Load Process

Use the Load Process to transform the contents of an Archive File to Load utility format and execute a Load utility.

You can use a load utility from IBM^® or from another software vendor. If using LOADPLUS, you are presented with panels specific to LOADPLUS. (The LOADPLUS panels are discussed in Perform LOADPLUS Utility.)

Note: Loading IMS Legacy Tables is not supported.

Using the Load utility instead of the Archive Restore Process may provide benefits under certain conditions:

The number of rows to restore is so large that the speed of the Load utility offsets the advantages of using the Restore Process.
Referential Integrity (RI) cycles make it impossible for the Restore Process to restore all data successfully.
The number of rows in the Archive File exceeds the site-defined Maximum Insert Rows limit.
You want to restore data without logging. The Load Process prompts you to specify whether the logging is performed.

Both the Load utility and the LOAD phase of LOADPLUS must be in exclusive control of the database to function. During the Archive Restore Process, however, the database remains available to all users. Many of the Restore Process facilities are available when using a Load utility. Table Maps can be used to specify different Creator IDs and table names for the destination. Column Maps can be used to specify different column names. A Load utility is a batch utility that inserts rows in the destination database. It cannot be used to replace data.

Sort

Generally, rows in the Archive File are loaded into the database in the order processed. However, if a cluster index has been defined for the table, the rows can be sorted on the basis of that index before they are loaded. LOADPLUS provides sort options that you can select when defining parameters for the load.

LOAD Menu

When you select Option 7 on the Archive and Restore menu, the following menu is displayed. This panel reflects whether the DB2^® Load Utility or LOADPLUS utility is used. The default load utility is specified as a site option. You can override the site default by specifying a different utility as a user option, as described in the Common Elements Manual. The DB2 Load utility is the default in Archive, as distributed. Thus, the LOAD menu is shown in the following figure.

Figure: LOAD Process Menu

--------------------------------- LOAD Process --------------------------------
OPTION ===>                                                   SCROLL ===> PAGE 

  1  TABLE MAP            - Specify Table Map and Column Maps        
  2  PERFORM              - Specify LOAD Parameters and Perform LOAD 

Specify Data Set Names for Archive File and Control File:            
  Archive File DSN ===> 'FOPDEMO.ARCHIVE.FILE'                       
  Control File DSN ===> 'FOPDEMO.CONTROL.FILE'

Panel Options

The available options are:

1 TABLE MAP

Specify the destination tables for each source table in the Load Process.

You may also specify Column Maps for selected destination tables. Use a Column Map to specify, on a column-by-column basis, the archived data for each destination column.

For more information about Table and Column Maps, see the Common Elements Manual. Note that only table names are valid in a Table Map for a Load Process. DB2 does not allow you to LOAD a view, synonym, or alias.

2 PERFORM

Specify parameters for the Load Process and execute it.

In addition to selecting an option, specify:

Archive File DSN: This file must exist and can be an Archive File or an Extract File created with MOVE. By default, the name of the File created in the most recent Process is supplied. Use single quotes to delimit the desired name; otherwise, the default prefix specified on the User Options panel is added to the name.
Note: Entering the name of an Archive File that exists only on a Centera or Tivoli^® Server automatically recalls the Archive File to disk. The Allocate Dataset panel is displayed if the Archive File is to be recalled to a new location.
Control File DSN: Name of a sequential file for information and statistics about the transformation of the Archive or Extract File to Load format. Use single quotes to delimit the desired name; otherwise, the default prefix, specified on the User Options panel, is added to the specified name.
: If the named file exists, the Load Process overlays the contents. If the named file does not exist, Archive prompts for allocation information and creates the file. (See the Common Elements Manual for details on allocating the file.)

The Archive File DSN and Control File DSN values are profiled.

Selection List

You can obtain a selection list for the Archive File or the Control File by specifying a wildcard character, * or %, as the last character in the name. When the list is displayed, use the S line command to select an entry. A sample of the selection list displayed for Archive File or Control File data set names is provided in Figure 2.

Perform Load Process

Select Option 2 PERFORM to specify the parameters and perform the process. Archive displays a panel appropriate to the load utility, LOAD or LOADPLUS, that is used.