September 23, 2008
Volume 9, Issue 18

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. From the blogs
* After the elephants, hunt those pesky mosquito swarms
* More sample DB2 9 DBA certification questions

2. Wiki wisdom
* From the community: Performance tuning for DB2 database servers

3. Informix update
* New blog: Informix technology for virtual worlds

4. Tech term of the day
* You may know the meaning of each word separately and still not get the meaning of the phrase "portmanteau word"


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1. From the blogs

* DB2 for LUW performance: After the elephants, hunt those pesky mosquito swarms
"Mosquitoes," seemingly inexpensive statements with an apparently low timeron cost, may be a bigger performance threat than elephants. In his latest post, Scott Hayes explains how to find these surprisingly draining pests.

* More sample DB2 9 DBA certification questions: Successful INSERT statements and decision-support joins
One of the best ways to study for a DB2 certification exam is to try some sample questions. Author Roger E. Sanders serves on the committee that develops the actual exams, and shares his knowledge of the kind of questions you're likely to face.

2. Wiki wisdom

* From the community: Performance tuning for DB2 database servers
The more you know about the application your database serves, the easier it will be to make the tuning decisions that will have the greatest impact, according to wiki contributor Rajesh Chandramohan in his latest post. In fact, considering performance at the design stage yields the best results.
--Share your thoughts on Chandramohan's tips.
--Read his earlier post on DB2 runtime and manageability best practices.
--Find out how to contribute your own material to the wiki.

3. Informix update

* New blog: Informix technology for virtual worlds
One of the newest voices in the Informix blogosphere, IBM's Rajesh Nair writes about virtual worlds (VWs) and massively multi-player online games (MMOGs). Latest posts cover the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo and the serious uses of VWs and MMOGs in business.

4. Tech term of the day

* You may know the meaning of each word separately and still not get the meaning of the phrase "portmanteau word"
Yep, a portmanteau is a large suitcase. So, what's a portmanteau word?