Tuesday, March 10, 2020

A Guide to Db2 Performance for Application Developers



DBAs: are you looking for a way to help train your developers to code more efficient Db2 application programs? 
Programmers: do you want to understand the best practices for writing high-performing Db2 applications?
Well, my latest book, A Guide to Db2 Performance for Application Developers, is just what you are looking for! Available in both printed and eBook formats, this is the book you need to assure that you are building effective, efficient Db2 applications.


This book will make you a better programmer by teaching you how to write efficient code to access Db2 databases. Whether you write applications on the mainframe or distributed systems, this book will teach you practices, methods, and techniques for optimizing your SQL and applications as you build them. Write efficient applications and become your DBA's favorite developer by learning the techniques outlined in this book!

The methods outlined in this book will help you improve the performance of your Db2 applications. The material is written for all Db2 professionals, whether you are coding on z/OS (the mainframe) or on Linux, Unix or Windows (distributed systems). When there are pertinent differences between the platforms it is explained in the text.

The focus of the book is on programming, coding and developing applications. As such, it does not focus on DBA, design, and data modeling issues, nor does it cover most Db2 utilities, DDL, and other non-programming related details. If you are a DBA, the book should still be of interest to you because DBAs are responsible for overall Db2 performance. Therefore, it makes sense to understand the programming aspect of performance.

It is important also to understand that the book is not about performance monitoring and tuning. Although these activities are important, they are typically not the domain of application developers. Instead, the book offers guidance on application development procedures, techniques, and philosophies. The goal of the book is to educate developers on how to write "good" application code that lends itself to optimal performance. By following the principles in this book you will be able to write code that does not require significant remedial, after-the-fact modifications by performance analysts. If you follow the guidelines in this book your DBAs and performance analysts will love you!

The assumption is made that the reader has some level of basic SQL knowledge and therefore it will not cover how to write Db2 SQL code or code a Db2 program. It is also important to point out that the book does not rehash material that is freely available in Db2 manuals that can be downloaded or read online.

What you will get from reading this book is a well-grounded basis for designing and developing efficient Db2 applications that perform well.

You can order your copy of A Guide to Db2 Performance for Application Developers today at:

Monday, February 17, 2020

Every Db2 Article I've Written

I've written a lot of articles on Db2 topics over the years and I try to keep everything I've written available over the web. Some of the older articles may not be as applicable today as they were in the past, but I still try to keep them available in case somebody remembers reading something and they want to be able to find it again. 

So, if you are ever want to find a Db2 article of mine that you've read and want to see again, try the following link:

http://www.mullinsconsulting.com/art-db2.html

That page contains all of the Db2 articles that I've written and most of them have links to the full article. It is in reverse chronological order...

And just for fun... here's a picture of the old demo floppy disk that used to come with Db2 back in the day!




Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Will I See You at SHARE in Fort Worth 2020?


I hope you’ve already made your plans to be there, but if you haven’t there’s still time to get your manager’s approval, make your travel plans, and be where all the in-the-know IT folks will be the last week of February, the SHARE conference in Fort Worth, Texas!

If you’ve ever attended a SHARE conference before then you know why I’m looking forward to this event. With 300+ industry speakers, 500+ sessions and 1,000+ attendees, SHARE offers a world of phenomenal educational opportunities delivered by renowned industry leaders. If you attend, you can benefit from user-driven technical sessions, insights from colleagues, and hardware and software product education all in one place. SHARE attendance guarantees you access to the latest enterprise IT news, prominent industry leaders — including IBM executives — and product highlights on emerging technologies, bringing priceless value to your daily work.

The Spring 2020 event offers more educational opportunities and training than ever before, including content that spans 8 IT disciplines, including:
  • Application Development
  • Database Systems
  • Middleware
  • Networks
  • Operating Systems (z/OS, z/VM, Linux)
  • Security
  • Storage
  • Systems Management

SHARE began as the first-ever enterprise IT user group way back in 1955… but it has continued to grow and expand over the years> Today it offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn about enterprise IT and to interact with your peers.

What Will I Be Doing SHARE?

As usual, I hope to attend many different sessions to learn what is new out there, especially with regard to my core areas (mainframe and Db2). Check out the agenda here.

I also will be delivering a Lunch and Learn session this year, sponsored by Infotel, on Tuesday, February 25, 2020. This presentation, titled Improving Db2 Application Quality for Optimizing Performance and Controlling Costs, will be presented with a free lunch! So be sure to sign up, then come eat and at the same time, learn about the impact of DevOps on database. I’ll talk about the issues and trends then Colin Oakhill of Infotel will discuss how their SQL quality assurance solutions can aid the DevOps process for Db2 development.

You can RSVP for Lunch and Learn sessions by using the link provided during the registration process. Pre-registration is highly encouraged and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have already registered and did not RSVP, you can log in to your registration and add your RSVP.
If you have not RSVPed you can still attend the Lunch and Learn session, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Seating opens up to everyone at 12:35 p.m. (10 minutes prior to the session start time).
Later that evening (Tuesday) on the second day of the SHARE expo hall I'll be hanging at the Infotel booth, so if you have any questions we didn’t answer in the Lunch n’ Learn session, you can ask us at the Infotel booth. Be sure to stop by and say hello, take a look at Infotel’s SQL quality assurance solutions for Db2 for z/OS, and register to win one of 2 of my Db2 application performance books that will be raffled off. If you win, be sure to get me to sign your copy!

The Bottom Line

SHARE is the place to be this February 2020 to learn all about what’s going on in the world of enterprise computing. I hope to see you in Fort Worth for SHARE… and if you are going, be sure to track me down and say “Howdy!”



Thursday, February 06, 2020

IBM Gold Consultant for Data and AI :: 2020

I am proud to announce that I will be continuing as an IBM Gold Consultant for Data and AI in 2020

For those of you who do not know what an IBM Gold Consultant is... the IBM Gold Consultant program is an elite group of independent consultants with vast experience in IBM data repositories, unified governance, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

IBM Gold Consultants bring extensive industry experience and technical expertise to help IBM clients define and implement strong strategies for their data and analytics initiatives using IBM Db2 on all platforms, IBM Informix, IBM InfoSphere, IBM CICS, and related technologies and tools. The group is recognized by its peers, and IBM, as some of the world’s most experienced independent consultants for these products. 

Thank you, IBM, for creating such great data management tools and solutions that I have been able to build a career - spanning more than three decades - using them.



Mullins Consulting, Inc.

Friday, January 03, 2020

Db2 11 for z/OS End of Support Coming This Year (2020)

What better way to start off the New Year than with a quick blog post to remind everybody that the end of service deadline is looming for Db2 11 for z/OS... and that means it is time for you to move to Db2 12 for z/OS this year!


Version 11 of our favorite DBMS was made generally available way back on October 25, 2013 and IBM has not been marketing and selling this version since July of 2018. But if you are still using Db2 11 IBM has continued to provide support... and will continue for the first three quarters of 2020. But after that, support ends.

In other words, the end of support date for Db2 11 for z/OS is September 30, 2020. And that date appears to be a firm one... don't bet on IBM extending it.

Whtat does that mean for you if you are still using Version 11? It should mean that you will be spending the first three quarters of 2020 planning for, and migrating to Db2 12 for z/OS.

There are a lot of great resources that IBM provides to help you migrate smoothly. Here are a few of them for you reference:

  Db2 12 Installation and Migration Guide

  Db2 12 for z/OS Product Documentation

  Webcast: Db2 12 for z/OS Migration Planning and Customer Experiences with John Campbell

  Db2 12 for z/OS Migration Considerations (Mark Rader)

So if you are still running Db2 11 and you haven't started planning to upgrade, now is the time to start planning... and if you have started planning, that is great, because 2020 is the time to get your shop migrated to Db2 12!