Database workload standards overview

Database workload standards enable users to provision databases with a standardized deployment approach. They are used to create databases, tune instance configurations, tune databases, load initial data, etc.

There are two kinds of database workload standards: default database workload and customized database workload. The Default database workload standard includes Departmental Transactional and Data Mart they are pre-defined to meet customers' common requirements. Customized database workload standards provide the capability to create databases and tune databases to meet specific requirements or corporate standards.

This article introduces database workload standards in IBM Database Patterns 1.1.0.1.

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Deploy databases with database workload standards

Users can deploy databases with a default database workload standard or a customized one. To deploy a database with a default database workload standard, in the dialog for creating databases, choose Departmental Transactional or Data Mart in the workload standards table. And with proper values for other parameters, users can get a running database.

Users can use customized database workload standards to deploy databases. In the workload standards table, if users choose one customized workload standard (see Figure 2), the database will be deployed using the customized workload standard.

In the deploying dialog (see Figure 2), there is no Database compatibility mode or Schema file fields. That is because customized database workload standards are self-contained. The related setting for Database compatibility mode and Schema file are supposed to be in customized database workload standard.

After the deployment, users can get their own databases, as shown in Figure 3.

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Create database workload standards

To meet required tuning or corporate standards, users can create customized database workload standards. To create customized database workload standards, users must be logged in with cloud administration permission.

On the Database Workload Standards page, click New (+), the dialog shown in Figure 5 pops up.

In the dialog, for Workload type, options are Departmental Transactional and Data Mart.

Initial disk size is the disk size reserved for IBM Database Patterns on the machine hosting deployed database. The valid range is 0-500 and must be an integer.

Storage multiplier is the ratio of user data to physical disk. The range of permitted values is 1.0 to 3.0.

The uploading package file is a ZIP file. It contains the following first-level directories and entry files:

• create_db/create_db.sh
• tune_inst/tune_inst.sh
• post_start_inst/post_start_inst.sh
• tune_db/tune_db.sh
• init_db/init_db.sh

The files create_db directory and create_db.sh script are mandatory.

Following are some constraints for the uploading file:

• The package file must be a ZIP file(name with the .zip extension).
• The package file name must be 1-18 alphanumeric characters and cannot start with a number or underscore.

Note: If the package file is larger than 2 GB, users are advised to use CLI to upload it.

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List and view database workload standards

On the Database Workload Standards page, users with cloud administration permission could see a list of database workload standards on the left of the screen. Selecting one, they will see its detail information on the right of the screen, as shown in Figure 6.

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Download database workload standards

Users can download the database workload standards. To do this, they must be logged in with cloud administration permission.

Select one database workload standard and click the Export button on the top-right corner, as shown in Figure 7, then the selected database workload standard can be downloaded. Users can download default database workload standards directly, and they can download customized database workload standards after they are created.

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Edit database workload standards

Users with cloud administration permission can edit existing database workload standards. On the Database Workload Standards page, click Open to edit the selected database workload standard, as shown in Figure 8.

Default database workload standards are built in and cannot be edited. When users select one default database workload standard, the Open button is disabled.

The dialog shown above is like the dialog for creating customized database workload standards, but all parameters are already filled with previous values. Users can modify each parameter, update the uploading package file, and click Save, then this database workload standard is updated.

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Delete database workload standards

Users can delete database workload standard from the list by clicking Delete on the top right, then the confirmation dialog will show up as shown in Figure 9. If users click Yes, the database workload standard will be deleted. Only users with cloud administration permission can delete database workload standards.

Two default database workload standards cannot be deleted. When users select one default database workload standard, the Delete button is disabled.

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Conclusion

This article introduces concepts of database workload standards and related details, including how to create database workload standards, how to manage their life cycles, and how to deploy databases with them.

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Acknowledgement

Special thanks to Ning Wang, IBM Database Patterns architect, for his review and advice.

Resources

Learn

• Learn more about IWD in the IBM Redbooks publication "IBM Workload Deployer: Pattern-based application and Middleware Deployments in a Private Cloud."
  
  
• Get more details about IWD in the IBM Workload Deployer 3.1 Information Center.
  
  
• Learn more about IBM Database Patterns in the IBM Database Patterns 1.1 Information Center.
  
  
• Get details about DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows in the DB2 V97 Information Center.
  
  
• Get an overview of how IBM Database Patterns are used.
  
  
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Table of contents

• Database workload standards overview
• Deploy databases with database workload standards
• Create database workload standards
• List and view database workload standards
• Download database workload standards
• Edit database workload standards
• Delete database workload standards
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgement
• Resources
• About the authors
• Comments

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