Description:
DB2 for Dummies approaches problems of database engineering and administration via IBM's DB2 Universal Database solution. It assumes essentially no reader experience with relational databases, and absolutely no experience with DB2. For those reasons, it is excellent. All three of the authors work for IBM on the DB2 team, and they've merged their technical expertise into the Dummies format nicely. The book earns its keep for two classes of readers. First, it's well-suited to people who have no database experience at all and want to learn via DB2. Second, it's a fine text for people who have experience with another relational database management system (RDBMS), such as Oracle or Sybase, and want to learn how DB2 works. As is typical of books in this series, some of the cutesy prose comes across as way too contrived ("Imagine buying a travel guide ... but without an index!"), but the technical information readers need is never far away. Sections begin with text explanations of whatever feature is being introduced (these are great for experienced database administrators trying to get a feel for DB2 terminology) and then turn to procedures you can follow step-by-step (which are comforting to nervous novices). In turn, all important configuration and administration tasks get ample coverage, and readers leave able to do most everyday DB2 work. --David Wall Topics covered: IBM's DB2 Universal Database 6.1 client/server database system for Microsoft Windows. After coverage of client and server installation, the book introduces instances, databases, table spaces, tables, and key administrative tasks like replication and performance monitoring.
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