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Information
Limited support BMC provides limited support for this version of the product. As a result, BMC no longer accepts comments in this space. If you encounter problems with the product version or the space, contact BMC Support.BMC recommends upgrading to the latest version of the product. To see documentation for that version, see BMC AMI Catalog Manager for Db2 13.1.

Product features

Catalog Manager includes highly productive features for creating and managing your Db2 databases:

List of Db2 catalog objects

One of the most useful functions of Catalog Manager is its ability to generate lists of Db2 catalog objects, both for queries and for executing commands against the listed items. The ability to execute action commands against list items offers powerful administrative support in the Db2 production environment.

The LIST function of Catalog Manager enables you to work with the Db2 catalog easily. You generate object lists by using actions and commands with the object type code. From those object lists, you can often execute commands or actions to generate more object lists.

Each list includes all of the columns of the catalog table for the object type. Besides providing a source of useful catalog information, lists can be sorted and their objects can be manipulated. You can print any list, and you can sort any list on any column, in ascending or descending order.

Object creation

Catalog Manager lets you create entire hierarchies by generating the SQL that is required to create objects and their hierarchical dependents.

You can reference an object to create a new object that has similar attributes. This method saves time by providing almost all of the necessary SQL for the CREATE statement.

Db2 catalog search

Catalog Manager enables you to search Db2 catalogs by using descriptive criteria to generate a list of very specific objects. You can also save the search criteria, which enables you to repeat the search quickly and easily.

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For more information, view the Quick Course CATALOG MANAGER for DB2 - New and improved Search support.

Object description

Catalog Manager enables you to generate a description of any object in a list. The detailed description contains relevant information that is stored in the Db2 catalog about a specific object, including structure, statistics, and dependencies.

Data manipulation

You can manipulate data in the following ways:

  • You can use the data editing and data browsing functions to create, edit, or browse data in a table or view without leaving Catalog Manager. You can also copy data from one table or view into another table or view. In many cases, this feature prevents you from having to run load and unload utilities.
  • You can use the data manipulation language (DML) statements (such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE) that Catalog Manager automatically builds for you.

Command and statement execution

In addition to using Catalog Manager as an information tool, you can execute SQL statements and Db2 commands and submit utility jobs interactively.

The following types of commands and statements are processed through Catalog Manager:

  • SQL statements
  • Db2, Db2 DSN, and Db2 utility commands
  • BMC utility commands
  • BMCSTATS and BMC AMI SQL Explorer for Db2 commands
  • User-written commands

The execution of commands and statements with Catalog Manager requires minimum input—usually one command verb. You do not need to know the syntax of the eventual SQL, command, or utility statement because Catalog Manager constructs the required Db2 syntax from information in the selected line of a list, installation defaults, and user-specific defaults. Where appropriate, you can modify the options that are used.

Utility profiles

A utility profile is a file that contains customized specifications for the syntax of each type of utility job that you generate. Using utility profiles saves you time and helps avoid user errors because you avoid having to specify the syntax each time that you generate a job.

Catalog Manager creates the following types of utility profiles:

  • Site profiles, which apply to all users
  • User profiles, which are available to the users who create them

Dropped object recovery

Catalog Manager provides options and features that can show you the results of dropping objects and help you recover dropped object structures and data:

  • To help you manage dropping and recovering more efficiently, you can display a list of dependent objects that will be dropped when the current DROP statement is executed.
  • You can use data definition language (DDL) to re-create structures.
  • You can use the last full image copy to recover data.

Action log maintenance

Catalog Manager maintains the following logs of user actions:

  • The Session Log shows who executed a particular Catalog Manager command and when the command was executed. The log also indicates other activity by that user during the same session. As an aid to maintaining system integrity, you can use Catalog Manager to track every occurrence of any or all commands that are executed in Catalog Manager.
  • The DDL Audit Log contains an entry for any execution of an SQL statement or a command using SQL that might change the DB2 catalog (for example, COPYAUTHS and DROPRECOVERY).
  • The Drop Recovery Log contains each SQL statement that is necessary to recover the catalog structure of a dropped object and its dependencies.

You can display these action logs. As with object lists, you can display the whole log or a partial log based on specific search criteria. If you are authorized to do so, you can also purge log entries that are older than a specified date.

Warning

Note

Other BMC programs can view and update the DDL Audit Log and the Drop Recovery Log.

Remote Db2 subystem access

Catalog Manager provides the following methods of accessing remote Db2 subsystems:

  • Db2 Attach

    The Db2 Attach feature enables you to change the Catalog Manager session that you are running without leaving Catalog Manager. You simply disconnect from the current SSID and attach to a different SSID through the Call Attach Facility (CAF).

  • Db2 Connect

    If Db2 Distributed Data Facility (DDF) is installed, the Db2 Connect feature enables you to connect to a Db2 subsystem in another z/OS system without terminating your current Catalog Manager session. Through this connection, you can run SQL.

Update and execution of SQL statements

Catalog Manager provides simple methods for editing, saving, and executing the SQL that you generate from menu selections and commands.

Panels in Catalog Manager display the SQL statements that Catalog Manager generates and allow you to specify the default settings of options that SQL commands use. For example, you can:

  • Name and save the SQL for reuse, edit the SQL, and execute the SQL
  • Display a list of all of the saved SQL statements and then execute any or all of them

Both of these features help you generate and execute SQL quickly and easily.

Authorization management

Managing authorizations within Db2 can be one of the most complex tasks that a DBA or system administrator must perform. Catalog Manager lets you generate a list of users or objects and see the privileges that have been granted to those users or objects.

From the list of user or objects, you can perform the following actions:

  • Grant and revoke authorizations on catalog objects
  • Reassign authorizations
  • Copy established authorizations from one user to another user, or from one object to another object
  • Transfer ownership of an object from one user to another user or to a role

Accessing Db2 catalog tables requires the appropriate Db2 user authorization. Using Catalog Manager to access information that is stored in the Db2 catalog tables does not increase or change your authorization level for Db2.

Indirect catalogs

Catalog Manager provides a procedure for using a copy of the catalog for many commands, avoiding catalog contention among several users. This procedure is called catalog indirection.

During installation, you can create copies, and then assign aliases to them. All of the Catalog Manager information commands then use these aliases to access the copy . Commands that update the catalog, however, execute against the actual catalog.

SQL Explorer execution

The SQL Performance product is an SQL analysis tool that enables you to solve performance problems that result from inefficient SQL statements.

You can use Catalog Manager commands to navigate to SQL Explorer and perform the following tasks:

  • Access SQL
  • Explain DBRMs, packages, and plans
  • Explain individual SQL statements in DBRMs and packages

Support for Db2 Analytics Accelerator for z/OS

Catalog Manager supports Db2 Analytics Accelerator (DAA) for z/OS.

Catalog Manager lets you select a table and perform the following operations:

  • Add a table to an accelerator
  • Modify distribution or organizing keys
  • Move data from Db2 to an accelerator
  • Return the current definition and status information of an accelerator
  • Copy data from Db2 to an accelerator
  • Remove data and a table from an accelerator
  • Restore data that was moved to an accelerator by an ARCHIVE TABLES to Db2
  • Enable or disable use of a loaded table on the accelerator
  • Enable or disable incremental updates for a table

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Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*

BMC AMI Catalog Manager for Db2 12.1