Overview of baseline profiles

To create a baseline from a Db2 catalog, DDL file, or a migrate-type worklist, you must first create a catalog or DDL baseline profile.

A baseline profile contains information about how the baselines are named and established, and in some instances, when baselines are deleted.

Tip

To create a baseline profile, see Creating-a-catalog-baseline-profile.

A baseline profile contains the following elements:

Type

The baseline profile type specifies the type of baseline (catalog or DDL) that is created with this profile. A catalog baseline uses the data structures from the Db2 catalog. A DDL baseline uses the data structures from a DDL file or a migrate-type worklist.

Baseline Template

The baseline profile can contain a template that is used to generate the names of the baselines that are created with that profile. The template can automatically name, date, and number a baseline. The template name must begin with an alphabetic character, cannot exceed 18 characters, and must contain either @@@@@@, @@@@@@@@, or ####:

@@@@@@ are replaced by the current date in the form YYMMDD.
@@@@@@@@ are replaced by the current date in the form YYYYMMDD.
#### are replaced by an ascending sequence of numbers.

When the Baseline component is invoked to create a baseline, a BLNAME keyword and value can be specified in the ALUIN parameters to explicitly name the new baseline. If you do not specify BLNAME and do not define a template for the baseline profile, an error is returned. If you do not specify BLNAME and you have defined a template for the baseline profile, a name is generated. The owner portion of the baseline name is generated by using the baseline profile owner. You can use baseline templates as input for baseline reports or the comparison process.

The use of name templates have the following restrictions and recommendations:

Use only one group of the same template characters in a baseline. For example, do not create a template like DDL####TEST####.
You can specify a template with both a date and a sequence number. For example, you can specify a template with DDL$@@@@@@@@$#### that can resolve to a baseline such as DDL$20000207$0002.
Note
BMC recommends that the date sequence be defined before the number sequence.
Baseline templates should have naming conventions which create unique baseline names. If they do not, baselines can share names with baselines that belong to other profiles.
For example, if baseline profile MJF.PROF1 sets the template to PAY@@@@@@@@#### and baseline profile MJF.PROF2 sets the template to PAY####@@@@@@@@, the resulting baselines would have names that could be interspersed on a baseline list. This situation can be confusing and could result in the wrong baseline being selected if you choose to use the same templates as input to the comparison process or to create a baseline report. You can avoid this problem by specifying unique prefixes for each template, such as PAY1@@@@@@@@#### and PAY2####@@@@@@@@, or by using different baseline profile owner names.

Migrate Profile Reference

A baseline profile can reference the scope rules that are specified in an outbound migrate profile instead of using the scope rules that are specified in the baseline profile. If you do not specify a migrate profile reference, however, you must specify the scope rules in a catalog baseline profile.

Note

Scope rules are used by catalog baselines only. You cannot specify scope rules for DDL baselines. The DDL file or migrate-type worklist is the scope of a DDL baseline.

Profile Created

This property of the profile specifies the date and time that the profile was created, and the authorization ID of the user who created it.

Profile Last Edited

This property of the profile specifies the date and time that the profile was last edited, and the authorization ID of the user who edited it.

Last Baseline Built

This property of the profile specifies the date and time that the last baseline was built using the profile, and the authorization ID of the user who built it.

Deleteage

Deleteage identifies the minimum number of days to retain a baseline. This option specifies to automatically delete baselines that are built with this profile that are older than the DELETEAGE value. To retain all of the completed baselines, specify zero for this option and the Retainmax option. For more information, see Baseline-management.

Retainmax

Retainmax identifies the maximum number of complete baselines to retain. This option specifies to retain a number of the most current baselines and delete all others that are created with this profile. To retain all of the completed baselines, specify zero for this option and the Deletetage option. For more information, see Baseline-management.

BMC AMI Change Manager for Db2 checks the values for the Deleteage and Retainmax options when a new baseline is established with the baseline profile. At that time, all complete and any incomplete baselines are deleted that are outside the range specified for either of these options. Protected baselines are not deleted.

Information about database recovery is stored in the baseline tables of Change Manager. If your installation regularly establishes baselines, these tables will grow over time. To control the size of these tables, see Baseline-management. For more information about the baseline tables in Change Manager, see Getting-started.

Comment

The baseline profile contains a comment area. The comment is displayed or printed whenever the profile is used and can contain descriptive text about the profile. This comment is not the same as a baseline comment that applies to a specific baseline.

Scope Rules

In a baseline profile, scope rules specify the Db2 objects to include in a baseline. You must identify the scope rules for a catalog baseline profile before the profile can be used to create a baseline (see the following figure). The scope rules must be defined in the baseline profiles explicitly, or they can be identified in an outbound migrate profile that is referenced from the baseline profile. Scope rules are not applicable for DDL baselines.

ACMFMPSL --------------------------- Scope Rules ------------------------------
Command ===>                                                  SCROLL ===> PAGE

Baseline Profile : RDACRJ.BLPROF1

Type action next to a displayed rule or overtype existing values.
                                                            Scopes 1 to 3 of 3
E=Edit I=Insert D=Delete L=Like C=Create                        More:       >
           ------------------- Object Name --------------------
Act Op Ob Part1      Part2                Part3               DT TS TB CK FK IX
************************************** TOP ************************************
    I SG RDACRJ
    I DB DEMOCJ                                               N Y Y Y Y Y
    I TS DEMOCJ     *                                         N     Y Y Y Y
************************************* BOTTOM **********************************

Change Manager warns you if the scope rules of a baseline profile or the scope rules of an outbound migrate profile that is referenced by a baseline profile might have changed since the baseline was built. If you use the Front End component to modify the scope rules of a profile and existing baselines have been built using that profile, a message is displayed. You can choose either to update the scope rules or exit the profile without updating it.

Warning

If two baselines are built with different scope rules, they might contain the definitions of additional or fewer objects. A comparison of these baselines could build DROP statements (or CREATE statements) for the objects that were not in the scope for both baselines.