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

4.8. Other Tools

This section describes some additional tools that are available through the Control Center or the Command Editor but not from the IBM DB2 menu.

4.8.1. License Center

You use the License Center to install a new license and to display license information for installed products (the db2licm command provides equivalent information). You launch the License Center from the Control Center toolbar. Figure 4.43 shows the License Center.

4.8.2. SQL Assist

If you are not proficient in SQL, the SQL Assist tool can help you build SQL statements step-by-step. You can launch SQL Assist from several DB2 tools and then plug the resulting SQL statement back into the DB2 tool that invoked it.

You can launch SQL Assist from the Command Editor, Control Center, Replication Center, Data Warehouse Center, and Development Center. Figure 4.44 shows SQL Assist after being launched from the Command Editor.

4.8.3. Satellite Administration Center

The Satellite Administration Center is a tool that provides centralized administrative support for satellites. A satellite is a DB2 server that is a member of a group of similar DB2 servers, each running the same application and with similar configurations. You launch the Satellite Administration Center from the DB2 Control Center toolbar (see Figure 4.45).

The Satellite Administration Center stores its information in the satellite control database (SATCTLDB). This database records, among other things, which satellites are in the environment, the group each satellite belongs to, and which version of the end-user application a satellite is running. This database is on a DB2 server known as the Satellite Control Server. To set up and maintain its database configuration, each satellite connects to the satellite control database to download the batches that correspond to its version of the end-user application. The satellite executes these batches locally, then reports the results back to the satellite control database.

This process of downloading batches, executing them, and then reporting the results of the batch execution is known as synchronization. A satellite synchronizes to maintain its consistency with the other satellites that belong to its group and are running the same version of the end-user application. For more information about how to install and administer a satellite environment, refer to the Resources section at the end of this book.