After determining the design of your database, you must create the database and the objects within it. These objects include schemas, nodegroups, table spaces, tables, views, wrappers, servers, nicknames, type mappings, function mappings, aliases, user-defined types (UDTs), user-defined functions (UDFs), triggers, constraints, indexes, and packages. You can create these objects using SQL statements in the command line processor, from the Control Center (on the supported Windows and OS/2 operating systems), or through APIs in applications.
For information on SQL statements, refer to the SQL Reference manual. For information on command line processor commands, refer to the Command Reference. For information on the user APIs, refer to the Administrative API Reference manual.
| Note: | Your platform may support a user interface where you can create database objects. This interface can be used instead of the SQL statements, command line processor commands, or user APIs. Check the Quick Beginnings manual for your platform to determine if you have this capability. |
In this chapter the method for completing tasks using the Control Center is highlighted by placing it within a box. This is followed immediately by a comparable method using the command line, sometimes with examples. In some cases, there may be tasks showing only one method. When working with the Control Center, recall that you can use the help there to provide more detail than the overview information found here.
This chapter focuses on the information you should know before you create a database with all of its objects. There are several prerequisite concepts and topics as well as several tasks you must perform before creating a database.
The chapter following this one contains brief discussions of the various objects that may be part of the implementation of your database design.
The final chapter in this part presents topics you must consider before you alter a database and then explains how to alter or drop database objects.
For those areas where DB2 Universal Database interacts with the operating system, some of the topics in this and the following chapters may present operating system-specific differences. You may be able to take advantage of native operating system capabilities or differences beyond those offered by DB2 UDB. Refer to your appropriate Quick Beginnings manuals and specific operating system documentation for precise differences.
As an example, Windows NT** supports an application type known as a "service". DB2 for Windows NT can have a DB2 instance defined as a service. A service can be started automatically at system boot, by a user through the Services control panel applet, or by a Win32-based application that uses the service functions included in the Microsoft** Win32** application programming interface (API). Services can execute even when no user is logged on to the system.