DB2 Magazine E-Newsletter

June 14, 2006

DB2 Magazine Email Newsletter
Volume 7, Issue 6
www.db2mag.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. From the Editor
   * Small, medium, or large? IBM announces DB2 9 to suit all sizes
   * Talk back to me
   * Most viewed stories
2. Poll Positions
   * Which DB2 9 feature are you most interested in?
3. IBM Webcasts
   * Replays of recent Webcasts on data quality, Rational Data
     Architect, and more
4. Skills Set
   * The latest free materials, tutorials, and discounts for IBM      certification programs
5. Must Reads
   * Querying XML: XQuery, XPath, and SQL/XML in context
6. In the Zone
   * The latest DB2 and Informix articles from developerWorks

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1. FROM THE EDITOR

* A DB2 to Suit All Sizes
This week, IBM made it official. After five years of development, several rounds of previews, and plenty of opportunities for partner and customer test-drives, the company formally announced DB2 9. Editions for enterprise customers, SMBs (DB2 Express), and developers (DB2 Express-C) will ship worldwide on July 28. Readers of this newsletter probably know DB2 9 better by its now-retired code-name, "Viper." Call it what you will, DB2 9 is set to speed into the information management market equipped with some one-of-a-kind technology. One of the most significant DB2 9 features, of course, is the ability to store and manage XML documents and transactions without shredding or conversions of any kind. IBM recently named this technology "pureXML." But pureXML is one of many upgrades that IBM expects will improve the way information is stored, managed, and accessed. Other items of interest include row compression, enhancements for SAP applications, label-based access control, disaster recovery improvements, advanced data partitioning, and automatic memory management. Then there are the optimizations included to help application developers. In short, there's a lot to know about DB2 9. How can you find out what's in it for you? I recommend the recent DB2 Magazine article "The Rubber Meets the Road," a good overview of the highlights by IBM's Deb Jenson.
Read it online at http://db2mag.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=186500835

Of course, IBM has plenty to say on the subject. Start at http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/db2/v9/ .

And don't forget to browse developerWorks. In fact, there's a DB2 9 article featured in the In the Zone section below. Look for extensive coverage of the developer features(and plenty of how-to information)in the next print issue of DB2 Magazine, which ships, conveniently, about the same time as DB2 9. --Kim Moutsos

* Talk Back to Me
Drop me a thoughtful note about what DB2 9 will mean to your company or the industry at large. I've got a mighty selection of IBM Press books burdening my bookshelves, and I might be willing to part with a few to reward the most interesting responses (as judged by me).
Impress me with your insight. Send your thoughts to db2@cmp.com.

*Most Viewed Stories
Here are some popular DB2mag.com articles to add to your summer reading list.
--DB2 DBA: By Any Other Name, Robert Catterall http://db2mag.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=186500757

--Table Spaces and Locking Levels, Part 2, Bonnie Baker
http://db2mag.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=186700012

--Table Spaces and Locking Levels, Part 1, Bonnie Baker
http://db2mag.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=59301542

--Master Data Management, Dan Druker and Robert Rich
http://db2mag.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=167100925

2. POLL POSITIONS

* The quick and easy way to make your opinion known? Take this month's DB2 Magazine poll. Which DB2 9 feature are you most looking forward to?
--Participate in the poll.
http://www.db2magazine.com/
--Browse past polls and results.
http://db2mag.com/poll_results

3. IBM WEBCASTS

* Taking Data Quality to the Enterprise Through Data Governance
Over the past four years, data quality has changed from a backwater IT concern to a business issue of importance. However, organizations still need help selling, implementing, and sustaining programs that deliver high-quality data. Data quality tools and services can play a significant role in helping organizations achieve their data quality goals. To meet these needs, TDWI issued a sequel to its original (2002) data quality report, complemented by this Webinar. The new report gauges the progress we've made in raising awareness about the importance of data quality, and assesses the current status of data quality in corporations around the world. It also provides prescriptive advice about how to sell, implement, and maintain programs designed to turn data quality quagmires into pristine playing fields for data-intensive applications.
--Watch the replay.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/sw-events/webcast/T542910O56333U44.html

* IBM Rational Data Architect
Watch this Webcast to learn about the latest data modeling and integration design tool that will help you to simplify data modeling and integration design, facilitate an enterprise-wide understanding of your data assets, and more. Hear about the unique mapping and mapping-discovery capabilities that will uncover existing relationships between your heterogeneous data sources and allow you to easily define new relationships all with a simple click. Learn how to discover, design and deploy federated databases with Rational Data Architect and how to put it to use in your environment.
--Watch the Webcast.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/sw-events/webcast/U357971A93442L51.html

* Leveraging Existing Data Assets in SAP NetWeaver Deployments
SAP customers are beginning to adopt SAP NetWeaver, adding it into an already heterogeneous landscape. As companies strive to be more efficient, decrease their costs, and meet internal customer application needs, IT departments must rationalize their infrastructure and make their data ready and usable. This means preparing and cleansing data when consolidating applications and servers, migrating applications and data, and federating access to systems, particularly when the data resides externally. How will companies fit SAP NetWeaver technology with existing databases and applications in different formats, spread across hardware platforms and data centers? Clients must ensure their SAP NetWeaver investment can co-exist, interoperate and integrate with existing data assets. Learn how information integration solutions from IBM can help reduce risk and time spent on integrating SAP NetWeaver into a multi-vendor IT landscape.
--Watch the Webcast.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/sw-events/webcast/B666094Y66751N32.html

* Successfully Integrating Master Data
Organizations can mitigate risk, collapse time to value, increase productivity and recognize higher quality deliverables by leveraging a complete information integration platform together with methodology, accelerators and a full range of implementation services from IBM and partners. Join experts Dick Hoffman, IBM, Business Development BCS and Robert Rich, Senior Product Manager for this one-hour Webcast to learn how MDM can deliver a unified accurate view of core business data including: implementing a data integration platform that accesses facts about core business entities from anywhere in the enterprise; automating the creation of a single accurate view based on your business rules that agrees with facts in the real world; and delivering high quality master data to business applications in real time.
--Watch the replay.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/sw-events/webcast/V175950H30591O69.html


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4. SKILLS SET

* Discount: Essential Books for DBAs
IBM is offering a bundle of important books for DBAs at a savings of more than $29 USD off list price. The bundle includes the definitive reference and self-study guide that covers every aspect of deploying and managing DB2 Universal Database v8 on Linux, Unix, and Windows platforms, a certification guide for the IBM DB2 Universal Database Advanced Database Administration Exam, and a volume that explains how to deliver high availability for your data server system.
--Find out about the discount.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education/bookstore/

* No-Cost Certification Preparation
IBM offers preparation materials for Information Management certification exams at no charge. Each document covers role descriptions, requirements, objectives, and preparation suggestions.
--Download the preparation documents.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education/certprep.html
--Browse a list of certification books and guides.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education/bookstore/certify.html

* Tutorial: Introduction to architecting WebSphere Information Integrator solutions
A new tutorial provides an overview of WebSphere Information Integrator, including what information integration is, business needs for integrating information across enterprises, and how IBM WebSphere Information Integrator meets these needs.
--Learn more about the tutorial:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education/selfstudy.html#3

* Business Intelligence Best Practices Chats
This Chat with the Lab program is put on by the Business Intelligence Best Practices Team and the Toronto and Silicon Valley Labs. The BI Best Practices Chat is a technical program designed for DBAs, system administrators, and architects interested in the latest technical information regarding DB2 data partitioning feature within a BI environment.
--Find out how to participate or listen in.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education/bichat.html

5. MUST READS

* Querying XML, : XQuery, XPath, and SQL/XML in context
By Jim Melton and Stephen Buxton

Querying XML, which includes a forward by IBM Fellow Don Chamberlin, teaches software developers and systems architects useful approaches to querying XML documents and repositories. The book includes:
* Illustrations and examples to teach XML querying concepts * Comprehensive coverage of XML query languages and related concepts (such as the XQuery Data Model).
* Examples of how to query XML documents and data using XPath, XQuery, XQueryX, and SQL, featuring SQL/XML extensions
* Links to downloadable code and data samples for an extensive set of XQuery, XPath, SQL, Java, and other examples.
--Find out more about Querying XML
http://db2mag.com/bookstore/

6. IN THE ZONE

* pureXML in DB2 9: Which way to query your XML data?
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0606nicola/

* A step-by-step how-to guide to install, configure, and test a Linux, Apache, Informix, and PHP server
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0606bombardier/

* IBM DB2 Enterprise Server performance with Power5+ and AIX 5L
multipage support
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0606kamath/

* Search WebSphere Portal Document Manager using WebSphere Information
Integrator OmniFind Edition
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0606lee/

* Leverage MySQL skills to learn DB2 Express: DB2 versus MySQL backup and recovery
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0606tham/

* Set up a Multi-tier SPECjAppServer2004 cluster with DB2
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0606lau2/

* Developing with Apache Derby -- Hitting the Trifecta: Part 4
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-ad-trifecta5/

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