DB2: Design and Development Guide

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PREFACE:

The first edition of this book was written in 1984 during the early support program and before DB2 was generally available as a database management product. It was the first practical guide to design and development of application systems published in book form. The book is based on over 1400 pages of seminar material developed and presented by Gabrielle Wiorkowski to over 5000 students in 23 countries on 6 continents. The material is constantly updated for each release/version (plus current PTFs) of DB2. Experience, gained through application design and development, of new features and the input of over 5000 seminar attendees have been incorporated into the book. The professionals attending the seminars have requested repeatedly that the book contain more indepth coverage as do the seminars. This current third edition of the book is an attempt to satisfy those requests within the bounds of a single volume.

A DB2 professional stated in a presentation at Guide that DB2 is easy to use but easier to abuse. This edition of the book continues to cover the ease of use but has expanded coverage on performance issues in each chapter to avoid abuses. This indepth coverage of DB2 is for the experienced DB2 designers and developers as well as for the reader new to DB2. Because the features of DB2 are tightly interwoven, it is not possible to discuss a feature thoroughly without referring to related features that are discussed in other chapters. Therefore there are frequent references to the related features. Some chapters can be skipped by experienced DB2 professionals but are essential for the understanding of subsequent chapters for those new to DB2. For example, thechapters on concepts and components, normalization, and SQL data manipulation can be skipped by the experienced DB2 professional but are necessary for the new DB2 reader before reading the chapters on programming for performance, optimization, and explaining the access path chosen by the optimizer.

Numerous hints, tips, and guidelines on the design and development of high performing application systems are given throughout the book based on the authors' experience and the input of professional seminar attendees. In order to apply the proven techniques, it is necessary to understand DB2 processing to maximize performance so that the guidelines can be applied to your specific application system. There are several techniques that can be used to accomplish an objective depending on the characteristics of the data and how the data will be processed. These techniques are discussed along with their advantages and disadvantages to allow the reader to choose or tailor a technique to satisfy their specific requirements.

Acknowledgments

We have been very fortunate to have leading DB2 experts as reviewers of the book. Marilyn Bohl, a leading authority on DB2 and relational database management systems, and Barbara von Halle, the co-author of the widely read Handbook of Relational Database Design, have taken the time from their busy schedules to review all three editions of the book. William Favero, Dale Hoyt, Sheryl Larsen, Chris Loosley, and Colin White have applied their indepth understanding of DB2 to the review process. Their many comments and suggestions have contributed significantly to the content of the book. We are very grateful for their valuable assistance and hours of work in assuring the accuracy and readability of the book. Thanks also to John Wiorkowski, who was particularly helpful in reviewing and helping to shape some of the book's more mathematically intense portions. We are also indebted to Chris Date for sharing his Suppliers, Parts, and Jobs tables, which are used in most of the book's examples, and for his advice and support during the project. Without Dr. E. F. Codd and Sharon Weinberg, this book--and for that matter DB2--would not exist. Dr. Codd is a grand person and has provided the theoretical foundation on which all relational database management systems are built. And finally, many thanks to the fine editorial and support staff at Addison-Wesley for their assistance in preparing this significantly revised and expanded third edition.

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