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Hello,

I am fairly familiar with Oracle and need to move to DB2 for an
application within the next few weeks. I have taken a quick look at
IBM's site and documentation and it looks fairly similar to Oracle in
its features. I have a few questions that might seem trivial but
would help a newbie navigate this transition:

1) Firts off, is there a recommended book(s)? I have gone through
Amazon, and from what I can gather, the books are either outdated
(versions 6, 7, etc.) and/or not recommended by the reviewers? Would
the best place be IBM's own product documentation?

2) What version is recommended? The latest version 8.1, an earlier
version, or perhaps the new Stinger version?

3) Given that DB2 is "universal" and it runs, well, pretty much
anywhere, from PC's to Unix/Linux and to mainframes, how does one
establish connectivity to a DB2 server in a platform-independent
fashion as in ODBC? Or would this be customized for each platform?

4) I have seen a few book titles that specifically say something like
"DB2 for Windows/Unix". I am confused by this. As far as Oracle
goes, for instance, I can write the same SQL or PL/SQL code, and I
would be confident that it would run on all platforms that Oracle
supports. Is this not the case with DB2, meaning that DB2
functionality changes from platform to platform? Or does this have to
do mainly with admin tasks?

DB

"DB_2" <deebeetwo@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9b5110a1.0406101737.7e9b5666@posting.google.c om...
> Hello,
>
> I am fairly familiar with Oracle and need to move to DB2 for an
> application within the next few weeks. I have taken a quick look at
> IBM's site and documentation and it looks fairly similar to Oracle in
> its features. I have a few questions that might seem trivial but
> would help a newbie navigate this transition:
>
> 1) Firts off, is there a recommended book(s)? I have gone through
> Amazon, and from what I can gather, the books are either outdated
> (versions 6, 7, etc.) and/or not recommended by the reviewers? Would
> the best place be IBM's own product documentation?
>

The manuals and Red Books (how to books) are actually quite good. you can
download all of them from the IBM website. There are several good version 8
manuals (some are called certification guides) but I am not sure they are
worth the money if you have to pay yourself.
http://www-306.ibm.com/cgi-bin/db2ww...bs.d2w/en_main
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/

DB2 is generally much easier to use than Oracle. The only problem is that
the intial memory allcoations are rather skimpy, but that can be quickly
adjusted using the Database Performance Wizard in the Control Center.

> 2) What version is recommended? The latest version 8.1, an earlier
> version, or perhaps the new Stinger version?
>
Definitely version 8.1 fixpak 5. Stinger will not be released until later
this year. It is expected to be 8.2, which should be a free upgrade for
version 8 licenses.

> 3) Given that DB2 is "universal" and it runs, well, pretty much
> anywhere, from PC's to Unix/Linux and to mainframes, how does one
> establish connectivity to a DB2 server in a platform-independent
> fashion as in ODBC? Or would this be customized for each platform?
>
Connect to/from Windows/Linx/UNIX is usually done best via TCP/IP via the
free DB2 run-time client code.
http://www-306.ibm.com/cgi-bin/db2ww...oad.d2w/report
If you want to connect to a mainframe, or AS/400 DB2, you will need DB2
Connect, either on each client, or on a gatway machine. DB2 Connect is not
free.

> 4) I have seen a few book titles that specifically say something like
> "DB2 for Windows/Unix". I am confused by this. As far as Oracle
> goes, for instance, I can write the same SQL or PL/SQL code, and I
> would be confident that it would run on all platforms that Oracle
> supports. Is this not the case with DB2, meaning that DB2
> functionality changes from platform to platform? Or does this have to
> do mainly with admin tasks?
>
> DB

DB2 for Windows, Linux, and UNIX (AIX, Solaris, HP/UX) is the same code base
and everything should be exactly compatible. DB2 Mainframe DB2 and AS/400
DB2 are slightly different, mostly at the admin level, but DML is very
similar, if not the same. (DB2 for AS/400 is more out-of-synch with the
others). There is manual called "SQL Reference for Cross-Platform
Development V1.1" that outlines the differences (but I don't think this has
been updated for new version 8 of mainframe DB2).

deebeetwo@yahoo.com (DB_2) wrote in message news:<9b5110a1.0406101737.7e9b5666@posting.google. com>...
> Hello,
>
> I am fairly familiar with Oracle and need to move to DB2 for an
> application within the next few weeks. I have taken a quick look at
> IBM's site and documentation and it looks fairly similar to Oracle in
> its features. I have a few questions that might seem trivial but
> would help a newbie navigate this transition:
>
> 1) Firts off, is there a recommended book(s)? I have gone through
> Amazon, and from what I can gather, the books are either outdated
> (versions 6, 7, etc.) and/or not recommended by the reviewers? Would
> the best place be IBM's own product documentation?

I am fairly new too, just moved in from being an Oracle DBA. I found
a redbook on Oracle to DB2 conversion. It has a lot of good info
you'll want to read. There are DB2 DBA certification books for
Unix/Linux...but they are fairly liight in details. Also, check out
the DB2 cookbook at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...l/HTM_COOK.HTM


>
> 2) What version is recommended? The latest version 8.1, an earlier
> version, or perhaps the new Stinger version?
>

8.1 fp 5... Note, you may run into a bug that causes db server
crashing if you have v7 clients attaching.

> 3) Given that DB2 is "universal" and it runs, well, pretty much
> anywhere, from PC's to Unix/Linux and to mainframes, how does one
> establish connectivity to a DB2 server in a platform-independent
> fashion as in ODBC? Or would this be customized for each platform?
>

not sure what you are asking for here...

> 4) I have seen a few book titles that specifically say something like
> "DB2 for Windows/Unix". I am confused by this. As far as Oracle
> goes, for instance, I can write the same SQL or PL/SQL code, and I
> would be confident that it would run on all platforms that Oracle
> supports. Is this not the case with DB2, meaning that DB2
> functionality changes from platform to platform? Or does this have to
> do mainly with admin tasks?
>

From what I've seen...it depends. If you write SQL procedures and
functions...they will work. But I am not so sure about C, Java, etc.

Hope this helps...

Chet West
http://www.OracleTricks.com