Get the most out of the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX, and Windows documentation

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Level: Introductory

Raul Chong (rfchong@ca.ibm.com), DB2 UDB Information Developer, IBM

02 Dec 2004

In this article, learn about the various IBM® DB2® Universal Database™ (UDB) product information sources that are available. Gain insight on how the DB2 Information Center, Release Notes, Technotes, and flashes differ. Get tips for searching DB2 information, which resources are most appropriate for finding different kinds of information, who publishes the information, and how often these information sources are updated.

Introduction

IBM DB2 Universal Database for Linux™, UNIX® and Windows® (DB2 UDB) is a powerful, robust and complete relational database management system. In order to understand how it works, you can take advantage of the wealth of DB2 information freely available to you. The purpose of this article is to identify and differentiate these various sources of information as well as to provide you with tips on how to most efficiently search for the specific information that you need.

This article is mainly for beginners to DB2 UDB; however, advanced users might also find it useful, as it describes the documentation improvements that were made in DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows Version 8.2. The examples and screenshots provided in this article were obtained using a Windows environment, however, the discussion is equally applicable to Linux and UNIX environments.

Note: In most books and documents, including this one, the terms "DB2", "DB2 UDB", and "DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows" are used interchangeably. Unless otherwise noted, when we use any one of these terms in this article from here on, we are referring to DB2 UDB running on Linux, UNIX or Windows.

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Terminology and key DB2 documentation URLs

Today, the term "DB2" is a brand that represents a portfolio of information management products including DB2 Universal Database (UDB), DB2 Connect, DB2 Information Integrator, DB2 Warehouse Manager, DB2 Content Manager, and others. To specifically refer to DB2 database servers, "UDB" needs to be added to the name, as in "DB2 UDB".

Note: When the term "DB2 documentation" is used in this article, it refers to the materials shipped with the product. It does not include other IBM supplemental resources, such as developerWorks articles or third-party resources such as the DB2 Magazine. The terms "DB2 documentation", "DB2 manuals" and "DB2 Information Center" are normally used interchangeably to refer to the official DB2 technical documentation.

Figure 1 shows the DB2 information management product documentation, and how they are grouped.

In Figure 1, the circles represent clusters of documentation for the different DB2 information management products. On the right side of the figure, the boxes represent the documentation shipped with each of the products that are part of the cluster. For example, the DB2 UDB cluster consists of three products: DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows, DB2 UDB for iSeries™, and DB2 UDB for z/OS®. Each of these products is shipped with its own documentation. In the case of DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows, it is not only shipped with its core documentation, but also the documentation of other related products like DB2 Connect®.

DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows, DB2 UDB for iSeries, and DB2 UDB for z/OS share a core set of functionality; however not all of the features supported in any one of them are necessarily supported in the others. The three products have different code bases, each one optimized for its intended hardware. Unfortunately some independently written materials about DB2 UDB don't always make clear which DB2 UDB product they are referring to. Always pay special attention to the DB2 UDB product referenced in DB2 UDB information to make sure that you are reading materials relevant to the particular product that you are interested in.

Table 1 lists the three DB2 UDB products and their respective primary documentation URLs.

Table 1. Main documentation URLs for all DB2 UDB products

Note: DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows supports the DECLARE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE statement, but not the CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE statement. DB2 UDB for z/OS supports both statements, which create different types of temporary tables.

The different DB2 UDB products can be used together as part of a single larger solution. To explain this interoperability it is necessary for DB2 UDB product information for one DB2 UDB product to contain references to the other DB2 UDB products and their features. For example, the CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY TABLE statement is supported only in DB2 UDB for z/OS, but it is documented in the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows manuals because it is a valid statement that can be executed from the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows Control Center against a DB2 UDB for z/OS server. When a piece of information is specific to DB2 UDB for a particular platform, the documentation will explicitly name that platform.

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Overview of DB2 product information sources

Figure 2 shows the available sources of information for DB2. It has been divided it into three main areas: DB2 Documentation, Supplemental IBM Resources, and Third-party Resources. In the next sections each item shown in the figure is discussed in detail.

The DB2 documentation (the left box in Figure 2) contains a set of technical material that explains how DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows and related products work. DB2 documentation is the official source of information about DB2, because it is developed based on the direct feedback of the software engineers who write the DB2 code. The DB2 documentation is endorsed by IBM, and is shipped with the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows software (except the technotes, flashes and the updates to the application development Web site). It is available in many languages and is delivered through different tools and methods such as the DB2 Information Center, PDFs or printed books, command line help, sample programs, and tutorials. In addition, DB2 documentation updates are provided after an official DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows version or Fix Pack is released. These updates can include corrections to topic content, new, or updated, information about product features or additional support information that was not available when the version or Fix Pack was initially released. Documentation updates can be in the form of Release Notes, technotes, flashes, and updates posted on the application development Web site.

The supplemental IBM rsources (the top right box in Figure 2) consist of information endorsed by IBM, but not shipped with the product. This set of information is generally developed by DB2 experts (IBM employees, customers, partners), who want to contribute practical advice, helpful hints, tips, or solutions to the DB2 community. Supplemental IBM resources consist of developerWorks articles, papers, and tutorials; IBM Redbooks, the DB2 technical support Web site, and DB2 training and certification materials.

The third-party resources (the bottom right box in Figure 2) consist of information resources provided by non-IBM organizations that work with DB2 and are in most cases sponsored by IBM. They are: DB2 magazine, DB2 books, DB2 user groups, and DB2 newsgroups.

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DB2 Information Center

The DB2 Information Center is a tool that provides online technical documentation about how DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows and other related products work. It is the most important documentation delivery vehicle that IBM provides to its customers. It is also a gateway to IBM and third-party DB2 resources. Any DB2 user can benefit from this tool when looking for detailed technical information about the DB2 product. The DB2 Information Center is built using the Eclipse framework, which is an open platform for tool integration built by an open community of tool providers. Other IBM software like Websphere Application Server and Websphere Studio Application Developer have their own Information Centers based on Eclipse. This can be advantageous if you need to deal with different IBM software, since the Information Centers of these products work in the same way. Figure 3 illustrates the DB2 and WebSphere Application Server Information Centers.

You can install the DB2 Information Center locally on your computer, on an intranet server at your company, or you can access it on the Internet at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2help.

Figure 4 shows the DB2 Information Center and its features.

Welcome page

The "Welcome page" is one of the most important features of the DB2 Information Center, yet it is often neglected. It is the very first page that you see on the topics pane when you access the DB2 Information Center, and it serves as the gateway to many other resources. Figure 5 shows the three sections of the "Welcome page": "Getting started", "Service and support", and "About the DB2 Information Center".

Use the "Getting started" section to obtain a quick overview of DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows Version 8.2, and related DB2 products; to locate links to tutorials, and to locate general information about DB2 Information Center documentation and DB2 help.

The "Service and support" section contains links to the DB2 Technical Support Web site, which provides links to the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows documentation in PDF file format, and links to DB2 UDB Fix Packs and client download sites. This section also includes links to the IBM Redbooks, third-party books, and the International DB2 Users Group (IDUG) Web site.

The "About the DB2 Information Center" section provides an overview about how to use the DB2 Information Center. You may want to explore this section after reviewing this article if you need further detail about how to use the DB2 Information Center.

Note: A Fix Pack is an update to the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows code. Fix Packs are cumulative and include fixes for reported or internally identified defects, as well as product feature enhancements or new features to the product. A Release Notes document always accompanies a Fix Pack release to explain its contents. The term "Fixpak" is widely used in several documents and Web sites, but the correct spelling is "Fix Pack".

DB2 Information Center contents pane

In the left frame of the DB2 Information Center (See Figure 4) you can see the contents pane. The contents pane which can be accessed by clicking on the Contents tab, provides a task-oriented table of contents, also known as the navigation tree. This table of contents does not match the one provided in the PDFs or printed books. Table 2 lists each item and task.

Table 2. Items of the navigation tree/Table of contents

DB2 Information Center search results list

The Search Results list can be accessed by clicking on the Search Results tab. It is also automatically displayed after performing a search using the Search field and the GO button.

Note that the entries in the navigation tree contain abbreviated forms of the titles in the topics displayed in the topics pane. The topic titles in the topics pane do match the PDFs or printed books, as they come from the same source document.

Topics pane

The topics pane displays the topic which corresponds to a particular node of the navigation tree or item from the list of search results. There are three types of topics: concepts, tasks, and reference; each of them having a consistent structure. Concept topics provide a definition of a term or item. Task topics provide a set of steps to follow in order to complete a task. Reference topics have links to other topics within the DB2 Information Center, or on the Internet. Each topic in the DB2 Information Center is self-contained, that is, most if not all of the information you need is discussed in the topic, otherwise links to other resources are provided. In addition, at the end of a topic, there is a reference to the corresponding PDF file or printed book where the same information can be found. For example, in Figure 6, you will see the line "This topic can be found in: Command Reference" which has been circled in red.

Though the material in the DB2 Information Center and the PDF files or printed books come from the same source, the DB2 Information Center provides a superset of information, therefore not all the topics in the DB2 Information Center map one-to-one to a corresponding DB2 book topic; and thus, you will not find a book reference at the end of a DB2 Information Center topic in all cases.

Revision bars

Revision bars are bars or numbers that appear on the left side of a sentence or paragraph in the topics pane. They are used when a DB2 feature or function has changed and a documentation phrase has been added or modified. The appropriate Fix Pack in which the functionality was introduced determines what number is used. For example, in Figure 4, the number "7" prefixes the sentence that starts with, "The current documentation is...". This means that this line was introduced or modified with Fix Pack 7 of the product. If documentation is added for a past release or to fill an information hole - revision bars are not always added.

Note: DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows V8.1 at Fix Pack 7 is equivalent to DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows V8.2.

Search field and the GO button

These are the most important features of the DB2 Information Center. In the search field you can input any search arguments (the case does not matter) that you want the DB2 Information Center search engine to use. After you click the GO button, the search results list is displayed. When you select a topic in this list, the topic is displayed in the topics pane and each instance of the search argument is highlighted. Figure 7 shows the search results after searching for the argument "db2advis".

The DB2 Information Center uses the Eclipse search engine which prioritizes the search result items based on the ratio of how many times the search argument appears for a given topic versus the length of the topic. Each topic item in the search result list shows a percentage which indicates the likelihood that the topic is the best fit following this logic. In some situations, this logic may not be all that appropriate. For example, if you are looking for the CREATE TABLE statement syntax, the search result may not put the expected hits ( CREATE TABLE statement topic) at the top of the result list. This is because the CREATE TABLE search argument does not appear often within the large topic that explains the CREATE TABLE statement. Search results that have a seemingly related topic that are listed ahead of the desired topic should still be selected, because they may contain a related link to the exact topic you were originally looking for. In this example, you can also use the navigation tree and choose the "Reference" branch, since SQL statements are listed under this branch. Another alternative is to choose the "Index" branch from the navigation tree, and look for the CREATE TABLE statement topic. In addition, you can also use Google's internet search engine that will in many cases return a hit pointing to the correct DB2 Information Center topic.

There will be improvements in the Eclipse search engine logic in the next version of DB2.

Advanced search window and link

To perform more complex searches, use the "Advanced Search" window. To open the advanced search window, click on the Advanced Search link located next to the Search field (See Figure 4). Figure 8 shows the "Advanced Search" window.

As you can see in Figure 8, you can input a search expression that can include wildcard characters such as "*" (to represent one or more characters), "?" (to represent one character), a phrase enclosed in double quotes, and boolean operators. When several arguments are input one after the other, the AND operator is assumed. You do not have to open the Advanced Search window to use wildcard characters, but you do need to open it when you want to limit the amount of material to search. Figure 9 shows an example using wildcard characters and the OR boolean operator.

Print Page, Go Back, and Go Forward buttons

When you click on the Print Page, Go Back, and Go Forward buttons, the actions performed are equivalent to printing a page, clicking the Back button, and clicking the Forward button of your browser, respectively. The DB2 Information Center is not an online "book", therefore the Go Back and Go Forward buttons will not take you to the previous or next "page" in the "book".

Show in Table of Contents button and Refresh/Show Current Topic button

After you perform a search and choose one of the resulting topics from the search results list, you might want to know where in the table of contents this information was found, so you understand the context of the information presented in the topic. Clicking on the Show in Table of Contents button, will not only display the Contents view of the navigation tree, but it will also expand it to the corresponding topic in the table of contents, giving you the context of the information found. For example, after performing the search shown in Figure 9, if you click the Show in Table of Contents button, the navigation tree changes as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 shows that the "db2advis" command is located under the branch Reference > Commands > DB2 Universal Database > System commands. The Refresh/Show Current Topic button (located below the Advanced Search link) is used for the same purpose, and will only work when the search results list is displayed and an item in the list is selected.

The Show in Table of Contents button and the Refresh/Show Current Topic button are particularly useful for experienced DB2 users accustomed to reading the DB2 documentation in book or PDF format.

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PDFs or printed books

If you are an experienced user or prefer to read the documentation in book format, you can download the PDF files using the DB2 Universal Database Documentation link in the DB2 Information Center "Welcome page" or directly from the DB2 UDB Technical Support Web site. Figure 11 shows this information.

If you have the software and license for Acrobat Writer, you can download all the PDF files from ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/db2/info/vr82/pdf/en_US/, and create an Acrobat Writer index to perform fast searches of the DB2 books. Follow these steps to create an index from Acrobat Writer:

1. Choose Tools > Catalog > New Index
2. In the "New Index Definition" window, input a name for the index, and click on Add to specify the directory where you downloaded the PDF files. For example, in Figure 12, the index title chosen is "DB2UDBLUWIndex", and the directory where the PDF files reside is "C:\DB2 PDF Manuals".
3. Click on Build, to create the Acrobat Writer index.

To perform searches using Acrobat Writer follow these steps (See Figure 13):

1. Click on the Search button.
2. On the "Adobe Acrobat Search" window, click on the Indexes button and select the index created earlier.
3. Input a search argument in the text field and click on Search. In the example shown in Figure 13, the search argument is "db2advis".

4. In the "Search Results" window (See Figure 14) a listing of the DB2 books containing the search argument is displayed. Choose any of the books, and click on View to display more details.
5. For more results within the book, click on the Find button.

If you prefer to order the printed DB2 books, you can make this request online at the IBM Publications Center Web site. Detailed information about ordering books is available in the DB2 Information Center if you search for the topic titled, "Ordering printed DB2 books", or by following the branch Product overviews > Documentation > DB2 PDF and printed documentation from the navigation tree. Note that not all the PDF files have a corresponding printed book that you can order.

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Command Line Help

The DB2 Command Line Processor (CLP) is a text-based tool that allows you to invoke DB2 commands and SQL statements. It can also be used to obtain message and command help using the help (?) command. Any DB2 user working with this tool can benefit from the help command to obtain quick detailed information about an error message. For example, to obtain more information about error code SQL0104N, enter: ? sql0104n

To obtain the syntax or more information about the list applications command, enter: ? list applications. These examples are shown in Figure 15.

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Sample programs

A sample program is a program supplied with the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows software to illustrate a given function or feature of DB2. If you are a developer you can take advantage of the sample programs to learn how to develop applications that use DB2 as the database server. Sample programs are classified by language or API, and by functionality. To learn more about sample programs you can search for "Sample Programs" and choose the "Sample files" topic or follow the "Samples" branch in the navigation tree, as shown in Figure 16.

The source code for sample programs is provided under the DB2PATH\samples directory (where DB2PATH is the installation DB2 directory) when you install a DB2 Server or the DB2 Application Development Client. The DB2 Application Development Client can be downloaded for free from the DB2 UDB Technical Support Web site. Figure 17 shows the "samples" directory in a Windows system.

Updates to the sample programs are provided on the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows application development Web site, which is discussed in a later section.

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Tutorials

DB2 tutorials provide step-by-step instructions about various aspects of DB2. A tutorial is more interactive than other sources of information, as it walks you through the different steps to accomplish a task. They can be accessed from the Tutorials and demonstrations section of the DB2 Information Center "Welcome page".

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Release notes

Release Notes contain information specific to a product release or Fix Pack. If you are a DB2 user who needs to locate the latest information about a DB2 product release or Fix Pack, review the Release Notes.

Release Notes are comprised of the following sections:

• New Features
• Documentation Updates
• Known problems and Workarounds

The New Features section is broken up into areas of customer interest (Performance enhancements, Application Development enhancements, etc.) in which customers can find descriptions of new or changed features and links to the documentation changes that detail the features. The Release Notes can be accessed in the same way as the DB2 documentation in PDF format (See Figure 11).

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Technotes

Technotes are another mechanism to make information available to DB2 users in a timely manner. Technotes contain information that is not critical to most DB2 users, but still important. If you are a DB2 user facing a problem, and cannot find the desired information in the DB2 Information Center or the Release Notes, review the technotes available from the DB2 Technical Support Web site.

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Flashes

Flashes or alerts describe critical problems discovered after the DB2 product or Fix Pack is shipped. If you work in a environment where your DB2 system is critical to your business, make sure to review frequently the flashes posted at the DB2 Technical Support Web site, or subscribe to the "My Support" program to receive them automatically by e-mail.

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Application development Web site

The DB2 UDB application development Web site contains updates and information for DB2 developers, including sample programs, which may not yet have been included in the published documentation. After the updates have been included in the published documentation, this information is normally removed.

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Relationship between the DB2 Documentation tools and methods of delivery

When the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows software is released, the DB2 Information Center, documentation PDF files and printed books are also made available. Figure 18 shows the relationship between these methods of documentation when first delivered.

The DB2 Information Center contains all the documentation available about DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows and related products, while the PDF files provide a subset of the topics. In turn, the printed books are a subset of the PDF files.

With DB2 Version 8, IBM's focus is to deliver more and more material online; this allows the documentation to be delivered and updated faster. You can still order printed books or download and print the PDF files yourself, but keep in mind that there is not a one-to-one mapping with the topics in the DB2 Information Center. The topic contents themselves are the same though, as they come from the same source.

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Updating the DB2 documentation

As mentioned earlier, when new features or important fixes are provided after the product has shipped, the corresponding documentation is included in the Fix Pack Release Notes document. The information in the Fix Pack Release Notes is moved to the core DB2 documentation in a future release. Typos or low priority errors will not be documented in the Release Notes.

The DB2 Information Center that is accessed from the Internet contains the most complete and up-to-date information. If you installed the DB2 Information Center locally on your computer or on an intranet server, you need to apply the latest documentation Fix Pack. You can obtain the documentation Fix Packs, like the regular Fix Packs, by following the DB2 Universal Database clients, FixPaks, upgrades, and updates link from the "Welcome page" of the DB2 Information Center, or directly from the DB2 Technical Support Web site. Documentation Fix Packs provide updates only to the DB2 Information Center, and there is no set schedule for their delivery.

PDF files may be refreshed several times during the lifecycle of a DB2 version, however, there is no set schedule for when this refresh happens. You can always check the FTP site that contains all the PDF files (ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/db2/info/vr82/pdf/en_US/) for the date the files were last modified to compare it with your current files.

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developerWorks articles, papers and tutorials

developerWorks is an IBM sponsored Web site delivering articles, papers and tutorials written by experts, who may or may not be IBM employees. The information in developerWorks is useful and practical, and it is tailored towards developers using IBM software including DB2, Websphere, Lotus, Tivoli, and Rational. The developerWorks material is not part of the official DB2 documentation, but it's provided as IBM supplemental material (refer back to Figure 2).

If you are reading this article you already know how to access the DB2 developerWorks Web site. To access information specific to a given IBM product, click on the corresponding link on the left frame of the Web site. In Figure 19, the "DB2" link was clicked, therefore information about DB2 is presented.

The developerWorks Web site is updated every 2 weeks. To review old articles, you can click on the Technical library link on the left frame and input a search argument in the keywords field.

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IBM Redbooks

IBM Redbooks are documents developed by IBM, business partners and customers, that provide practical advice, hints and tips and technical know-how about a particular topic, product feature, or industry problem. For example, if you are an architect, and need to assess methods to backup your DB2 database with different software, you may find a Redbook that discusses this specific topic cover-to-cover. Redbooks are available online for free and can be accessed from the "Welcome page" of the DB2 Information Center or directly at www.redbooks.ibm.com. Figure 20 shows the IBM Redbooks Web site.

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DB2 Technical support Web site

The DB2 Technical support Web site is a repository of technotes, flashes, APAR descriptions with workarounds, white papers, and DB2 documentation which can be used to solve problems.

Note: An "Authorized Program Analysis Report" (APAR) is the official method that IBM uses to acknowledge a defect in the product.

Fix Packs to be applied to the DB2 software, and documentation Fix Packs to be applied to your local/intranet copy of the DB2 Information Center can be downloaded for free from this site. The runtime, administration, and application development clients are also available for free download. Figure 21 shows the DB2 Technical Support Web site.

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DB2 Training and Certification

DB2 training consists of formal DB2 classes, computer-based training courses (CBTs), online tutorials, Web casts, and books. If you are interested in obtaining DB2 training, or in preparing for the DB2 certification exams, you can follow the DB2 Training and Certification link on the DB2 Information Center "Welcome page", or go directly to www.ibm.com/software/data/education. Figure 22 shows this Web site.

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DB2 Magazine

DB2 magazine is a magazine published monthly in printed format and online (www.db2mag.com). It is an excellent source of DB2 information. Each issue contains a variety of features on technical and business topics for the DB2 community, plus columns with tips and techniques on data mining, programming, system administration, content management, and more. Figure 23 shows the DB2 Magazine Web site.

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DB2 books

Books about DB2 are cover-to-cover learning guides that allow readers to obtain practical and concise information about the product. There are many third-party DB2 books available; however, most of them are published by IBM Press. For a list of current or upcoming books, you can click on the Third-party books link on the DB2 Information Center "Welcome page", or directly at http://www.ibm.com/software/data/education/bookstore/. Figure 24 shows this Web site.

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DB2 user groups

DB2 user groups are independent organizations formed by DB2 users who want to share their experiences with other colleagues. The International DB2 Users Group (IDUG) is one of the most popular DB2 user group organizations. You can access the IDUG Web site from the DB2 Information Center "Welcome page", or directly at www.idug.org. IDUG organizes conferences worldwide, provides Web casts of DB2 technical sessions, and other DB2 materials of interest. Figure 25 shows this Web site.

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DB2 newsgroups

DB2 newsgroups are independent organizations of DB2 users who want to share their experiences in open forums. The most popular newsgroup/forum is comp.databases.ibm-db2. Use this forum to obtain answers and suggestions to questions or problems. Several DB2 developers and experts participate in this forum. You can access it from the eb at http://www.dbforums.com/f39. Figure 26 shows this Web site.

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Summary

This article introduced you to the variety of information sources related to the DB2 UDB for Linux, UNIX and Windows product, and provided some hints and tips about how to use these resources. The DB2 Information Center should be your primary source of official DB2 documentation, and from its "Welcome Page" you can access most of the other resources discussed in this article such as DB2 technical support, IBM Redbooks, IDUG, DB2 books, DB2 training and certification, and the documentation in PDF format. Most of these resources have links to each other as well.

After reading this article, you should now understand the different DB2 product information sources available and how they differ. You should also understand which resources are most appropriate for finding different kinds of information, who publishes the information, and how often these information sources are updated. In addition, you should have learned some tips for searching the DB2 information.

Finally, I would like to use this article as a direct source of feedback to the people that write the DB2 documentation. Please fill out the comments box at the end of this article not only with comments about the usefulness of the article, but also with comments about the DB2 official documentation in general. This feedback will help IBM make improvements to the documentation in future DB2 releases.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Gwyneth Evans and Vivian Lee for their extraordinary help reviewing this article.

About the author

		Raul F. Chong is a DB2 Information Developer with the Application Development Solutions team at the IBM Toronto Lab. He has recently taken on this new role where he is responsible for developing sample programs and DB2 documentation for Web Services and CLI. Raul has seven years of experience within IBM, three of them in DB2 Technical Support helping to resolve customer problems on the OS/390, z/OS, Linux, UNIX and Windows platforms; and four of them as a consultant, specializing in database application development, performance tuning and migrations from other relational database management systems to DB2. Raul has taught many DB2 technical workshops, published numerous articles, and has contributed to the DB2 Certification exam tutorials. Raul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Toronto, and is a DB2 Certified Solutions Expert in both DB2 Administration and Application Development. Raul is the lead author of the book "Understanding DB2, Learning Visually with Examples" and is also a co-author of the book "DB2 SQL PL Essential Guide for DB2 UDB on Linux, UNIX, Windows, i5/OS, and z/OS". He can be reached at: rfchong@ca.ibm.com

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