What does Db2 Admin Tool do?

IBM® Db2 Administration Tool for z/OS®, also referred to as Db2 Admin Tool, helps you with the day-to-day tasks that are associated with managing Db2 environments efficiently and effectively.

Db2 Admin Tool simplifies the complex tasks that are associated with safely managing Db2 objects and schema throughout the application lifecycle with the least possible impact to availability. The key attributes of Db2 Admin Tool include the following:

  • Enables quick and easy navigation through the Db2 catalog
  • Builds and executes dynamic SQL statements without requiring you to know the exact SQL syntax
  • Manages and tracks changes that are made to Db2 object definitions, resolving any potential conflicts before execution
  • Helps build Db2 commands to execute against databases and tables
  • Builds and executes utility jobs, enabling use of LISTDEFs and TEMPLATEs for increased productivity
  • Enables you to create, alter, migrate, drop and reverse engineer Db2 objects

The easy-to-use comprehensive features of Db2 Admin Tool can increase your productivity and increase the reliability of your Db2 objects:

Object management

  • Provides in-depth Db2 catalog navigation, which can minimize the time that is required to review the catalog. Objects in the catalog are shown and interpreted, and relevant catalog information is presented logically. You can issue any Db2 command, including BIND, REBIND, and FREE, against selected plans and packages.
    Db2 Admin Tool presents the Db2 catalog quickly and logically:
    • Displays any object in the catalog
    • Displays related Db2 objects by using special line commands
    • Interprets catalog information
    • Displays the authorization for objects
    • Displays the static SQL statements from application plans and packages
    • Displays the DDL for existing views
    • Runs on one of multiple copies of the Db2 system catalog
  • Integrated with Db2 utilities to simplify the creation of Db2 utility jobs. JCL can be generated for Db2 utilities and can be executed. The use of LISTDEFs and TEMPLATEs is also supported.
  • Enables tasks such as alter, create, drop and migrate of Db2 objects
  • Allows reverse engineering of Db2 objects
  • Supports Db2 predictive governing
  • Enables you to alter the definition of a Db2 table
  • Enables you to request the Prompt function, which prompts you before a statement is executed

Security management

  • Displays authorizations that have been granted on any type of Db2 object, and enables you to REVOKE these authorizations or GRANT new authorizations
  • Provides REVOKE impact analysis to prevent inadvertent data loss when you revoke authorities
  • Displays the list of secondary authorization IDs and manages SQL IDs

Performance management

  • Allows complex performance and space queries
  • Contains a built-in EXPLAIN function that allows you to EXPLAIN a query, and provides an interpretation of the PLAN_TABLE output into an easy-to-understand format
  • Comes with a set of performance health check catalog queries
  • Enables you to perform space-related functions such as resizing page sets, lets you move page sets to and from STOGROUP- and VCAT-defined space, and helps you estimate space allocations for new table spaces and indexes
  • Enables you to create and manage work statement lists (WSLs) and run the WSL as a batch job
  • Enables you to dynamically manage system parameters

Change management

  • Allows you to manage and track changes to Db2 objects
  • Allows you to register changes to multiple target environments
  • Allows groups of users to collaborate to build changes by managing information through a series of Db2 tables
  • Provides a convenient audit trail that can be used to determine the status of objects that are being changed and where those changes were deployed
  • Allows you to recover changes and restore database objects to their previous state

System management

  • Allows you to display and cancel threads; display and alter buffer pools; display, start, and stop Db2 traces; and set and display the logs
  • Performs various system administration functions, such as updating RLIMITs and managing DDF tables
  • Provides a convenient way to administer RLF and DDF tables
  • Manages stored procedure operations, such as creating, displaying or altering stored procedures, issuing the Db2 START and STOP STORED PROCEDURE command, and showing statistics for stored procedures that are accessed by Db2 applications
  • Displays current dynamic DSNZPARMs change parameters, generates new DSNZPARM modules with changes, and activates those changes in Db2

Application management

  • Builds and executes dynamic SQL statements without requiring you to know the exact SQL syntax
  • Runs most Db2 utilities
  • Enables you to extend existing Db2 Admin Tool applications or to rapidly develop new applications
  • Allows you to work with a copy of the Db2 catalog to avoid contention and other performance problems on the actual catalog
  • Accesses a remote Db2 catalog where a DDF connection exists between systems. This feature enables you to centrally manage all of your Db2 subsystems with a single Db2 Admin session.
  • Allows you to execute any dynamic SQL statement through Db2 Admin Tool, or to invoke SPUFI