This section introduces links to the landing pages of important websites related to IBM® DB2® data server products. These websites contain information about DB2 and, in some cases, search engines or related links to more product-related information. Content from these sites can be found in other sections in this roadmap.

DB2 product overview

• DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows: This is the main IBM DB2 product website. It contains information about the latest release and new features, and includes information about value-added features. It describes the value-added features available to extend the core features available with a DB2 edition.

• Overview of key features and enhancements in DB2 10: This article outlines the key features and enhancements in IBM DB2 10 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. This latest version delivers new functionality that directly addresses your business needs in the areas of cost reduction, application performance, productivity, and reliability.

• What's New in DB2 10.1: This topic introduces the section in the DB2 10.1 Information Center where new features are announced, changed feature behaviors are described, and deprecated and discontinued features are listed along with recommended alternatives. This section is important to read if you are upgrading to DB2 10.1 from an earlier version. For earlier versions of the What's New documentation, see the DB2 9.1, DB2 9.5, DB2 9.7, and DB2 9.8 Information Centers.

DB2 documentation

• DB2 data server product documentation: This website contains links to the official online documentation for all of the currently supported versions of DB2 data server products.

• DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows developerWorks Domain: This is the main DB2 product website in IBM developerWorks. The site contains articles and tutorials about DB2 written by IBM employees, consultants, customers, and other third parties. This is a great place to look for learning materials on highly specific subjects, that might not get coverage in the product documentation.

• DB2 Best Practices: Get practical guidance for the most common DB2 9 product configurations and use this knowledge to improve the value of your DB2 data servers.

• IBM Information Management Books: This is the main website for accessing books about IBM Information Management products. From this site, you can find links to most of the available books and guides about DB2 published by IBM Press and other publishers.

• IBM Redbooks: Information Management Domain: IBM Redbooks® are technical publications focus on subjects of interest to customers that are not readily addressed by product documentation. Subjects can include customer case studies, explanations of cross-product integration, and detailed examples of uses of features to solve business problems. This domain provides a view of the IBM Redbooks publications that pertain specifically to Information Management products.

DB2 community resources

• DB2 developerWorks Forums: This website lists the publicly available DB2 developerWorks forums. The forums are online discussion boards that are actively used by customers and IBM employees to post DB2 product-related questions and answers and to discuss DB2 product features. Use of the forums is free. The forums provide an alternative to official IBM support services that is appropriate for basic or straightforward questions.

• Database magazine: This is the main website for the popular industry magazine IBM Database magazine. This quarterly magazine contains articles of current interest to the DB2 community. Contributors include IBM employees, DB2 users, DB2 consultants, and software vendors that provide software that supports DB2 data servers. On this site, you can subscribe to the monthly DB2 email newsletter.

• IDUG: International DB2 User Group: This is the main website for the International DB2 User Group (IDUG), an independent organization that is not directly affiliated with IBM that represents DB2 users and their interests, and that hosts DB2 conferences internationally. This website has a repository of past conference presentations, proceedings, and other materials of technical interest to the DB2 user community that are unavailable from IBM websites.

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This section contains information about high availability, which pertains to the ability for a system to maintain its integrity under periods of stress and to recover when failures occur. It contains information about using pureXML® features to store and access XML-format data in DB2 data servers. It also has information about using the workload management feature to automatically balance and prioritize work in a system that must work within resource constraints, thus maximizing system productivity.

Continuous availability

• Introduction to the IBM DB2 pureScale Feature: In this topic and its related content provides an introduction to the design and benefits of the IBM DB2 pureScale® Feature, why it is important and how it can help your business thrive.

• "Highly Available and Scalable Systems with IBM eX5 and DB2 pureScale:" This IBM Redbooks publication describes an IBM solution for high availability and scalability of mission-critical databases on System x®. This document is aimed at executives and other decision-makers, consultants, and architects.

• "Deploy DB2 pureScale on Power:" This intermediate-level whitepaper outlines different deployment methods of the DB2 pureScale feature on IBM Power Systems™ and how the hardware pieces come together to create a pureScale cluster.

• "Deploy DB2 pureScale on Linux:" A whitepaper aimed at intermediate-level implementation readers, this publication steps you through the process of deploying the DB2 pureScale Feature on SUSE Linux®, with a 10-GB Ethernet, a dual System x configuration, and a DS5100 storage unit. The article also includes post-installation steps and basic information for using DB2 pureScale.

• "Using DB2 pureScale with the IBM BladeCenter:" This technical article provides a validated end-to-end hardware and software reference architecture for running IBM DB2 pureScale Feature on IBM BladeCenter®. The article ties the ease of deployment, simplicity, and reliability of DB2 application cluster transparency to the cost-effectiveness of BladeCenter servers, resulting in a solution that has the scalability and high availability needed for online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads.

• "Upgrading DB2 pureScale:" This intermediate-level article describes how to upgrade a DB2 9.7 for Linux, UNIX®, and Windows® environment to the DB2 pureScale Feature (DB2 9.8).

High availability

• High Availability Feature in DB2 9 for Linux UNIX and Windows: This website lists the main features of DB2 that include high availability.

• High Availability Disaster Recovery Best Practice: Get recommendations for setting up and maintaining a DB2 High Availability Disaster Recovery (HADR) environment in ways that balance the protection HADR provides with performance and cost.

• High Availability For Non-Java Clients: This is the main topic that introduces non-Java™ client support for high availability on IBM data servers in the Information Center.

• High Availability For Java Clients: This is the main topic that introduces Java client support for high availability on IBM data servers in the Information Center.

• High Availability Guide for DB2: This book provides an easy-to-read, illustrated way to learn about high availability concepts and configuration.

pureXML

• DB2 pureXML — Intelligent XML database management: This is the IBM product page for pureXML.

• pureXML overview: This topic introduces the section on pureXML in the DB2 Information Center.

• "Get started with XPath:" This tutorial introduces the W3C standard XPath 1.0. You will learn what XPath is, what the syntax and semantics of the XPath language are, how to use XPath location paths, how to use XPath expressions, how to use XPath functions, and how XPath relates to XSLT.

• Native XML support in DB2: This whitepaper provides a technical overview of XML support in DB2 products. It introduces the concept of pureXML and what it means for XML data to be stored natively within a database. It explains the benefits of this approach and new features, such as XML indexes, a full XQuery language, SQL/XML, XML schema support, and utilities that support the bulk loading of XML data.

• pureXML wiki: This website contains links to numerous articles, demos, webcasts, communities, forums, and other information about DB2 pureXML published by IBM and other parties.

• Information Management and XML technology developerWorks: This is the developerWorks product page for pureXML from which you can access articles, tutorials, and other technical resources about DB2 and XML standards and technologies.

Workload management

• Workload Management in DB2 9: This DB2 product website describes workload management and its main features. The topic provides a workload management roadmap to help monitor database activities, along with a tutorial, sample applications, and training resources.

• Workload Management Best Practice: This paper details the current best practices for deploying, configuring, and tuning DB2 workload manager.

• Introduction to DB2 Workload Management: This introductory-level whitepaper describes the problem of managing and optimizing the use of resources so as to achieve the maximum number of database-related tasks while working within the limits of available resources.

• Workload Management in DB2 9.5 by Senior Technical Staff Member, Paul Bird: This podcast, which can be listened to or downloaded from the Voice of the DB2 Community website, features Paul Bird, the architect who designed the feature, providing an overview of the workload management feature introduced in DB2 9.5 (previously code named Viper 2).

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This section contains links to information about downloading and installing DB2 products once you have selected which DB2 product and edition meets your needs.

• System Prerequisites: This topic provides links to information about the hardware and software requirements for software products, including DB2 data servers and clients and DB2 Connect™.

• IBM Software and Services for Purchase and Download: From this website, you can purchase IBM software and services, including those related to DB2 products. To purchase and download an official and licensed version of DB2, click IBM Passport Advantage®, and follow the instructions.

• Download a trial version of DB2: From this website, you can download a free trial version of DB2, which is ideal if you are interested in trying out a DB2 product but are not yet ready to purchase a licensed version. You can also download a DB2 client, an installable DB2 Information Center, and other DB2 features. To download the product, you require an IBM user ID and password. If you do not have one you will be prompted to create one.

• DB2 Express-C: From this website, you can download DB2 Express-C, a no-charge version of DB2 Express Edition. DB2 Express-C offers the same core data features as DB2 Express Edition, including a solid base on which to build and deploy applications.

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This section contains links to content pertaining to upgrading DB2 products to the latest release.

• Upgrading to DB2 10.1: The upgrade documentation contains all of the details you need to know to upgrade your DB2 environment to DB2 10.1, including information about upgrading DB2 data servers, clients, and applications. The details also include information that you must be aware to create your upgrade plan, such as changes in behavior and new features, that affect the upgrade.

• DB2 10.1 Upgrading Roadmap: This roadmap includes additional resources you can use to plan the upgrade of your DB2 environment to DB2 10.1. The roadmap provides links to the DB2 Information Center topics as well as other articles and education resources. The troubleshooting section provides details about known problems and issues with the upgrade.

• DB2 10.1 Upgrading Roadmap: This portal provides link to all upgrade roadmaps available for DB2 database products, DB2 products, and products that access DB2 databases. You can find information to upgrade to earlier releases or complex environments that include DB2 databases.

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This section contains links to information about administering and maintaining a DB2 database server and client.

Administration

• Database administration: This topic introduces the section on database administration in the DB2 9.7 Information Center.

• The DB2 9 Checklist for Database Administrators: This article defines a list of important tasks you should periodically perform to ensure that the database system is properly administered and operating at optimum capacity.

Administrative interfaces

• IBM Optim Integrated Data Management: This website describes the features of IBM Optim™, a graphical user interface (GUI) tool that supports developing SQL statements and developing database objects, including stored procedures, running SQL statements, and administering databases.

• Administrative SQL routines and views: This topic introduces the section on SQL routines and views in the DB2 Information Center. You can use the routines and views described here to access information about DB2 database environments, database manager configurations, database configurations, database objects, security settings, and other items you can use to make administrative decisions about a system or to update database system settings.

• Commands: This topic introduces the section on commands in the DB2 Information Center. It begins with an introduction to the DB2 Command Line Processor interface from which DB2 commands and system commands can be issued to administer DB2 database managers and databases. The commands are then listed in alphabetical order.

• Administrative APIs: This topic introduces the section on administrative APIs in the DB2 Information Center and explains how the Administrative API documentation is organized. You can use the administrative APIs to administer DB2 data servers from within a program. Generally speaking, you can call the administrative APIs from C, C++, and Java applications. In some cases, you can call the APIs from COBOL applications.

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This section contains links to content pertaining to the development of database applications and SQL statements.

Application development

• Application development with DB2 9: This is the main product website about application development with DB2 9. This site has content about DB2 application development features and links to more detailed information about supported application programming interfaces and tools.

• Application development with DB2: This article provides an overview of Java, .NET, and open source application development with DB2 products. It outlines the benefits of developing database applications that work with DB2 9.5 and describes some of the features that are available that facilitate programming applications for developers. This is a good article to read if you are considering using DB2 for database applications.

• "Introducing DB2 9: Application development enhancements:" This article provides an overview of the application development enhancements introduced in DB2 9. New features in DB2 9.5 are not discussed.

• Application development: This topic introduces the section on application development in the DB2 9.7 Information Center. This section contains information about supported elements in the application development environment as well as information on how to program database applications using each of the supported APIs.

Application development tools

• Supported database application development tools: This topic lists the supported integrated development environments and other development tools that facilitate DB2 database application development.

• Download IBM Optim: From this website, you can download IBM Data Studio. Documentation about how to use IBM Data Studio is included with the tool. This website requires an IBM user ID and password; you will be prompted to create them if you don't already have them.

Developing Java applications

• Information Management and Java technology developerWorks domain: This is the main developerWorks domain website for Java application development with DB2 data servers.

• Developing Java applications: This topic introduces the section on developing Java applications in the DB2 Information Center.

• "Kick start your J2EE applications using DB2 9 with pureXML:" This article explains how DB2 features can enhance Java application development that adheres to the J2EE standard.

• DB2 application development for Java: From this website, you can access the DB2 and Java forum. Post questions and read answers about DB2 products and Java technology.

• DB2 JDBC Driver Versions: Look up information about the IBM Data Server Driver versions and corresponding DB2 versions.

• Knowledge Collection: DB2 Universal JDBC driver issues: This website provides links to documents that are useful for troubleshooting IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ problems.

Developing .NET applications

• DB2 for .NET: This is the main product page for .NET application development.

• IBM Information Management and Visual Studio .NET developerWorks domain: This is the main developerWorks domain website for .NET application development.

• ADO.NET application development: This topic introduces the section on ADO.NET and OLE DB application development in the DB2 Information Center.

• .NET CLR routines: This topic introduces the section on .NET CLR routine development in the DB2 Information Center.

• Totally RAD: DB2 and .NET Framework integration: This article describes and illustrates some of the many features available within Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET for creating applications that connect to DB2 and other IBM Information Management data servers.

• .NET Development with DB2, IDS and U2 developerWorks forum: You can use this developerWorks forum to post questions and read responses related to .NET and DB2 features.

Developing RDF, PHP, Perl, Python, and Ruby applications

• RDF application development : DB2 software now supports Resource Description Framework (RDF) to model information using URIs. Link and share structured and semi-structured data across applications by using this simple model.

• PHP and Perl development with DB2 9: This is the main DB2 and PHP website.

• Perl application development: This topic introduces the section on Perl application development in the DB2 Information Center.

• PHP application development: This topic introduces the section on PHP application development in the DB2 Information Center.

• Python application development: This topic introduces the section on Python application development in the DB2 Information Center.

• "Use DB2 native XML with PHP:" This article explains how to work with XML data in PHP applications. It contains several useful examples.

• "Developing PHP Applications for IBM Data Servers:" This IBM Redbooks article explains how to work with XML data in PHP applications. It provides an in-depth analysis of XML and PHP support presented with multiple examples.

• Ruby development with DB2 9: This is the main IBM website about application development with Ruby.

• Ruby Forge: This is the main open source Ruby website, on which you can find Ruby drivers, fixes, information, and related projects.

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• SQL statements: This topic introduces the section on supported SQL statements in the DB2 Information Center.

• Built-in functions: This topic introduces the section on built-in functions in the DB2 Information Center.

• Database objects: This topic introduces the section on database objects in the DB2 Information Center. You can create, modify, and drop database objects using SQL statements. This section also contains information about the design, behavior, and use of database objects.

• SQL routines: This topic introduces the section on SQL routines in the DB2 Information Center. This section contains information about the SQL Procedural Language (SQL PL) and its use within SQL routines and other contexts.

• Built-in functions: This topic introduces the section on built-in functions in the DB2 Information Center.

• DB2 SQL PL Essential Guide for DB2 UDB on Linux, UNIX, Windows, i5/OS, and z/OS, Second Edition: From this website, you can find a link to information about this book, which is highly recommended for learning about and using SQL PL in SQL procedures, triggers, and applications. The structure of this book provides an excellent introduction to each of the language elements, which are gradually incorporated into the accompanying set of examples.

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This section contains links to information about moving to a DB2 data server from a competitor database vendor's product.

• Migrate now to DB2 products: This website provides information about the available professional services that can be purchased to port a data server system to IBM products. The information is primarily intended for independent service vendors (ISVs) that embed DB2 within other solutions.

• IBM Porting/Migration Toolkit: From this website, you can learn about and download the IBM DB2 Migration Toolkit (MTK), which is intended to be used in conjunction with the porting guides to help migrate to any of DB2 Universal Database (UDB) 8.1, DB2 UDB 8.2, DB2 9.1, DB2 9.5, or DB2 UDB for iSeries® (including V5R4) from the following products: Oracle (versions 8i, 9i, and 10g), Sybase ASE (versions 11-15), Microsoft SQL Server (versions 7, 2000, and 2005), Sybase SQL Anywhere 9, Informix® (IDS 10), and MySQL 3.23.48 through version 4.x. You can use the MTK on a variety of platforms, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, AIX, Linux, HP/UX, and Solaris. The MTK is available in English.

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This section contains links to information about securing DB2 data server environments.

• Best Practices: IBM Data Server Security: From this website, you can download the PDF version of the IBM Data Server Security best-practice paper. This roadmap outlines countermeasures for protecting the system from various threats to your system.

• "DB2 Security and Compliance Solutions for Linux, UNIX, and Windows:" This IBM Redbooks publication describes existing and new DB2 security features introduced in DB2 9.5. Various DB2 data security solutions, including IBM Database IBM Optim Enterprise Data Management, DB2 Audit Management Expert, and Encryption Expert, are discussed.

• DB2 security model overview: This topic introduces the section on security in the DB2 Information Center.

• DB2 security authorities overview: This topic provide an overview of authority levels.

• "DB2 Label-Based Access Control, a practical guide, Part 1: Understand the basics of LBAC in DB2:" This first of a two-part tutorial introduces the Label-Based Access Control (LBAC) security feature introduced in DB2 9.5, which database administrators can use to protect table data from illegal access by allowing them to control read and write table access by users at both a column and row level. The tutorial provides a step-by-step instructions on setting up and configuring LBAC.

• "DB2 label-based access control: A practical guide, Part 2: A step-by-step guide to protect sensitive data using LBAC:" This second of a two-part tutorial on Label-Based Access Control (LBAC) continues to introduce LBAC features by explaining how to define and attach security labels to columns, or rows and grant corresponding access to users that can then only access data for which they have a matching label.

• "Document-level security using DB2 9.1 pureXML and LBAC:" This tutorial introduces the document-level security feature, which was introduced in DB2 9.1 to allow you to protect XML documents and control access to them at a document level.

• DB2 Trusted Contexts: Making Security Compliance Easier: This whitepaper from the online IDUG Solutions Journal, Volume 14, part 2 explains how the new trusted context feature available in DB2 9.1 can be used to simplify the implementation of regulatory compliance with government security laws.

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This section contains links to information about troubleshooting problems within a DB2 data server environment. It includes links related to accessing support and services from IBM and independent problem determination tools and techniques.

• DB2 product support: This is the main DB2 product support website on which you will find links to most support resources, including to electronic problem reporting tools for opening a service request.

• Troubleshooting tools and techniques: To help you understand, isolate, and resolve problems with your DB2 software, the troubleshooting and support information contains instructions for using problem determination resources that are provided with DB2 products.

• DB2 support services: This is the main DB2 services website, on which you can find contact information for reporting problems or hiring a consultant.

• IBM DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows Forum: This website contains a list of developerWorks forums that can be used to post questions or answers to questions about DB2. There are general forums for DB2 software as well as others for more specific audiences.

• "The db2pd tool:" This article introduces the db2pd tool, which became available in DB2 UDB 8.2 for monitoring and administering DB2 databases and instances for the purpose of problem determination, troubleshooting problems, and tuning performance. This article contains detailed information about how to use the tool to keep track of transactions, table spaces, table statistics, dynamic SQL, and configuration settings.

• What's Your Problem?: This article introduces the db2support command, which became available in DB2 UDB 7.2 Fixpack 4 to help you to quickly gather DB2 installation, configuration, and database information to assist with problem determination activities, including reporting problems to DB2 support professionals.

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This section contains information about how prepare for industry-recognized DB2 data server certification exams.

• Information Management Training: This is the main Information Management website for education and training.

• Information Management Certification Exams: This is the main Information Management website for certification preparation and exam resources.

• Information Management Certification Roadmaps: From this website, you can download a DB2 certification roadmap, which highlights DB2 user roles, certifications associated with these roles, the order in which you should pursue the certifications, and the prerequisites for each exam.

• DB2 Certification Tutorials: This website provides links to free tutorials you can use when preparing for DB2 certification exams. The tutorials are divided into sections that cover the major concepts that you must understand to do the exams. These tutorials provide a solid base for preparing you for the exams. However, you should not rely on these tutorials alone.

• DB2 Certification Study Guides: This website provides links to the recommended certification guides that you can purchase to prepare for DB2 certification exams. The DB2 9 Certification Guides by Roger E. Sanders are strongly recommended. These certification guides provide a solid preparation for the exams and are unique in that they include a rich selection of questions and answers.

• Official DB2 certification exam: This is the official site of the independent examination company Prometric, which is responsible for coordinating, issuing, and evaluating IBM certification exams. This website lists the locations and times for exams.

• Assessment DB2 certification exams: This website provides access to assessment exams you can use when preparing for DB2 certification exams. The exams provide questions similar to those in the official certification exams.

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