Understanding DB2: Learning Visually with Examples (2nd Edition)

4.5. Information Tools

The Information menu (see Figure 4.1) provides access to all DB2 documentation.

4.5.1. Information Center

The Information Center gives you access to all DB2 documentation. It comes with a very fast search engine allowing you to search on any given topic. The DB2 Information Center can be accessed in three different ways.

• Dynamically through the Internet (at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2help).

• Locally on the database server after installing the DB2 Information Center from a separate CD.

• Through a designated server on your company's intranet. The DB2 Information Center must be installed on that server.

• Figure 4.32 shows the Information Center accessed through the Internet. On the left panel there is a list of topics from which you can choose. Each of these topics can be drilled down to subtopics, and selecting a specific subtopic makes the contents panel on the right side display more information. At the top left corner of the Information Center, you will find the Search field. Use this field to input any topic or keyword that you want to search in the DB2 manuals. Then click on the GO button.

  Figure 4.32. The DB2 Information Center

The Information Center Web site (shown in Figure 4.32) is periodically updated with new and current documentation; however, if you have installed the Information Center locally, make sure to check for updates regularly. Use the Check For DB2 Updates option in the DB2 menu (see Figure 4.1) to launch the InstallShield Update Service, which is shown in Figure 4.33. From this site you can download the refreshed DB2 Information Center image and install it on your server. You can also obtain information about updates to the DB2 code and news about DB2 in general.