Preface
In the world of information technology today, it is more and more difficult to keep up with the skills required to be successful on the job. This book was developed to minimize the time, money, and effort required to learn DB2 Universal Database (DB2 UDB) for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. The book visually introduces and discusses the latest version of DB2 UDB, Version 8.2. The goal with the development of DB2 was to make it work the same regardless of the operating system on which you choose to run it. The few differences in the implementation of DB2 UDB on these platforms are explained in this book.
Who Should Read This Book?
This book is intended for anyone who works with databases, such as database administrators (DBAs), application developers, system administrators, and consultants. This book is a great introduction to DB2, whether you have used DB2 before or you are new to DB2. It is also a good study guide for anyone preparing for the IBM DB2 Universal Database Version 8 Certification exams 700 (DB2 UDB Family Fundamentals) and 701 (DB2 UDB Database Administration), or the DB2 UDB Version 8.1 Database Administration upgrade exam, number 706.
This book will save you time and effort because the topics are presented in a clear and concise manner, and we use figures, examples, case studies, and review questions to reinforce the material as it is presented. The book is different than many others on the subject because of the following.
Visual learning: The book relies on visual learning as its base. Each chapter starts with a “big picture” to introduce the topics to be discussed in that chapter. Numerous graphics are used throughout the chapters to explain concepts in detail. We feel that figures allow for fast, easy learning and longer retention of the material. If you forget some of the concepts discussed in the book or just need a quick refresher, you will not need to read the entire chapter again. You can simply look at the figures quickly to refresh your memory. For your convenience, some of the most important figures are provided in color on the CD-ROM accompanying this book. These figures in color can further improve your learning experience.
Clear explanations: We have encountered many situations when reading other books where paragraphs need to be read two, three, or even more times to grasp what they are describing. In this book we have made every effort possible to provide clear explanations so that you can understand the information quickly and easily.
Examples, examples, examples: The book provides many examples and case studies that reinforce the topics discussed in each chapter. Some of the examples have been taken from real life experiences that the authors have had while working with DB2 customers.
Sample exam questions: All chapters end with review questions that are similar to the questions on the DB2 Certification exams. These questions are intended to ensure that you understand the concepts discussed in each chapter before proceeding, and as a study guide for the IBM Certification exams. Appendix A contains the answers with explanations.
Getting Started
If you are new to DB2 and would like to get the most out of this book, we suggest you start reading from the beginning and continue with the chapters in order. If you are new to DB2 but are in a hurry to get a quick understanding of DB2, you can jump to Chapter 2, DB2 at a Glance: The Big Picture. Reading this chapter will introduce you to the main concepts of DB2. You can then go to other chapters to read for further details.
If you would like to follow the examples provided with the book, you need to install DB2. Chapter 3, Installing DB2, gives you the details to handle this task.
A Word of Advice
In this book we use figures extensively to introduce and examine DB2 concepts. While some of the figures may look complex, don't be overwhelmed by first impressions! The text that accompanies them explains the concepts in detail. If you look back at the figure after reading the description, you will be surprised by how much clearer it is.
This book only discusses DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX, and Windows, so when we use the term DB2, we are referring to DB2 UDB on those platforms. DB2 UDB for iSeries, DB2 UDB for OS/390 and z/OS, and DB2 UDB for VM and VSE are mentioned only when presenting methods that you can use to access these databases from an application written on Linux, UNIX, or Windows. When DB2 UDB for iSeries, DB2 UDB for OS/390 and z/OS, and DB2 UDB for VM and VSE are discussed, we refer to them explicitly.
 | Conventions |
Many examples of SQL statements, DB2 commands, and operating system commands are included throughout the book. SQL keywords are written in uppercase bold. For example: Use the SELECT statement to retrieve data from a DB2 database.
DB2 commands are shown in lowercase bold. For example: The list applications command lists the applications connected to your databases.
You can issue many DB2 UDB commands from the Command Line Processor (CLP) utility, which accepts the commands in both uppercase and lowercase. In the UNIX operating systems, program names are case-sensitive, so be careful to enter the program name using the proper case. For example, on UNIX, db2 must be entered in lowercase. (See Appendix B, Use of Uppercase Versus Lowercase in DB2, for a detailed discussion of this.)
Database object names used in our examples are shown in italics. For example: The country table has five columns.
Italics are also used for variable names in the syntax of a command or statement. If the variable name has more than one word, it is joined with an underscore. For example: CREATE SEQUENCE sequence_name
Where a concept of a function is new in DB2 Version 8.2, we signify this with an icon as follows.
Note that the DB2 UDB Version 8.1 Certification Exams do not cover Version 8.2 material.
Contacting the Authors
We are interested in any feedback that you have about this book. Please contact us with your opinions and inquiries at [email protected].
Depending on the volume of inquires, we may be unable to respond to every technical question but we'll do our best. The DB2 newsgroup at comp.databases.ibm-db2 is another great way to get assistance from IBM employees and the DB2 user community. Finally, for more information on this book, be sure to visit www.phptr.com/title/0131859161.