IBM Books

Quick Beginnings for DB2 Connect


Creating and Using Profiles

The information in this section describes how to create and use profiles to set up connections between DB2 clients and servers. You can use either a Server Profile or a Client Profile to configure database connections on a client.

Figure car not displayed.

Go to the section that describes the type of profile that you want to use:

Server Profiles

A Server Profile contains information about instances on a server system, and databases within each instance. The information for each instance includes the protocol information required to set up a client to connect to databases in that instance.

To generate a Server Profile, use the Export Server Profile function provided in the Control Center. When a profile is generated, it includes instances that have the discover_inst database manager configuration parameter and databases with the discover_db database configuration parameter set to ENABLE. The discover parameter in the Administration Server's configuration file must be set to either SEARCH or KNOWN to generate a profile for a server system.

The default settings for these configuration parameters enable you to discover all instances and databases on your network. For information on setting the discover_inst, discover_db, and discover configuration parameters, refer to the Administration Guide.

Figure hint not displayed.

We recommend that you create a Server Profile only after you have created the DB2 databases that you want your remote clients to access.

To create a Server Profile, perform the following steps:

Step  1.

Start the Control Center. For more information, refer to Starting the Control Center.

Step  2.

Select the system that you want to create a profile for and click on the right mouse button.

Figure hint not displayed.

If the system that you want to create a profile for is not shown, select the Systems icon, click on the right mouse button, and select the Add option. Click on the Help push button and follow the online help.

Step  3.

Select the Export server profile option.

Step  4.

Enter a path and filename for this profile and click on the Export push button.



Figure car not displayed.

You are ready to use this profile on your system. For more information on how to add a database to your system using a Server Profile, go to Configuration Steps.

Client Profiles

Information in a Client Profile can be used to configure clients using the Import function in the Client Configuration Assistant (CCA). These clients can import all or a subset of the configuration information in a profile.

Figure hint not displayed.

This scenario assumes that the database connections configured on one client will be exported and used to set up one or more clients.

A Client Profile is generated from a client using the Export function of the CCA. The information contained in a Client Profile is determined during the export process. Depending on the settings chosen, it can contain the existing client's:

To create a Client Profile, perform the following steps:

Step  1.

Start the CCA. For more information, see Starting the Client Configuration Assistant.

Step  2.

Click on the Export push button. The Select Export Option window opens.

Step  3.

Select one of the following export options:

  • If you want to create a profile that contains all of the databases cataloged on your system, and all of the configuration information for this client, select the All radio button, click on OK, and go to Step 6.

  • If you want to create a profile that contains all of the databases cataloged on your system without any of the configuration information for this client, select the Database connection information radio button, click on OK, and go to Step 6.

  • If you want to select a subset of the databases that are cataloged on your system, or a subset of the configuration information for this client, select the Customize radio button, click on OK, and go to the next step.

Step  4.

Select the databases to be exported from the Available DB2 databases box and add them to the Selected databases box by clicking on the > push button.

Figure hint not displayed.

To add all of the available databases to the Databases to be exported box, click on the >> button.

Step  5.

Select the check boxes from the Select custom export option box that correspond to the options that you want to set up for the target client.

To customize settings, click on the appropriate Customize push button. The settings that you customize will only affect the profile to be exported, no changes will be made to your workstation. For more information, click on the Help push button.

Step  6.

Click on OK. The Export Client Profile window opens.

Step  7.

Enter a path and file name for this Client Profile and click on OK. The DB2 Message window opens.

Step  8.

Click on OK.

To import a Client Profile, perform the following steps:

Step  1.

Start the CCA. For more information, see Starting the Client Configuration Assistant.

Step  2.

Click on the Import push button. The Select Profile window opens.

Step  3.

Select a Client Profile to import and click on OK. The Import Profile window opens.

Step  4.

You can select to import all or a subset of the information in a Client Profile. Select one of the following import options:

  • To import all the databases defined in a Client Profile, select the All radio button.

  • To import a specific database, or settings, that are defined in a Client Profile, select the Customize radio button. Select the check boxes that correspond to the options that you want to customize.

Step  5.

Click on OK.

Figure car not displayed.

If you selected the All radio button, you are now ready to start using your DB2 product. For more advanced topics, refer to the Administration Guide and the Installation and Configuration Supplement online document.

Step  6.

You are presented with a list of systems, instances, and databases. Select the database that you want to add and click on the Next push button.

Step  7.

Enter a local database alias name in the Database alias field and add a comment that describes this database in the Comment field. Click on the Next push button.

Figure hint not displayed.

If you do not specify a database alias name, the default will be the same as the remote database alias name.

Step  8.

Register this database as an ODBC data source.

Figure car not displayed.

If you are not planning to use ODBC, click on the Done push button and go to the next step.

  1. Ensure that the Register this database for ODBC check box is selected.

  2. Select the radio button that describes how you would like to register this database:

    • If you would like all users on your system to have access to this data source, select the As a system data source radio button.

    • If you would like only the current user to have access to this data source, select the As a user data source radio button.

  3. If you would like to create an ODBC data source file to share database access, select the Create a file data source check box and enter the path and filename for this file in the File data source name field.

  4. Click on the Optimize for application drop down box and select the application for which you want to tune the ODBC settings.

  5. Click on the Done push button to add the database that you selected. The Confirmation window opens.

Step  9.

Click on the Test Connection push button to test the connection. The Connect to DB2 Database window opens.

If the database that you want to add was not added successfully, click on the Change push button to change any settings that you may have incorrectly specified or click on the Help push button for more information. For even more detailed information, refer to the Troubleshooting Guide.

Step 10.

Enter your user ID and password and click on OK. If the connection is successful, a message confirming the connection appears.

Step 11.

You are now able to use this database. To finish using the Add Database SmartGuide, click on the Close push button; you can then add more databases by clicking on the Add push button or exit the CCA.


[ Top of Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Table of Contents | Index ]

[ DB2 List of Books | Search the DB2 Books ]