2.2. DB2 Tools Overview Figure 2.2 shows all the tools available from the IBM DB2 menu. The IBM DB2 menu on a Windows system can be typically displayed by choosing Start > Programs > IBM DB2. On a Linux/UNIX system, the operating system's graphical support needs to be installed. DB2's graphical interface looks the same on all platforms. This section briefly introduces the tools presented in the IBM DB2 menu. Chapter 4 covers these tools in more detail, but for now simply familiarize yourself with them. Figure 2.2. The IBM DB2 menus
2.2.1. Command Line Tools Command line tools, as the name implies, allow you to issue DB2 commands and SQL statements from a command line interface. The two text-based interfaces are the Command Line Processor (CLP) and the Command Window. The Command Window is available only on Windows, while the CLP is available on all other platforms. The Command Editor is a graphical interface tool that provides the same functionality as the text-based toolsand more. It also has the ability to invoke the Visual Explain tool, which shows the access path for the query. 2.2.2. Development Tools Development tools allow developers to easily write and test stored procedures and user-defined functions, as well as to deploy them to different databases. DB2 provides two development tools. The Development Center provides developers with an environment where they can develop and test database application objects like stored procedures. The Project Deployment Tool lets developers deploy their Development Center project to another database.
2.2.3. General Administration Tools The general administration tools allow database administrators (DBAs) to manage their database servers and databases from a central location. The Control Center is the most important of these tools. Not only does it support the administration of DB2 database servers on the Linux, UNIX, and Windows platforms, but also on the OS/390 and z/OS platforms. From the Control Center, database objects can be created, altered, and dropped. The tool also comes with several advisors to help you configure your system more quickly. The Journal tool can help investigate problems in the system. It tracks error messages and scheduled tasks that have been executed. The Replication Center lets you set up and manage your replication environment. Use DB2 replication when you want to propagate data from one location to another. The Task Center allows you to schedule tasks to be performed automatically. For example, you can arrange for a backup task to run at a time when there is minimal database activity.
2.2.4. Information Tools The Information menu provides easy access to the DB2 documentation. The Information Center provides a fast and easy method to search the DB2 manuals. You can install the Information Center locally on your computer or intranet server, or access it via the Internet. Use the Check for DB2 Updates menu option to obtain the most up-to-date information about updates to the DB2 product. 2.2.5. Monitoring Tools To maintain your database system, DB2 provides several tools that can help pinpoint the cause of a problem or even detect problems proactively before they cause performance deterioration. The Event Analyzer processes the information collected by an event monitor based on the occurrence of an event. For example, when two applications cannot continue their processing because the other is holding resources they need, a deadlock event occurs. This event is captured by an event monitor, and you can use the Event Analyzer to examine the captured data related to the deadlock and help resolve the contention. Some other events that can be captured are connections to the database, buffer pool activity, table space activity, table activity, SQL statements, and transactions. The Health Center detects problems before they happen by setting up thresholds which when exceeded cause alert notifications to be sent. The DBA can then choose to execute a recommended action to relieve the situation. The Indoubt Transaction Manager can help resolve issues with transactions that have been prepared but have not been committed or rolled back. This is only applicable to two-phase commit transactions. The Memory Visualizer tool lets you track the memory used by DB2. It plots a graph so you can easily monitor memory consumption. The Activity Monitor allows you to monitor application performance and concurrency, resource consumption, and SQL statement execution for a database. You can more easily diagnose problems with the reports this tool generates.
2.2.6. Setup Tools The Setup tools help you configure your system to connect to remote servers, provide tutorials, and install add-ins to development tools. First Steps is a good starting point for new DB2 users who wish to become familiar with the product. This tool allows you to create a sample database and provides tutorials that help you familiarize yourself with DB2. The Configuration Assistant allows you to easily configure your system to connect to remote databases and to test the connection. The Register Visual Studio Add-Ins menu item lets you add a plug-in into Microsoft Visual Studio so that DB2 tools can be invoked from Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual InterDev. In each of these Microsoft development tools, the add-in inserts the DB2 menu entries into the tool's View, Tools, and Help menus. These add-ins provide Microsoft Visual Studio programmers with a rich set of application development tools to create stored procedures and user-defined functions designed for DB2.
2.2.7. Other Tools The following are other DB2 tools that are not invoked directly from the DB2 menus. The License Center summarizes the licenses installed in your DB2 system and allows you to manage them. Visual Explain describes the access plan chosen by the DB2 optimizer, the brain of DB2, to access and retrieve information from tables. SQL Assist aids new users who are not familiar with the SQL language to write SQL queries. The Satellite Administration Center helps you set up and administer both satellites and the central satellite control server.
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