Configuring the environment

Configuring the environment for QMF for Workstation and QMF for WebSphere® involves a number of administrative steps.

This chapter provides an overview of the administrative tasks. It is intended to provide you with an understanding of the broad concepts before you configure the environment. The administrative tasks include:

  1. Setting up the connection data needed to access the relational data sources in your enterprise:
    • Providing the location of the JDBC driver files that will be used to access the relational data sources in your enterprise.
    • Creating a direct connection using DRDA.
  2. Creating a repository within which data source definitions and authored content will reside
  3. Defining the means by which users will connect to your repository, thereby gaining access to your configured data sources and QMF content.

Configuring JDBC Drivers

QMF for Workstation and QMF for WebSphere use JDBC drivers to connect to relational data sources. The product is already preloaded with the configuration information for each of the popular JDBC drivers (Db2®, Informix®, Oracle, MySQL, SQL Server, Derby). However, the product does not include the actual JDBC driver files. Administrators must define the location of the JDBC driver files in order for QMF for Workstation and QMF for WebSphere to load and use the driver. You only need to define the location of the driver files for those database types that you intend to access using the QMF products.

Using DRDA to connect to relational data sources: Depending on your environment, you can use DRDA to connect directly to relational data sources.

Defining a repository

Prior versions of QMF for Workstation and QMF for WebSphere used a Server Definitions File (SDF) to store the location of data sources accessible within the QMF products. In recent releases, the SDF has been replaced by a content repository. The repository offers the following key improvements over the older SDF approach:

  • The repository is not limited to storing data source (server) definitions. It is capable of storing all content created within the QMF products, including queries, forms, reports, dashboards, result sets and scheduled jobs. This is particularly useful when creating content that executes against non-Db2 data sources, where storage within a QMF catalog is not appropriate.
  • The repository has the ability to tailor the environment of a given QMF user. For example, queries, reports and dashboards can be routed to use US-based data sources for North American users and European data sources for European users. This mapping of data sources is done dynamically, without the need to change the underlying QMF objects.
  • Similarly, the repository has the ability to tailor the presentation of QMF objects on a per user or regional basis. Business users can be presented with a set of folders arranged in business terms whereas technical users may retain a database-centric tree of available objects.

Repositories are stored within a relational database of your choosing. Similar to a QMF catalog, they consist of a set of tables, accessible via stored procedures or static SQL packages. You may choose to place the repository tables in the same database as your production data or within a stand alone database created specifically for repository use. The repository is essentially a structured form of the SDF file, with additional capabilities. As such, it can be adequately served by a distributed database such as Db2 on LUW, Informix, Oracle, SQL Server or MySQL.

Repositories can also be given an optional security model. If you elect to use repository security, you have the additional ability to control the repository content on a per user and group basis. For example, users in group A may see data sources A, B and C whereas users in group B see data sources A, D and E. Permissions can be applied to all QMF objects, including queries, forms, procedures, dashboards and individual workspace folders.

If you elect to use repository security, you may use one of the following methods:

  • LDAP/Active Directory: QMF uses an external Active Directory or LDAP-based service to authenticate the user and obtain the user and group listings.
  • Database security: QMF uses the user's database logon as the basis of the security model. This approach is equivalent to the QMF catalog security model.
  • Internal security: Users and groups can be defined directly within QMF itself.

QMF also supports personal repositories. A personal repository is stored within the QMF built-in database engine. This type of repository is intended for individual use, providing a means of storing content on a local workstation without the need for a relational database.

Defining the means by which users connect to your repository

Once your repository has been created, your final step involves creating the connection information that QMF for Workstation and QMF for WebSphere will use to connect to the repository. Once this connection has been defined, you are ready to distribute the configuration information with the installation of QMF for Workstation. Users that install the product will then be immediately connected to your repository when they open the software.

Distributing your configuration settings with the installation program

Once you have finished configuring your environment , you are ready to make it available to your users. Your final steps include:

  1. Defining the data sources in the repository that will be accessible to QMF users.
  2. Distributing the configuration information with the setup program.
  3. Copying the configuration information to QMF for WebSphere.