Database

OmniFind, Part II: Integrating OmniFind Text Search Server with DB2 Web Query

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:00:15 +0100

Organize and secure your documents, and create a GUI to perform text searches on them. Written by Gene Cobb In my previous article "OmniFind, Part I: Add Sizzle to Your SQL with OmniFind Text Search Server for DB2 for i," I introduced IBM OmniFind Text Search Server for DB2 for i , a new IBM i 6.1 product that provides the ability to perform both basic and sophisticated text searching against your DB2 for i data. In this article, I show you how to integrate this exciting new product with DB2 W ...

Migrating from Query/400? Avoid Unnecessary Costs, Complexity, and Confusion

Sun, 10 May 2009 01:00:05 +0100

DB2 Web Query (QU2) is not your only option and may not be the best one. By Mary Lynn Treadwell Editor's Note: This article introduces the white paper "Replacing IBM Query/400: Understanding Your Options" available free from the MC Press White Paper Center. If you're like most IBM i (System i, iSeries, AS/400) customers, your staff members have relied on IBM Query/400 for years to generate simple queries of your DB2 database. Since its introduction with the AS/400 in198 ...

What if Business Intelligence Solutions Were Available for Free?

Thu, 07 May 2009 01:00:05 +0100

Palo BI Suite 3.0 gives users a chance to try the latest open-source BI software at no cost. By Chris Smith One of the more interesting developments at the COMMON conference in Reno last week was the announcement by Key Info that its Smart i business intelligence solution was ready for general availability. The deployment of a System i-based BI solution using DB2 Web Query that is accessible by business users marks a stage in the evolution of business intelligence. ...

OmniFind, Part I: Add Sizzle to Your SQL with OmniFind Text Search Server for DB2 for i

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:00:10 +0100

With this text search server, you can locate documents that contain specific search strings in Excel, Word, PDF, PowerPoint, etc. By Gene Cobb V6R1 of the IBM i operating system introduced many exciting new features, including numerous DB2 for i enhancements. One such enhancement that has flown somewhat under the radar is the IBM OmniFind Text Search Server for DB2 for i. This new product gives you the power to perform both basic and sophisticated text searching against data that is stored ...

Avoid the Hassle of Accessing DB2 Data from .NET Applications

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:00:05 +0100

HiT Software's snappy Ritmo/i middleware makes accessing the IBM i a pleasure, say loyal customers. By Chris Smith If you're a .NET programmer developing applications that need to access data in DB2 for i, you might be concerned that the middleware you're using to reach that data will slow things up so much that performance will suffer. Several products out there work faster than ODBC or JDBC in accessing DB2 data from .NET applications, and this writer has featured t ...

Smart i Business Intelligence Solution Debuts in Los Angeles

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:00:15 +0100

Initial installation of the low-cost BI solution based on DB2 Web Query running on IBM i is ready for user-acceptance testing. By Chris Smith The first installation of Smart i, a new and bold business intelligence utilization of a Power System server running IBM i, has just been completed in Los Angeles and is now undergoing final user-acceptance testing. The degree to which these early adopters feel comfortable working with the DB2 Web Query-based solution could affect sales of IBM i Power ...

Strategies for Successful Data Warehousing Projects

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:00:15 +0100

Data warehousing can add significant value by facilitating enhanced business intelligence, but success isn't automatic. This article explores critical data-warehousing success factors. By Henry Martinez Operational databases are predominantly optimized for transaction processing. They are usually highly normalized and are very efficient at reading and writing a few related records at a time. However, they are typically not optimally architected to serve the needs of executives and business analy ...

Making the Case for a Database Administrator (DBA) on IBM i

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:00:05 +0100

Do you need a DBA for DB2 for i? Maybe more than you realize. By Mike Cain As I travel around the world engaging clients, one question that I am always asked is "Do we need a DBA"? Sometimes, the question takes the form of apparent confusion, such as, "We have an SQL Server DBA. We have an Oracle DBA. Why don't we have a DB2 for i DBA"? In other situations, I hear clients, business partners, and IBMers proudly state, "You don't need a DBA"! W ...

Is Working with the .NET Tribe a Secret to Surviving in Paradise?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:00:15 +0100

LANSA's Open for .NET solution is designed to help make integrating Microsoft applications and IBM data a trouble-free experience. By Chris Smith Ever roll into work and think you're actually in Gabon on the set of Survivor? Everyone has his little tribe, and no one thinks anyone else is contributing enough to justify their existence? Think of the IBM i tribe as the red tribe, Fang. Think of the Microsoft .NET tribe as the yellow tribe, Kota. They wrestle, they compete, t ...

A Good Search Engine Can Augment Business Intelligence Use

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:00:10 +0100

The Go! Search module in IBM Cognos 8 V4 supports unstructured data, thereby expanding a searcher's reach while enhancing the BI user's self-reliance. By Chris Smith Recent articles raise the question about the positioning of enterprise search tools within or outside your ERP application suite. Regardless of how you might react to the dichotomy of search engine within or without, it raises the larger issue of enterprise search technologies and the growth of that market. ...

Employ Best Practices When Integrating Disparate Data

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:00:10 +0100

Disparate data can inhibit value creation, but data integration best practices allow organizations to fully leverage the inherent value in their information resources. By John Gay Silos of disparate data plague many companies. The reasons for the data diversity vary: organizations may run best-of-breed applications on the most appropriate platform for each product; in the days of client/server computing, the responsibility for choosing applications may have been decentralized, with different dep ...

MySQL and IBM i: Where Does MySQL Fit in a DB2 World?

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:00:10 +0100

DB2 is the only database many of us have ever known. This article shows you how you can broaden your database options. By Joe Pluta If you're an i programmer, you've been using DB2 from the beginning of your career (unless, of course, you started like me back in the cave computer days of the System/3). You didn't know you were using DB2; in fact, you didn't know that your database had a name, and you didn't care because it just worked. That in fact was one of the g ...

Making Better Use of DB2 Web Query with *LIBL

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:00:10 +0100

Search the library list when accessing and querying a referenced database object such as a physical file or SQL view. By Gene Cobb In a previous article titled "Maximize SQL Query Engine (SQE) Usage of Your DB2 Web Query Reports," I explained how you could utilize various techniques available on the System i to influence database optimization behavior for DB2 Web Query requests. That article relied upon the use of the QIBM_QSQ_CLI_CONNECT exit program to take a specific (program-d ...

Exploit IBM DB2 for i Database Development with JDBC 4.0

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:00:05 +0100

Learn how to exploit enhanced BLOB/CLOB support, SQL XML data type, and better connection management. By Jarek Miszczyk If you were, like me, watching closely the evolution of the JDBC specification, you probably noticed how it morphed from a rudimentary data access object model to a mature, function-rich programming interface. Typically, the Rochester development lab does a pretty good job in providing robust, JDBC-compliant drivers that you can use to access DB2 for i from Java applicatio ...

Finding SQL Server Mode Connecting Jobs

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:00:05 +0100

Now it's much easier to understand QSQSRVR usage and isolate QSQSRVR-related problem domains and origins. By Scott Forstie IBM DB2 for i customers are accustomed to seeing SQL server mode job activity, otherwise known as QSQSRVR prestart jobs, in the QSYSWRK subsystem. Over time, customer applications, third-party software, and IBM middleware have increased the use of SQL server mode. A consequence of this broad use is that it has become increasingly difficult to start with a specific Q ...

Tech Tip: Converting Legacy Date Fields to DB2 Web Query Dates, Part II

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:00:10 +0100

Extend your legacy date fields to support a richer set of date values and improve the performance of your reports. By Gene Cobb In my previous TechTip, "Converting Legacy Date Fields to DB2 Web Query Dates, Part I," I described how to use the powerful DB2 Web Query for IBM i built-in functions (BIFs) to convert your legacy date fields to "smart dates." These smart dates are virtual columns stored in the metadata and, as such, can be used in DB2 Web Query reports and grap ...

Could Open-Source Collaboration Be Key to Solving the World's Toughest Socioeconomic Challenges?

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:00:05 +0100

One author says the current subprime mortgage meltdown might have been avoided if large financial players had been more collaborative. By Chris Smith Regardless of the hardship it is causing many people, the subprime mortgage meltdown may have a silver lining by indirectly stimulating innovation in the years ahead. IBM's growing interest in Africa and the world's other poorer regions is rooted in several philosophies, including social responsibility, but one of those phil ...

How Will IBM DB2 Web Query for System i Benefit Your Shop?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:00:10 +0100

Learn about the new IBM query and reporting tool for the i5/OS market. By Gene Cobb If you have been following recent IT industry trends, you may have noticed that there has been a lot of activity in the area of Business Intelligence (BI). Mergers, major acquisitions, and announcements have dominated the headlines in the past year. IBM has been quite active in this area as well. The recent acquisition of Cognos and the announcement of the Dynamic Data Warehouse Initiative are evidence o ...

V6R1 SQL Query Engine Delivers on Its Promise

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:00:15 +0100

Learn how to prepare for the new DB2 for i5/OS query engine.

By Jarek Miszczyk

With V6R1 DB2 for i5/OS, the transition of SQL workloads from Classic Query Engine (CQE) to the new SQL Query Engine (SQE) has been basically completed. So far, the SQE functionality has been delivered in six waves:

V6R1 DB2 for i5/OS Highlights

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:00:10 +0100

New capabilities allow designers and programmers to continue to produce new and exciting applications. By Jim Flanagan Because DB2 for i5/OS is embedded within i5/OS, application designers and programmers likely expected that with the V6R1 release of i5/OS there would be plenty of database enhancements included. They weren't disappointed, because the developers of DB2 for i5/OS have been busy developing many new functions and enhancements that should be of interest to anyone that works ...

V6R1 Breathes New Life into DB2 for i5/OS .NET Provider

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:10 +0100

Learn how to exploit ADO.NET 2.0 enhancements, DAAB, distributed transactions, and more. By Jarek Miszczyk Over the last couple of years, I wrote several articles and white papers that dealt with Microsoft .NET Framework integration with DB2 for i5/OS. Judging from the readers' interest and feedback, this topic is very popular, especially among those System i users who rely on Microsoft tools for in-house software development. In the past, some of the developers expressed their concern ...

With Perseverance and Luck, You Can Conquer the DB2 Web Query Install

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:05 +0100

You have to be running at least V5R4 to load DB2 Web Query, and there are some PTFs to install. But help is just a phone call away. By Chris Smith Those folks at Centerfield Technology certainly are on their toes. An opportunity arises in their field (which is databases), and they're on it. This week the company introduced a new service: installing, configuring, and verifying the functionality of DB2 Web Query for System i. When I saw the Centerfield announcement, I was a bit ...

Maximize SQL Query Engine (SQE) Usage of Your DB2 Web Query Reports

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:05 +0100

Ensure top-notch DB2 Web Query reports by using QAQQINI, exit points, database monitors, and Visual Explain. By Gene Cobb In July of 2007, IBM announced DB2 Web Query for System i, a product positioned as a query and reporting tool for the System i and the strategic enhancement to the Query/400 tool. DB2 Web Query has many advantages over Query/400. Most notably, it provides modernized development and end-user interfaces via a Web browser as well as modern report output formats such as HTML t ...

Putting Business Intelligence at Your Fingertips, Part II

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Sophisticated DB2 for i5/OS features provide important benefits within the business intelligence environment. In the first part of this two-part series, we covered business intelligence concepts, architecture, and methodology—ideas that embody data warehousing, data marts, querying, and reporting. In this part, we will review a number of sophisticated DB2 for i5/OS features that provide important benefits within the business intelligence environment. ...

Auto Backup for MySQL Automates Backups to Avoid Data-Loss Nightmares

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Auto Backup for MySQL Professional Edition 2.1 from SwordSky Software promises to save database administrators and Web masters from unexpected data loss.

Putting Business Intelligence at Your Fingertips, Part I

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Having a practical knowledge of BI can give your organization a distinct competitive edge. Business intelligence (BI) is rapidly regaining the attention of business executives because a well-designed and well-implemented data warehousing system can truly provide the organization with a competitive edge. This two-part article will help you understand how to build a robust business intelligence solution on System i. In the first part, we will discuss business intelligence concepts, ar ...

Book Review: DB2 9 Fundamentals

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Whether you want to obtain an IBM certified DB2 professional certification or simply become well-rounded in the fundamental concepts of DB2 and general database theory, this is your book. Roger E. Sanders has created one of today's greatest technical certification books, DB2 9 Fundamentals, to prepare you for everything you need to know to become DB2 9 certified per IBM's standards. Sanders kicks things off with a chapter dedicated to identifying the various types of DB2 pr ...

Shouldn't You Be Exploiting Knowledge Management (KM) in Your System i Shop?

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Powerful, affordable technology is available to midsize firms, and the benefits are enormous. Enterprises have always been organized around the fact that somebody knew something—market needs, technology capabilities, economic currents—and had the resources, intelligence, and intuition to analyze and act positively with or against those facts, or information. As enterprises have grown so have the volume and types of information, presenting both opportunities and obstacles ...

Product Review: Vision Solutions' Data Manager

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Data Manager reduces storage costs and improves application and infrastructure software performance by archiving obsolete data. Â Â Data Manager, from Vision Solutions, is a sophisticated archiving tool that can help companies tame their increasingly unruly, mammoth databases. The issue that Data Manager addresses arises because databases tend to grow relentlessly as companies both expand the types of information they store and, more importantly, continue to record transactions and other recor ...

Internal or External? Two Methods of Providing Business Intelligence to Partners

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The key to any successful business intelligence or data warehousing solution is its ability to provide information to those who need it. CEOs want a lot these days: Lower costs Improved customer and supplier satisfaction Better product quality Decreased time to market Business growth Enhanced competitive advantages And more! The solutions they are examining most earnestly to achieve these goals fall under the umbrella called "business intelligence." An appropriat ...

Can MySQL Become YourSQL?

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

A joint announcement that rocked the boat.

Bridge the Legacy-to-Java Transition with DB2 for i5/OS Distributed Transactions

Wed, 09 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Learn how to share transactions and locks, avoid orphaned transactions, and more.

Make DB2 Data Downloads Easy with Start CGI SQL Session (STRCGISQL)

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Turn a multi-step process into a one-step process.

Selecting and Deploying Business Intelligence (BI) Suites

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Don't be distracted by mysterious terms and acronyms. Just do the proper homework.

DB2 Integration with SQL Server 2005, Part I: Linked Server Enhancements

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Check out SQL Server 2005's new features that simplify integration with other databases.

Improve Your Productivity with Significant Enhancements in DB2 SQL

Mon, 10 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Master nested compound statement handlers, implicit name qualification, and other advanced programming techniques.

Data Access, Database Engines, and Persistence

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0100

DB2, SQL, ODBC, JDBC, EJB, JDO, and SDO--Joe guides you through the acronym soup of database technologies.

Cut Your Development Effort with DB2 Development Add-in for .NET

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Learn how to efficiently use the Stinger Add-in for .NET with DB2 for iSeries.

The Power and Magic of LPG

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Explore the strategy of Local Predicate Generation for Queries within DB2 UDB for iSeries V5R3.

Securing Your Data Warehouse

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Thwart the threat of unauthorized internal and external access.

.NET Integration with DB2 UDB for iSeries

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Microsoft's .NET Framework is gaining acceptance among solution developers who traditionally rely on Microsoft development tools. Some of these developers want to take advantage of the robust transaction support, tight security, reliable messaging, and workload and system management that are unique strengths of iSeries servers. It seems that the combination of .NET Framework and a powerful database server, such as DB2 UDB for iSeries, can result in a scalable software solution that's very appeal ...

Knowledge Management

Mon, 26 Jul 2004 00:00:00 +0100

What is it, and how do we implement it?

Cut Your Migration Time from Oracle to DB2 UDB for iSeries

Mon, 27 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0100

With IBM's DB2 Migration Toolkit for iSeries, you'll save time and effort.

Remote Journaling and Data Recovery

Mon, 20 Jan 2003 00:00:00 +0100

Remote journaling provides some options for getting back that lost data.

SQL vs. OPNQRYF--The Battle Continues

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 00:00:00 +0100

Here's one man's perspective.

What's New with DB2 in V5R2

Thu, 27 Jun 2002 00:00:00 +0100

SQL enhancements and compatibility highlight what's coming in DB2 UDB for iSeries.

Random Access DB Performance Comparisons

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 00:00:00 +0100

Howard measures the load your database can carry in different environments.

Empowering Your Database

Thu, 01 Mar 2001 00:00:00 +0100

By using the built-in features of DB2/400, you can move code to data for more robust applications.

Access DB2/400 Data from Notes with JDBC

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 00:00:00 +0100

Learn the versatility and power of using JDBC access in your Domino agents.

Focus on Database Management

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 00:00:00 +0100

Invasion of the BLOBs

Thu, 01 Feb 2001 00:00:00 +0100

BLOBs can be a valuable addition to your client/server environment.

OS/400 Can Balance Your DB2/400 Data Across Multiple Disks!

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 +0100

Most AS/400 and iSeries boxes have multiple disk units. Some machines, like the one that I work on, have not only multiple disk units but also multiple types of disk units. Since the AS/400 and iSeries hardware uses a scatter load algorithm to physically populate the disk, are you sure that your disk has data optimized for maximum performance for retrieval from those disk units? This article describes both the reasons and the how-to on disk balancing.The scatter load algorithm tells the system t ...

The Death of OPNQRYF

Fri, 01 Dec 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Did the title of this article get your attention? I hope so. It certainly grabbed my attention as the subject of an email I received from Howard Arner back in early October. He forwarded a clipping to me from an IBM press release in case I hadn’t seen it. (I hadn’t.)I’ll share the clipping with you in just a moment, but first, let me summarize it for you: IBM will not provide native access to new features of the iSeries database after V4R5. You must use SQL.This news was not surpr ...

Access DB2/400 Data with LS:DO

Wed, 01 Nov 2000 00:00:00 +0100

LotusScript Data Objects let you use DB2/400 data in Domino applications.

The Hidden Power of Query, Part 2

Wed, 01 Nov 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Link your Query/400 reports together for total flexibility.

Data Warehousing and the Web

Sun, 01 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0100

The Hidden Power of Query, Part 1

Sun, 01 Oct 2000 00:00:00 +0100

It?s amazing what you can do with Query/400!

QMF Comes to the AS/400

Fri, 01 Sep 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Implementing DB2 UDB for AS/400 UDFs

Tue, 01 Aug 2000 00:00:00 +0100

User-defined functions are the missing link to extending and customizing SQL.

The AS/400 and IBM's DB2 DataJoiner

Tue, 01 Aug 2000 00:00:00 +0100

IBM?s DataJoiner can help you get your data where it needs to be.

Hierarchical Storage Management-- Better Access to Your AS/400 Data

Thu, 01 Jun 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Take advantage of OS/400 APIs to enhance access to your data.

Customer Profiling: Benefit or Intrusion?

Mon, 01 May 2000 00:00:00 +0100

The ability to track customers in an e-business world presents some interesting dilemmas.

The Evolution of Programming: Darwin, Genetics, and Mutant Programs

Mon, 01 May 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Natural science and computer science merge to solve seemingly intractable problems.

Business Intelligence: A Necessity for Business Success

Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Check out this road map to the many methods for turning your data into business savvy.

Focus on Business Intelligence and Knowledge Management

Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Recent developments in the structural model of IT have started to emphasize intelligence and knowledge rather than the sheer volume of information contained in huge databases. Both business intelligence (BI) and knowledge management (KM) entail the understanding of your enterprise’s technical infrastructure, capabilities, and future directions and, most important of all, the business objectives driving your enterprise. Information alone can’t provide business insights. It takes an inqu ...

How to Count and Keep Your Midrange Knowledge Capital

Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Learn how to find, catalog, and retain the business knowledge you already have in the brains of your midrange computing enterprise.

KM 101: What Is Knowledge Management, and Am I Already Doing It?

Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Knowledge management is a hot buzzword in management circles, and it?s coming to a knowledge store near you.

Opening Up Data Warehouses

Wed, 01 Dec 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Data warehouses are learning to open up and communicate.

Data Warehousing: The Secret of Your Success