IX runs on a Novell NetWare file server and allows client workstations to continue running IPX/SPX as the only protocol stack. This provides several advantages. By not having to load other protocol stacks, each DB2 database client workstation preserves memory. By running NOV*IX for NetWare on a NetWare server, network administrators simplify installation and management of TCP/IP capabilities to multiple workstations on large LANs with large numbers of workstations. 5. Virtual DOS machine and WIN-OS/2 support Expanded database services for OS/2 workstations is provided to allow DOS and Windows applications running in the DOS or WIN-OS/2 sessions of OS/2 to access DB2/2 V12 local databases on the same workstation. No communication protocol or adapter card is necessary to access the local database. 6. Open Database Connectivity Support (ODBC) DB2 Client Application Enabler/DOS V1.2 includes an ODBC- compliant driver. Windows applications developed using Level 1 ODBC functions can access data stored in any of the DB2 family of relational databases. This ODBC driver has been tested with a number of popular Windows applications available in the marketplace today. Combined with the Virtual DOS Machine and WIN-OS/2 support described above, application access is now available for local databases, DB2/2 databases, DB2/6000 and DB2 for HP-UX databases, and host databases through DDCS. 7. Client-based application development Client-based application development is supported using the separately sold IBM DATABASE 2 Software Developer's Kits available for DOS and OS/2. These products are: *IBM DATABASE 2 Software Developer's Kit/2, Version 1.2 (Program No.5622- 215) and *IBM DATABASE 2 Software Developer's Kit/DOS, Version 1.2 (Program No. 5622-216). These products can be ordered from IBM. Quiesce Database Support for Backup A new option is being added to the DB2/2 Backup API to allow a database administrator to perform a backup while other users are connected to the database. This new option causes backup to wait until current transaction activity completes and also prevents any new transactions from starting. After a quiesced state has been established, a backup is taken. During this time, other users of the database will still maintain their database connections. After backup has completed, user transaction activity will resume. Support for the Concatenation Operator and Value Scalar functions * The concatenation operator (CONCAT) is provided to link two string operands together to form an expression * The VALUE scalar function returns the first non-null result in a series of two or more expressions These functions provide for more DB2 MVS compatibility. DB2/2 V1 and DDCS/2 V2 will be withdrawn from Marketing, effective August 24, 1994. Refer to Announcement Letter 23169 for more information. --------------------------------------------- Introducing the Visualizer Product Family.... IBM has announced the Visualizer product family, IBM's new toolset for the query, analysis, and presentation of data. Visualizer Query V1.0 for OS/2 is the walkup and use front-end query tool that every database user needs for fast, easy access to IBM relational databases. The versatile reporting function of Visualizer Query allows users to analyze and present their data in the form best suited to their organization. The full power of the SQL language is available to users should they wish, although knowledge of SQL is not required to gain full benefit from the Visualizer Query product. The Visualizer Query product will also support direct access to IBM host relational databases when used in conjunction with DB2/2 and DDCS/2. Visualizer Charts V1.0 for OS/2, a full function business charting product, has also been announced. Visualizer Charts allows users to present the results of their queries in an attractive and meaningful way. Chart types supported include bar (including stacked bar), line, surface, scatter, pie, and composite. Within Charts, the user can subset data for display and perform simple analysis on the data. This is the last release of Query Manager and the Query Manager Distributed Feature. Query Manager is the end-user application provided with DB2/2. Current users of ES V1.0 Query Manager and DB2/2 V1 Query Manager will still be able to access DB2/2 V1.2 - Client/Server as a down-level client application. Query Manager is being provided with DB2/2 V1.2 to protect a customer's investment in current Query Manager-developed applications. -------------------------------------------------------------- PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition: Support for the DB2 Family Interested in being able to write new DB2/2 applications in PL/I or port existing PL/I DB2 applications to OS/2? With the SQL support provided by PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition, you can. Your applications can use relational database management systems ranging from DB2 for MVS on the mainframe to DB2/2 on a PC database server. Once you have a DB2 application established on OS/2, you can continue to do all your development work on OS/2. If you choose to, you can also easily port the application back to the mainframe. Because PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition supports all DB2/2 APIs, you can write entire DB2 applications in PL/I. And with the Client Application Enabler/2 support provided, you can write applications targeted at multiple remote databases, including DB2/6000. There are several unique advantages found in PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition's support of DB2/2 and Client Application Enabler/2. They are: * PL/I data type advantages; * System/390 data type emulation; * Compatibility with PL/I SQL support for DB2; and * Better interactive debugger support. PL/I Data Type Advantages DB2/2 data types map well to PL/I's data types, particularly the following: * DB2/2's CHAR and VARCHAR map to PL/I's CHAR and CHAR VAR * DB2/2's GRAPHIC and VARGRAPHIC map to PL/I's GRAPHIC and GRAPHIC VAR * DB2/2's DECIMAL maps to PL/I's FIXED DECIMAL No special effort, other than your application logic, is required to process these kinds of data. System/390 Data Type Emulation Your PL/I DB2/2 applications may be developed on OS/2 with the intention of: * Running on OS/2 using ASCII, 'Little Endian' integers, IEEE floating point data, and all DB2/2 provided APIs; and * Porting to System/390 using DB2 or SQL/DS. In this case, your PL/I program, while running on OS/2, can behave exactly the same way as it behaves on System/390 with respect to EBCDIC character set, S/390 (Big Endian) style binary integer, and hexadecimal floating point data. PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition does the necessary conversions for you automatically. Compatibility with PL/I SQL Support for DB2 A high degree of compatibility with PL/I SQL support for DB2 is maintained by PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition. Host Structures and Indicator Arrays You can retrieve data from a database table into a PL/I structure or insert/update to a database table from a PL/I structure without enumerating every member of the structure and every column of the table. You can use an array for the indicator host variable when the corresponding host variable is a structure. PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition provides a DCLGEN utility program that can translate a DB2/2 table or view into a PL/I host structure declaration for inclusion in PL/I DB2/2 programs. Other Features * DSNTIAR Utility PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition provides a mainframe equivalent DSNTIAR utility program for converting SQLCODE into a multi-line message for display purpose. * Better Interactive Debugger Support Take advantage of the fully integrated SQL preprocessor which makes embedded EXEC SQL commands a natural extension of PL/I. This productivity booster allows you to develop, test, and debug PL/I DB2/2 applications using the source files you wrote. PL/I for OS/2 Professional Edition keeps track of your source code so you don't have to, even when other preprocessors, such as the PL/I macro facility, are involved. ====================== DB2 FOR MVS DEPARTMENT ------------------------------------- DB2 for MVS Meets Parallel Processing On April 6, IBM lowered the cost of computing with its announcement of a new parallel server, the System/390 Parallel Sysplex. These exciting new systems are built on low-cost microprocessors, and include the new Coupling Facility which enables multi-system data sharing. Read on for answers to some of the frequently asked questions about this innovative hardware and software technology. Q:I've seen the acronyms PQS and PTS applied to the new S/390 parallel systems. What is the difference? A:The basic difference is that the PQS system addresses query function and the PTS system addresses transaction function. PTS refers to the Parallel Transaction System. This implementation improves throughput in transaction-intensive applications (such as ticketing and credit card processing) by running multiple transactions in parallel with a single transaction running on each of the sysplex machines. PTS implements the new S/390 data sharing architecture, allowing the sysplex processors to read and write to data shared across DASD. PQS refers to the Parallel Query System which shortens query response time by spreading the workload from a single query across the parallel processors; an obvious benefit to applications generating complex queries. PQS is ideal for 'data mining,' where increasingly complex queries are run against a large database to produce an increasingly refined response. How does PQS give a competitive advantage in target marketing? Suppose purchasing trends were isolated within selected price ranges for customers with specified characteristics. The initial version of PQS allows processors to read data across shared DASD and to update in batch mode only to a single system. Q:How is data integrity ensured in the shared data environment in a parallel sysplex? A:The architectural foundation for read/write data sharing in a parallel sysplex is the Coupling Facility, a new interconnection facility used by the CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) processors in the PTS and PQS systems. The Coupling Facility is directly attached to all sysplexes in a system by high-bandwidth fiber optic links. It provides central control of data across a PTS sysplex by managing buffered data, shared queues, and locks. Q:Does this parallel technology require new application development? A:Both PTS and PQS support legacy functions and applications. This means that you can run applications in parallel that were written for processing on a single system, and protect your investment in programming and support. However, if you are considering new application development for a parallel sysplex, you should investigate ways to optimize those applications to take advantage of query splitting and parallel transactions. Q:What is DB2 doing to take advantage of S/390 Parallel Sysplex technology? A:We thought you'd never ask! IBM has stated that DB2 will implement the data shaing made possible with the PTS system. And, because the sysplex can be built from smaller systems powered by CMOS microprocessors, DB2 can offer a solution that is powerful enough to handle complex business requirements, while remaining competitively priced. With DB2 data sharing, you can take advantage of: * Improved Availability Multiple DB2 subsystems connected to the Coupling Facility improve the availability of data in 24 X 7 environments. If one system becomes unavailable owing to system maintenance or failure, users can access their DB2 data from another subsystem. * Workload Relief As processing demand begins to exceed system capacity, another DB2 subsystem can be added to the sysplex without disrupting data and applications. Users can still access DB2 data through the new subsystem, because all the DB2s in the group have concurrent read/write access, and use a single DB2 catalog and directory. * Flexible Growth When the sysplex grows with the addition of a new subsystem, DB2 data sharing means that data does not have to be redistributed or repartitioned. Also, TSO, IMS, CICS* and batch users on separate MVS images can all access the same data rather than relying on duplicate copies. As the sysplex grows, it can accommodate more than one DB2 data sharing group as well as a combination of sharing and non-sharing DB2 subsystems. Q:How can I learn more about DB2 data sharing? A:Ask your IBM representative for the new IBM DATABASE 2 Data Sharing: Planning and Administration - Preliminary Planning Version brochure. If you have access to MKTTOOLS, request the INTDB2DS PACKAGE. ======================= DB2/VSE & VM DEPARTMENT --------------------------------------------- IBM Refocuses SQL/DS (DB2/VSE & VM) Education Since 1981, IBM's SQL/DS* educational focus has been on the database engine and how to develop applications for the S/370 environment. Your knowledge of that engine has now matured and, combined with the advent of client/server computing, todayts business needs have become more sophisticated and complex. Traditionally, IBM provided SQL/DS customers with courses in the following areas: * System Administration * Application Programming (for the S/370 platform) * Performance Monitoring and Tuning. Today, IBM SQL/DS (now DB2/VSE & VM) training has been redesigned to provide solutions for your full spectrum of business challenges instead of focusing on individual products. This approach addresses new educational needs while ensuring all course offerings are flexible, available on demand, and cost effective. The following SQL/DS courses are currently available as both 'standard private' and 'custom private' offerings from IBM: * U4500: SQL/DS Application Programming Workshop * U4501:SQL/DS System Administration - Basic * U4502: SQL/DS System Administration - Advanced * U4503: SQL/DS for Application Designers * U4505: SQL/DS Perfrmance Monitoring and Tuning * U4510: SQL/DS Application Design and Programming Workshop To arrange a private offering at your company, please contact: Julie Bartholomae at (312) 245-6494 (Standard Private Classes) Linda Stanislawski at (312) 245-6691 (Custom Private Classes). As well, we've taken the knowledge and expertise gained from teaching traditional classroom courses to provide you with a range of Computer Based Training (CBT) packages for your ease and convenience. The following CBT offerings are marketed by IBM under an agreement with DPEC, Inc.: * CPS2460B: SQL/DS: The Programming Environment * CPS2470B: SQL/DS: Row and Table Manipulation * CPS2480B: SQL/DS: Programming Development To find out more about these CBT offerings, please contact: Ron Mansfield of IBM at (404) 835-7528. And remember, the SQL/DS V3R4 library now includes a Performance Tuning manual (SH09-8111) so you have tuning help when t and where t you need it. ----------------------- Client/Server Education As a DB2/VSE & VM (SQL/DS) customer, you likely have sophisticated client/server requirements for the enterprise-wide solutions you are currently implementing. IBM education always employs a solid 'solution' approach to implementing client/server technology. For example, you can learn to: 1. Connect to the server database (DDCS/2* & DDCS/6000 courses) to implement a distributed database. Distributed Database Connection Services* (DDCS) is the bridge that connects your S/370 DB2 databases (DB2 for MVS, DB2/400, and DB2/VSE and VM (SQL/DS)) to your DB2/2 and DB2/6000 databases. Call 1-800-IBM-TEACH to enroll in the following related courses: * U4100:Distributed Database Fundamentals and Planning * U4110:Distributed Database Implementation * U4120:Distributed Database Workshop, DDCS/2 to DB2 * U4122:Distributed Database Workshop, DDCS/6000 to DB2 2. Develop applications using Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA). DRDA is the architecture that allows the use of many popular tools (such as Micro Focus** Cobol, VisualAge, Highpoint, PowerBuilder, Visual Basic, and others) to build new client/server applications while helping to stage implementation of client/server into your enterprise. Many solution providers now support the DRDA architecture. You can enroll in the following related offerings by calling 1-800-IBM-TEACH U3571: Micro Focus Cobol N1784: VisualAge Quickstart N1762: Building Applications with VisualAge PS268: Fundamentals of Visual Basic P3143: Building Applications for Microsoft** SQL server using MS Visual Basic** 3.0 3. Access your data and turn it into information Give your business a competitive edge by using many popular applications to change your data into useable information. Applications range from decision support, to customer service, to anything that helps support daily business needs. IBM is moving quickly to respond to your changing requirements. Our new approach to DB2/VSE and VM (SQL/DS) training ensures you have: Traditional course offerings that are: * Less expensive to purchase and attend * Available at locations easily accessible to you * Offered at more convenient times * Provided on demand when the education is needed. New course offerings to help you: * Transform your relational databases into client/server solutions; * Implement client/server applications; * Integrate new applications and legacy data; * Provide information instead of raw data; * Improve productivity with quicker application development; and * Access data anywhere in the enterprise quickly and easily. IBM looks forward to your participation in our continually improved education offerings. We hope to work with you in developing and implementing a successful vision of the future through a solid educational partnership. ================================= DB2/6000 AND DDCS/6000 DEPARTMENT ------------------------------------------ DB2/6000 Now Available for the SP1 and SP2 DB2/6000 Version 1 is now available on the SP1 and SP2. Each node in the SP system can host a database engine with its own individual database. The current suite of utilities and application development tools is supported. IBM intends to extend DB2/6000 to support multi-node parallelism while maintaining IBMts database quality, functionality, reliability and robustness. Function and Form DB2/6000 will incorporate significant new functions to exploit the parallelism of the SP2, providing enhanced scalability for complex queries and transaction processing. For example, it will provide the capability to support very large databases, hundreds of gigabytes, across nodes of a SP2 system. DB2/6000 enhancements will use the same 'shared nothing' architecture used by SP2 to derive maximum benefits from the SP2 environment. These enhancements will allow databases to grow by adding nodes incrementally, and isolating failures to individual processors, resulting in only part of the system being unavailable while the failed node is being recovered. To exploit multi-node parallelism in the complex query market, DB2/6000 will decompose SQL queries into many parts. They will then run on multiple nodes of the SP2 in parallel, significantly reducing response time. This parallel exploitation will be performed automatically for tables located on multiple nodes, with no changes required to the applications! The DB2/6000 enhancements also lets you to expand transaction processing systems beyond the capacity of a single RISC System/6000. A multiple processor database is administered as a single entity. Clients can connect to any of the processors and have full access to all available data for queries or updates. In support of the above enhancements, DB2/6000 will offer: * Near-linear performance scale-up with additional nodes * All access plans automatically created for parallel execution * Functions performed in parallel, including data and index scans, index creation, backup and restore * A load balancing utility * Hash partitioning, used for efficient data distribution. These enhancements to DB2/6000 extend their reach from LAN servers to HACMP/6000 to Power Parallel Systems. ----------------------------------------------------- DB2/6000 and DDCS/6000 V1.1 Service Package Available The first Service Package for DB2/6000 and DDCS/6000 is now available. The package name is U427189 (PTF number 27189). It contains APARs IX41718 and IX40594 and includes fixes for Client Application Enabler/6000, SDK/6000, DB2/6000 and DDCS/6000. Let's take a closer look at APAR IX41718 in particular. This APAR fixed a problem with AIX group memberships used in determining a users authorization to a database. Normally, DB2/6000 will consider AIX group membership when determining what authorization a particular user has. This fix makes DB2/6000 group support optional. The default is OFF; in other words, DB2/6000 will not consider AIX group membership when determining user authorizations. To turn group support ON, the system administrator must set the DB2GROUPS environment to 'ON' before executing the db2start command. Group support is now optional because the AIX tmkgroupt command, by default, can be executed by any user. This means that any user can create a group and add users to the group. To ensure only authorized groups are recognized by DB2/6000, either: 1) Change the permission on the mkgroup command so that only trusted users can make groups. This can be done as follows: - login as root - cd /usr/bin (or equivalent) - chmod u-s mkgroup or, 2) Leave DB2/6000 group support OFF ================== DB2/400 DEPARTMENT ------------------------ DB2/400: A New Beginning The next evolution of the OS/400* integrated Database Management System (DBMS) and the newest member of the DATABASE 2* family of products is the DB2/400 database manager. In keeping with our commitment to provide consistent solutions across diverse platforms, IBM has added the OS/400 relational database management system to the industry standard DATABASE 2* family of products. The resulting product has acquired both a new name and significant enhancements in the areas of standards compliance, advanced functions, distributed capabilities, and performance. This product provides maturity and stability while offering the open systems, standards-based technology required for todayts heterogeneous computing environments. Most importantly, DB2/400 provides full upward compatibility of previous releases of the OS/400 DBMS, delivering another important commitment to our customers: protection of your investment. State-of-the-Art Database Functions For years, the OS/400 database manager has provided rock-solid relational database functions. These functions included native and SQL data access, multiple-level concurrency control, transaction management, record-level locking, National Language Support (NLS), and recently, C2-conforming security. More than 20,000 application programs running on more than 250,000 installations use these functions, making DB2/400 the most popular multi-user relational database management system in the world. Look at what's new in DB2/400: * Structured Query Language (SQL) Standards Conformance DB2/400 supplies the industry-standard database access language for consistent data access across heterogeneous platforms, conforming to the IBM SQL Version 1, ANSI X3.135.1992, ISO 9075-1992 and FIPS 127-2 standards. Support is provided for embedded static, dynamic, and extended ynamic SQL. * Declarative referential integrity Database integrity support intrinsic to the database is provided, eliminating the need to code integrity constraints into each application program. This support ensures database consistency by preventing conflicting data from being entered into the database. * Stored procedures DB2/400 allows the distribution of application workloads between the client and database server for dramatically improved performance in client-server environments. * Triggers Automatic program/procedure execution is available, based on user- specified rules, before and/or after database modifications. * Two-phase commit transaction management DB2/400 allows access to multiple heterogeneous databases simultaneously in complex client/server environments using APPC Synch- Point protocols. * Data replication Automatic data replication facilities in distributed DB2 family environments are provided. Local shadow copies of a master database are automatically updated at specified intervals. * System-wide database catalog This allows applications to query information concerning all objects on a system using a single system catalog. High Performance Database Server DB2/400 maintains its position as a high-performance, multi-user relational database management system with features such as rule- and cost-based SQL optimization, automatic record blocking, and block array INSERT and FETCH. In addition, the sophisticated concurrency control mechanism provides four isolation levels: read stability (*ALL), cursor stability (*CS), uncommitted read (*UR), and no commit (*NONE), allowing highly flexible application architecture for increased performance. Now, DB2/400 offers additional features and enhancements including: * Enhanced SQL performance In the past, customers experienced performance degradation when using SQL in place of native database access. The performance of the SQL interface has been greatly improved in this release and in some cases outperforms native access. * Explain function This function examines and reports the access method used by individual SQL queries. The output can be examined to determine whether the access method generated for the query could be improved by query and/or database changes. For example, if Explain reports that a sort on a column is being performed, placing an index on that column might speed up the query by not requiring a processor-intensive sort operation. * Automatic record blocking with *CS and *ALL Record blocking is now available when using the cursor stability (*CS) and read stability (*ALL) isolation levels. Applications using these isolation levels can now take advantage of the performance advantages of automatic record blocking previously available only to applications using the uncommitted read and none isolation levels. * Parallel data access Queries returning or requiring DB2/400 to process large amounts of data require significant I/O activity. Due to the AS/400ts single- level store architecture, this data is often spread across many physical devices. The new parallel data access feature allows multiple internal DB2/400 tasks to be activated for each physical device, enabling DB2/400 to transfer data from disk to memory faster than it did with the previous single-task I/O architecture. * Query governor Long running queries can have negative performance effects for other users of a database. The governor facility allows a timeout value to be set for a query, to keep a single query from consuming unusually large amounts of resources, negatively affecting the performance of other users. It is noteworthy that the overall performance of DB2/400 applications depend on many things such as record contention, application architecture, and features used. For example, access to tables that do not have referential integrity constraints is slightly faster than those that do (all other things being equal). This is because increased I/O activity is needed to check and enforce the database constraints. Other features such as two-phase commit, triggers, and more restrictive isolation levels have similar performance implications. However, these performance degradations are almost always less when these features are built into the DBMS than when implemented at the application level. Ease of Use and Management The AS/400's reputation for usability and easy maintenance is unsurpassed in the industry. This is partly due to the tight integration of OS/400 and DB2/400. Users do not have to learn separate operating system and database functions, nor are they burdened with maintaining the complex interfaces between multiple layers of software. In addition to seamless integration, a rich set of utilities provide easy management of DB2/400 databases. Some of these utilities include: * Online backup and restore Backup of the database can be performed while users are accessing and changing the database, providing around-the-clock operation. * Roll forward and backward recovery Database changes made after the last backup may be reapplied after a restore, or recent changes can be backed out if the database needs to be returned to a specific state. * Audit trail This maintains a record of database changes such as the user, program, and job making the change. * Performance tuning and trace This feature analyzes processor and disk workloads for improved performance. Open Standards-Based Interoperability Support for client/server and distributed environments has been greatly enhanced by incorporating popular database standards and transmission protocols. DB2/400 provides support for: * ANSI X3.135.1992, ISO 9075-1992, and FIPS 127-2 SQL * IBM Distributed Relational Database Architecture* (DRDA) Distributed Unit of Work - Application Directed * Microsoft's Open Database Connection** (ODBC**) * Apple's Data Access Language** (DAL**) Supported transmission protocols for the AS/400 include: * Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) * Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) * Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking (APPN) This support lets customers fully exploit the maturity and stability of the AS/400 database server with a wide range of client applications running on OS/2, DOS, Windows**, AIX, and Macintosh** workstations. Industry-Leading Application Support More than 20,000 commercially available AS/400 application solutions take advantage of the power, flexibility, and ease of use of the DB2/400 database manager. These applications are written for a wide range of industries and users from small businesses with basic accounting needs to large enterprises with complex computing environments. In addition, DB2/400's support of popular database standards, combined with the AS/400's support of popular transmission protocols, makes the wide range of client applications running on UNIX**, OS/2, DOS, and Windows workstations immediately available. This allows customers to exploit the client/server environment while protecting their investments in hardware and software from multiple vendors. Related Products The DB2/400 database manager is integrated directly into the OS/400 operating system. And it includes all the support necessary for new and existing database applications to run on the AS/400. Application development facilities are provided in the optional DB2/400 Query Manager and SQL Development Kit, the next evolution of the SQL/400 product. This product includes Query Manager, an interactive panels and query builder for user-developed report generation, and Interactive SQL, a prompted interface for running and testing SQL queries. For the application developer, the SQL Development Kit provides SQL precompilers to develop custom SQL applications in languages such as C, RPG, COBOL, PL/1, and FORTRAN. Once created, the applications and queries can be run on any AS/400 system. Client support is provided in the AS/400 Client Access/400 product. This product provides support for OS/2, Windows, and DOS clients. Future support will be provided for UNIX and NT clients. Data replication support is provided in the DataPropagator Relational product. This product gives easy management of DB2 family distributed databases containing local copies of master databases by providing automatic update support for the shadow copies. DB2/400: The Database Server for You The database management system has become increasingly important in providing access to and protection for mission-critical data. DB2/400 and the AS/400 can remove the uncertainty from moving to distributed technology by providing a database server of unprecedented maturity and stability. When combined with state of the art operating system and database management functions, the AS/400 becomes the database server of choice for many customers. To receive assistance for IBM* DATABASE 2* OS/2* (DB2/2*) Version 1.0, Distributed Database Connection Services (DDCS/2) Version 2.0 and DDCS/2 Version 1.0, or for information regarding both free and chargeable service options available, please call 1-800-992-4777. For your convenience, assistance is also available using the electronic options OS2BBS and CompuServe** Customer Support, described below. ===================== SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICES ------------------------ DB2/2 and DDCS/2 Service Corrective Service and Customer Support DB2/2 and DDCS/2 customers can use two convenient problem-solving methods: Corrective Service and Customer Support. * CORRECTIVE SERVICE: SERVICE AND SELECT PAKS Corrective Service is provided in two forms t Service and Select Paks. What are Select and Service Paks? A Service Pak is a corrective service package of all fixes that have accumulated since the original product became generally available (similar to the old terminology of tCorrective Service Diskettest or tCSDt). Approximately every six to eight months a new Service Pak may be available and can be obtained either electronically as multiple diskette images or as physical diskettes ordered from IBM. For information on ordering these diskettes, please call 1-800-992-4777. A Select Pak is a small group of fixes that have accumulated between Service Paks (or in this case since the product first became generally available). It is an interim set of regression-tested fixes that is only available electronically. These fixes are usually less than 1.44 MB so they are easier/faster to download and can fit (in a packed format) onto a diskette for storage. The fixes are packaged by component: one Select Pak for the DB2/2 engine, one for Query Manager, one for DDCS/2, and so on. The Select Pak may be available approximately every three months. IBM makes the fnal decision to produce a Select or Service Pak after evaluating the APAR data based on the number, severity, and visibility of fixes. * CUSTOMER SUPPORT: OS2BBS AND COMPUSERVE Customer support provided by the DB2/2 Service team is via a question and answer forum. The forum is accessible through CompuServe, IBMLink*, and TALKLink. Instructions for Accessing Corrective Service and Customer Support * CompuServe: call 1-800-848-8199 in Canada and U.S. for membership information Execute GO IBMDB2 - use DB2/2 section for questions and answers - use DB2/2 library for fixes and other files * U.S. (IBMLink) TALKLINK OS/2 BBS: call 1-800-547-1283 for membership information Go to OS2BBS in TALKLINK Choose Service Package section (Corrective Service only) Access DB2OS2 FORUM (Questions & Answers and Technical Support). * Canadian IBMLink OS/2 BBS: call 905-474-6666 or 1-800-268-3100 for membership information - Go to IBMLink from the IIN* Menu - Type ICONF on the IBMLink Desktop - Select View from the Conference File Selection List - Select Option 5 Select Files and type: WR* * (NOTE: these two asterisks are wildcards) (Corrective Service only) - Select DB2OS2 FORUM (Questions & Answers and Technical Support). The following methods are applicable to Corrective Service only: *Internet - FTP to anonymous server software.watson.ibm.com (129.34.139.5) - Enter userid of anonymous and password as your complete e-mail address - Go to pubs/db2/os2 directory. * Canadian IBM PS BBS: to dial into the BBS call: 416-316-4255 Toronto 416-494-1823 Toronto 514-938-3022 Montreal 604-664-6464 Vancouver 204-934-2798 Winnipeg (modem settings are 8 databits, no parity 1, stop bit) Area 34 OS/2 Database and Host. * US IBM PCC BBS - to dial into the BBS call 919-517-0001 Raleigh, North Carolina (modem settings are 8 databits, no parity 1, stop bit) Directory 4 (The CSD Directory). So, if you need corrective service and customer support, tap into one of the convenient methods available from IBM! --------------------------------------- DB2/2 Service Team: Customer Champions! Every person on the DB2/2 Service team is a customer champion, dedicated to providing service excellence for their customers. Check out these customer quotes, as evidence: I called about an APAR I found out about on CompuServe. It took less than an hour from the time of my first call to Level 1 Support to when I had access to the files on CompuServe and was able to download the fixes. I think this is just super and your people have been doing a wonderful job, both on the phone and on CompuServe. Thank you. I really appreciate Ken's help. Even though he was sick, he called us from home. The problems have been resolved. Thanks.t And how are they doing compared to the competition? The 1993 satisfaction survey results are now in: * DB2/2 Customer Service Satisfaction...........85% * Competition Customer Service Satisfaction.....75% Wow! That's a full 10 points up on the competition combined! And how did they accomplish these results? Teamwork. A constant focus on reducing response time. Benchmarking the best software vendors. Applying the latest technology to their service tools. Increasing customer access to service. Paying attention to detail. Hard work. And most importantly, exhibiting an attitude of willingness to do anything for their customer. --------------------------------------------- Printing in Landscape Mode from Query Manager The Query Manager does not have a setting to simply choose landscape printing because this type of printing is not supported. However, the following methods will allow you to print Query Manager reports in landscape format. METHOD 1 Print the report to a file. Then print the file to a printer using the OS/2 PRINT command. The printer can be set up in one of two ways: a) Physically select landscape printing on the printer; or b) Modify the job properties of the print manager queue to print in landscape format. First, ensure that your printer is capable of printing text in landscape mode. (Some printers can print text or graphics in landscape mode, while others can't.) Most printers are capable of printing landscape in graphics mode, but not in text, including most matrix printers. For these dot matrix printers to print landscape text in graphics mode requires some type of driver or application. The limitation of choosing Method 1 is that your printer will now always print in landscape mode. If you need to print both formats, set up two queues; one for landscape and the other for portrait. METHOD 2 Embed the printer control code for landscape printing in the Query Manager report, choosing one of two ways: a) Define a FORM with the heading that includes the printer control escape code for landscape. For example, the printer control code for printing in landscape mode for the IBM 4019 printer is ESC 1 (decimal 27 108). Enter this escape code on the first heading line of the report. This code will toggle the landscape mode for the printer. Now, the rest of the report will be printed in landscape mode. Please note. An example printer escape code to make an HP printer print in landscape mode is ESC & I # 1t. This sequence includes the t&t symbol. This symbol cannot be used directly in the form heading. In this case, the escape code must be entered using a Query Manager variable in the heading (such as &PRINT_CODE). When the query is run using this form, you will be prompted to enter the print code. Enter the code by pressing the ALT key and then the equivalent number on the NUMBER-KEYPAD. Then print the form to the printer. These escape sequences vary by printer device. Check your printer's documentation for the exact escape sequences. For an IBM printer, you can change the page header to ASCII 27 and 108 (ALT 027 and ALT 108). This will cause the printer to print in landscape mode. (In all cases, the escape sequences must be entered using the ALT key and the NUMBER-KEYPAD numbers, not the upper keyboard numbers.) b) Modify the output from the Query Manager to include the escape sequences to toggle landscape mode for the printer. This would have to be done manually by editing the output file. Just Remember.... When you choose OTHER for printer type when using Query Manager, you must set the printer to match what the database manager has been told about the forms setup. The Query Manager will send CR, LF and FF to the printer only. QM prints directly to the printer; therefore, the printer itself must be set up for landscape printing. Query Manager disables the device driver when printing. The only way to involve the device driver is to print to a file, then use the OS/2 PRINT command to the printer. This activates the device drive and translates the text into landscape mode. Query Manager uses Presentation Manager to print and allows two print options: RAW and STD modes. Query Manager prints in RAW mode, which disables the printer driver and goes directly to the printer. STD mode invokes the driver and the translation present in it. Use the Query Manager PROFILE to set up PRINTER NICKNAME with the printer to be used. This is accomplished by selecting SYSTEM/OPEN PRINTER NICKNAME from the ACTION BAR on the DATABASES menu of Query Manager. The print options can be specified for specific profiles. You will have to select Activate from the Action pull-down menu once your profile is defined. ------------------------------------------------- DB2 Configuration Overview and Samples Now Online Various types of communications configurations are possible when configuring DB2 clients and servers. To help you install and configure DB2 clients and servers quickly, a new online help file is available. It describes the task of configuring either DB2 clients or servers by communications protocol. Working samples, based on working configurations, are detailed so that you can: * Observe configuration differences for each environment; * Get a working configuration into your environment quickly; and * Tailor them to suit your requirements. Two versions of this file exist: one in OS/2 .INF format and the other in Windows 3.1 .HLP file format. They are DB2CFG.INF and DB2CFG.HLP and can be viewed using the VIEW or WINHELP facilities, respectively. The new DB2 Client Application Enabler V1.2 products (includes DOS/Windows and OS/2 clients) install this help file automatically during product installation. The help files may also be retrieved from CompuServe (GO IBMDB2). --------------------------------------------------------------- DOS/Windows Application Enabler Now an Option for Your Database A DOS and Windows application enabler is now included as an option for a database environment with the Extended Services and the OS/2 DB2/2 database products. With it, DOS/Windows code can be installed on an OS/2 machine and DOS and Windows sessions may then be used to access the DOS/Windows client code. This allows your OS/2 machine to run an existing DOS/Windows third-party or in-house DOS/Windows database application. How to Make the Most of the Application Enabler * After installation, run the SETUPVDD.EXE to include the drivers in your CONFIG.SYS file: the LANPDD (LAN Physical Device Driver) and the LANVDD (LAN Virtual Device Driver). Your CONFIG.SYS file should show the following: DEVICE=C:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\LANPDD.OS2 DEVICE=C:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\LANVDD.OS2 DEVICE=C:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\LANDD.OS2 DEVICE=C:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\LANDLLDD.OS2 However, if you are using NTS/2 for your LAN Support Program (LSP) code, then these steps are unnecessary. The SETUPVDD.EXE was expressly created to add the lines to the CONFIG.SYS file, while NTS/2 installation now takes care of this for you. * If you get the SQL1042 error message when you try to STARTDRQ, ensure that: -\DBDRQLIB is in your path -the device drivers are installed with the above CONFIG.SYS statements enough DASD is available on the client partition to create the DOS client directory structure -your DBDRQLIB.CFG file shows that you have reserved enough NetBIOS resources for your communications. You might want to increase the resources reserved for SQLSIZE. * You must have LSP installed on the system so that your DOS/Windows client can use NetBIOS to access the DBM or DB2/2 Server. The LSP was included with Extended Service Client Enablers, but neither the DB2/2 package nor the CM/2 package includes the LSP. * After installing the DOS/Windows Client code you must change the NNAME of the DOS/Windows Client. The NNAME is found in the \DBDRQLIB\DBDRQLIB.CFG file. There is a parameter called SQLNAME. This is the NetBIOS nname for the DOS/Windows client. You should make sure that the nname is unique among the workstations on your LAN. * A DOS/Windows database application can access the Database Manager or DB2/2 databases that are on its physical machine, as long as DB2/2 or DBM code is server code. If the code is standalone, client, or client with local databases, then you will not be able to access the local databases that are within your local DBM or DB2/2 environment. For instance, Machine 1, an OS/2 with DB2/2 Server machine, can run a DOS/Windows database application and access the IBM databases on Machine 2, a DB2/2 server. Machine 1 can also access the databases that are a part of its own DB2/2 system from its DOS session, because Machine 1 is installed as a Database Server. This is done with the NetBIOS connect call actually searching the LAN for the NNAME (NetBIOS NAME) of the desired server. Once the connect call is out on the LAN, it does not matter whether the DBM or DB2/2 system is on the same Machine1, it is simply looking for the NNAME. * Currently, no front-end is provided for cataloguing and accessing the DBM or DB2/2 databases from a DOS session. The user must provide the front-end; this can be an in-house or OEM application. * Finally, if your DOS application supports the DRDA* (Distributed Relational Database Architecture*) then you may access host databases after establishing your RDS connection. ----------------------------------------- Easy Access to DDCS/6000 Performance Data Many customers have expressed interest in performance information for the DDCS/6000 product. If that includes you, a package of information is available from your IBM Systems Engineer (SE). Ask your SE to get DDCSPERF LIST3820 from the MKTTOOLS disk. This package will also be available on COMPUSERV (GO IBMDB2). Topics include: general performance concepts; some performance considerations specific to DDCS; factors affecting performance; capacity planning; and some common questions and answers about performance. This package has conceptual information that is applicable to any DRDA Application Server that you are using with DDCS/6000. Dontt hesitate t contact your IBM SE today for the latest performance information! ===================== SPOTLIGHT ON SOFTWARE --------------------------------------------------------- VisPro/REXX Gold: DB2/2 Programming Has Never Been Easier VisPro/REXX Gold includes a database engineer that allows you to visualize your DB2/2 databases using Entity/Relationship (E/R) diagrams. You can create a DB2/2 application from scratch or reverse- engineer an existing DB2/2 database into a database program. Because it is a visual tool, you can print and view complex databases, allowing you to quickly pinpoint logical design problems with your database application, which can then be easily corrected. Also included with the database designer feature is an SQL builder. You can generate error-free SQL statements because the SQL builder enforces the proper syntax. And you dontt have to be an SQL expert. DB2/2 database application development is now easier and more cost-effective with VisPro/REXX Gold. Here's what you can do: * Visually create relational database schema * Export Data Definition Language (DDL) files for creation of your databases * Reverse engineer your existing DB2/2 databases into E/R diagrams * Print even the largest of diagrams to poster-sized printouts * Interact with DB2/2 tables the same as you would with any Workplace Shell object * Pop-up menus allow you to modify tables and relationships * Direct editing allows you to easily change table names * Workplace Shell drag and drop allows you to move, delete and print tables, create SQL statements that interact with tables, and program DB2/2 applications. The SQL builder window allows you to point and click to build SQL statements. The SQL syntax diagram enforces proper syntax and an information line displays descriptions of each SQL element. The SQL preview displays the progression of the SQL statement. So even if you dontt know SQL, you will quickly catch on! CUA '91 settings views allow you to edit the attributes of both tables and relationships. With table settings view, you can: * add, change and delete columns; * set column types and attributes; * add indexes and primary keys; and * use a general page that allows you to set table names and remarks. The relationship settings view allows you to set attributes of foreign key restraints. Drag and drop programming allows you to quickly create panels to interact with DB2/2 tables. Herets how: * Dragging a table to a VisPro/REXX Layout View generates bug- free code * You may optionally create field for each column or create Add, Change, Delete and Search buttons with all the necessary SQL and code * Optionally create an OS/2 container to store results searches and other user interactions. ----------------------------------------------- SearchManager/2: Information at Your Fingertips IBM SearchManager/2* is an information retrieval product designed to index and retrieve any kind of textual information located in OS/2 file system documents, databases, or document libraries. The SearchManager/2 indexing engine is able to analyze documents and builds a document index without regard to the source of the documents. The linguistic component of this analysis t which is language-specific recognizes the morphology of text words. Depending on the chosen index type (linguistic, precise or a combination of the two), information about the text words is stored in the document index which allows for flexible queries where searched documents match for all forms of a queryts search terms. Working with SearchManager/2 On the graphical interface, users may enter queries made up of search terms combined with the words tandt, tort, and tnott. The precision and the recall of search results can further be steered during the query formulation through a specific set of techniques. Each search term represents a single word or a phrase, and may contain masking characters in any form (front, middle, or end masking, word or character masking). Entered phrases can be searched for as they are (the individual words being adjacent and in the given order) or in any sequence within a sentence in the document. The provided synonym support offers a list of alternatives for a user-typed word. Any subset of this list can easily be associated to the original word and thus be made part of the query. Words not occurring in SearchManager/2 synonym lists can be immediately added as temporary or permanent user-defined synonyms. Search results are presented in the OS/2 (or DOS Windows) graphical interface as icons with the document title and document attributes. Document contents can be viewed in a browser window. Text portions matching the query are highlighted in a different colour. Through a hypermedia exit, hyperlinks may be contained and highlighted in the document, allowing access to the linked presentation elements. Thesaurus Extensions and Administration If the IBM Thesaurus End User System Toolkit/2 product is installed, a thesaurus push button is automatically displayed on the SearchManager/2 search panel for easy access to thesaurus data. Starting with a search term, the thesaurus can be queried for various relations categorized according their properties. The results can become part of the query. The SearchManager/2 administrator can automate the indexing process so that predefined document locations are checked periodically by SearchManager/2 for additions or modifications which are then indexed. Stopword lists for each of the 13 supported languages can be viewed and modified. Integrating DB2/2 and SearchManager/2 To accommodate documents residing in various repositories like a file system or a database, SearchManager/2 is open at the document reading end. It defines a series of user exits (SearchManager/2 Library Services) which represent the interface to access, list and read documents and document groups. Once these interfaces are provided, SearchManager/2 uses them to build the document index and to browse retrieved documents. The SearchManager/2 Library Services specifications describe a number of C functions that need to be implemented for SearchManager/2 to work with a completely new database. The supplied toolkit contains the necessary C header files to be used when coding Library Services. SearchManager/2 supports the integration with DB2/2 by delivering the complete Library Services source code to show a possible integration of DB2/2 and SearchManager/2. REXX command files are supplied to: * Create a database and a table to receive the documents or to use an existing database for creating the table * Import provided documents to the previously created table * Precompile, compile and link the source code to two dynamic link libraries (one for the SearchManager/2 server, one for the client). Once the Library Services DLL is created, it has to be registered by the SearchManager/2 administrator, and then SearchManager/2 is ready to go on DB2/2. The SearchManager/2 document list panels will show the imported document titles, the indexing process will read the documents from the DB2/2 table and the documents found can be viewed in the browser window. Implementing Customized Solutions Generally, various conentions may be used to store documents in DB2/2. The SearchManager/2 Library Services source code shows one possible implementation. DB2/2 applications may choose other forms which involves modifying the implementation of document access-related SearchManager/2 Library Services. The defined attributes may also be stored in different ways. A DB2/2 and SearchManager/2 solution will work in a distributed environment as soon as the Library Services are enabled for that environment. Both the SearchManager/2 document index and the search engine are maintained at the server, while clients formulate queries and work with result lists. The SearchManager/2 server is available on OS/2 and clients are available on OS/2 and DOS/Windows. The next step is availability on AIX. The front end offers all of the above features, plus it is open. A set of C APIs is provided which allows a very tight integration in one DB2/2 application. As a result, the usage of SearchManager/2 ranges from using the product tas ist to using only its indexing and search engine with its client/server and linguistic capabilities and providing customized solutions both at the rear (document library) end, as well as at the front (user interface) end. The provided APIs cover the entire functionality from document scheduling through search functions up to administrative functions, making the entire client/server architecture transparent. UPCOMING EVENTS U.S. ROADSHOWS: June 28 Hartford, Connecticut June 30 Rochester, New York July 21 Detroit, Michigan July 22 Columbus, Ohio July 26 Dallas, Texas July 28 Kansas City, Missouri Sept. 13 Chicago, Illinois Sept. 14 Washington, DC Sept. 15 Minneapolis, Minnesota Sept. 15 Philadelphia, PA Sept. 20 St. Louis, Missouri Sept. 20 New York, New York Sept. 22 Boston, Massachusetts Sept. 21 Washington, DC Sept. 22 Washington, DC Sept. 27 Atlanta, Georgia Sept. 29 Orlando, Florida October 11 Los Angeles, Calif. October 13 San Francisco, Calif. EUROPEAN ROADSHOWS: June 20 Munich, Germany June 22 Dusseldorf, Germany June 21 Capetown, S. Africa June 23 Johannesburg, S. Africa For European show information, contact Eleni Scondra Phone: + 331 49 05 8713 Fax: + 331 46 67 3201 For U.S. show information, contact Phyllis Prewitt Phone:(404) 835-8007 Fax:(404) 835-7797 Newsletter Information: This quarterly newsletter is produced by the Database Technology department at the IBM Software Solutions Toronto Laboratory. For further information on any of the products mentioned, contact your local IBM office or an authorized IBM Business Partner. Managing Editors: Terry Sole and Tammy Thornton Editing & Design: JB Writing & Design Dontt hesitate to contact us about newsletter content, subscriptions, or article ideas in one of the following ways: INTERNET: db2news@vnet.ibm.com COMPUSERVE: Enter, GO IBMDB2 IBMMAIL: IBMMAIL(CAIBMMPD) IBM VNET: TOROLAB2(DB2NEWS) IBM FORUMS: DB2OS2 CFORUM DB26000 CFORUM FAX: (416) 448-4414 Interested in a subscription to the newsletter? Indicate your interest on the Readerts Reply form on page 25 and mail or fax it back to us. If you are an IBM employee, you can obtain a copy by requesting the DB2-NEWS PACKAGE on the MKTTOOLS disk. The next newsletter will be available in September 1994. TRADEMARKS: * are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation. **are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Sample code is provided for information purposes only, and is used by readers at their risk. IBM makes an effort to provide accurate and sfe code examples, but does not guarantee their correctness. (c) Copyright IBM Corporation 1994