Add DMS Container -- Fields and controls

File or Raw device

Container entry field

File list

Directories list

Drives list (OS/2, Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98 only)

File size

Raw device

File or Raw device

File

Files are easier to use than raw devices, but do not perform as well. To access a file, the database manager works through the operating system's file system.

Raw device

A raw device is a large contiguous chunk of disk space, either an unformatted partition or an unpartitioned disk. It can perform better than a file because the database manager accesses the disk directly.

Container entry field

Specifies the path and name of a file. You can either type the fully qualified name, or you can use the directory list box and drive combination box (OS/2, Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98 only) to build the fully qualified name.

Files list

This box lists the files in the current directory. Click on a file in the list to add it to the File or Path entry field.

Directories list

This box lists the directories in the current directory.

• To select a directory, click on it in the list.

• To change to a subdirectory, double-click on it in the list.

• To change to a higher-level directory, double-click on .. in the directory list.

Drives list (OS/2, Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98 only)

This box lists the valid drives on the system. To change the selected drive, use one of these methods:

• Click on the down arrow to display a list of drives. The control displays the amount of free space on the current drive in MB or its status. Click on the drive you want to select.

• Type the letter of the drive you want to select.

Remember that this list contains all the drives on the system where the database you are working with resides. This means that it may list the drives on your local system or on a remote system. If the Control Center could not connect to the remote system, the drive list will be empty. However, if this happens you can enter the drive letter manually by typing it in.

File size

Use this field to specify the size of the DMS container in pages or MB. (There are 256 4KB pages in 1MB.) You can either:

• Use the spin buttons to increase or decrease the container size by pages or 0.1 MB.

• Type a size in the field.

The minimum size of a container is 5 times the extent size of the table space plus one 4KB page. Since the default extent size is 32 4KB pages, the default minimum size for the entire table space is 32 4KB pages multiplied by 5, plus one, equal to 161 4KB pages (approximately 660KB).

Raw device

Unformatted partition

Before you can use a hard disk, it must be partitioned and formatted. Formatting prepares the hard disk for use by the operating system. Use this control to select an unformatted drive as a DB2 raw device.

Unpartitioned drive

Before the operating system can use a hard disk, the disk must first be partitioned. This divides the disk into separate logical drives. Each is given a single letter designation from A to Z. Use this control to use an unpartitioned drive as a DB2 raw device.