This will meet with a lot of disapprovals, but some people have been very
successful at learning it by using the Knowledge Center.
If you go this route there's two main areas:
One, the database itself.
Two, Data Definition Language or DDL.
I started with the database to emphasize taking more advantage of
enhancements to the database. Many people who have come from DDS will not
use any features in the database which were not available in DDS.
Therefore stuff like:
- Constraints
- Triggers
- Row and Column Access Control or RCAC
- Temporal Tables
- Encryption
- Journalling.
will fall by the wayside. Granted, some of these could have easily been
turned on with a file created by DDS but if someone had to do it with
external commands, like ADDPFCST, they were less likely to do it than how
it is "in your face" imbedded into DDL.
Then when you start looking at each clause, within each statement, of DDL
it will make more sense.
It's important to know that some of these clauses may require additional
LPPs. Some are free and just need to be installed (like RCAC needs
5770SS1-47). Others, not nearly so. For example, multi member files are
called partitioned tables in SQL parlance and require DB2 Multisystem
which costs about as much as an entry level Power 9 fully loaded with the
operating system.
To get started with the Knowledge Center try:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_ibm_i_73/rzahg/rzahgdb.htm
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_ibm_i_73/db2/rbafzstates.htm
Rob Berendt
midrange.com
