IBM Data Studio, Version 2.2 releases: new features and enhancements

IBM Data Studio versions:

• Version 2.2.1.1
• Version 2.2.1
• Version 2.2.0.2
• Version 2.2.0.1
• Version 2.2

Data Studio, Version 2.2.1.1 (both IDE and stand-alone packages)

Data Studio Version 2.2.1.1 provides enhancements in the following categories, for both the IDE and the stand-alone packages:

• Table data editor
• Filters in the Administration Explorer
• Impact and dependency analysis for routines and packages
• Kerberos connections sharing
• Citrix XenApp 5.0
• TABLESAMPLE option of the RUNSTATS command is now generated by the Statistics Advisor
• Catalog navigation performance enhancements

The table data browser, which was introduced in Data Studio V.2.2.1, has been transformed into a table data editor. Previously, as you viewed objects in the Object List, you could choose to only browse the data in an object. The new table data editor supports either browsing the data in read-only mode, which prevents inadvertent changes, or editing the data.

Browse support is provided for tables, views, aliases, materialized query tables, nicknames, and synonyms on DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows databases (Version 9.1 and later) and DB2 for z/OS databases (Version 9 and later).

Edit support is provided for tables, views, aliases, and materialized query tables on DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows databases (Version 9.5 and later) and for tables and views on DB2 for z/OS databases (Version 9 and later).

You can use the database catalog filter in the Administration Explorer to limit the number of objects that are returned from the database catalog.
For databases that contain a large number of objects, you might get improved performance by specifying a database catalog filter. Only the data objects that meet the conditions and match the dependent object types that you specify in the filter are returned from the database catalog. You can also use a view filter in combination with the database catalog filter to further filter the data objects that display in a view.

If an object filter is specified in the Data Source Explorer and you specify a database catalog filter in the Administration Explorer, the object filter is automatically disabled and the conditions are deleted. Only one of these filters can be enabled at a time.

Routines might reference tables. You can navigate to the routine in the Data Source Explorer and use the context menu (Analyze Impact -> Dependency) to get a list of the tables and views that the routine depends on. (In a DB2 for z/OS environment, you can only get a list of dependent views and tables for an external SQL procedure.)

When you update a table or view, routines and packages can be impacted. You can navigate to the table or view in the Data Source Explorer and use the context menu (Analyze Impact -> Impact) to get a list of the routines and packages that are dependent on the object. (In a DB2 for z/OS environment, you can only get a list of the dependent packages for a native or external SQL procedure.)

When you create a connection repository, you can now store and retrieve the JCC connection parameters that are inside the URL for databases that use Kerberos authentication. Also, the repository stores any additional properties along with the URL properties, and these properties are retrieved when a connection is created from the repository.

Citrix XenApp is a Windows application delivery system that manages applications in the datacenter and delivers them as an on-demand service to users anywhere. IBM Data Studio is supported on Citrix XenApp 5.0.

It is recommended that you create your own workspace under your own user's directory to avoid conflicts, overwrites, or both with other Citrix users.

You can now receive recommendations in the Statistics Advisor to use the TABLESAMPLE option of the RUNSTATS command. You use the TABLESAMPLE option to collect statistics on a sample of the data pages from your tables.

The performance of loading the database catalog has been improved in the Object List for DB2 for z/OS and in properties views and the Generate DDL wizard for DB2 for Linux, Windows, and UNIX.

Data Studio, Version 2.2.1 (IDE package)

In this version of the IDE package, all of the features that were previously only available in the stand-alone package are now also available in the IDE package. These features include:

• Single query tuning
• pureScale support in the database administration task assistants

Data Studio, Version 2.2.1 (stand-alone package)

In this version of the stand-alone package, the following enhancements have been made to existing features. These enhancements are also included in the IDE package.

Database administration task assistants

The following task assistants have been enhanced:

• Configure Parameters: Ability to dynamically filter between parameters and improved hover help for each parameter
• Queisce database: Support has been added for the IMMEDIATE, DEFER, DEFER WITH TIMEOUT, and FORCE CONNECTIONS options
• Rebind package: Support has been added for the APPRUESE option
• Configure Automatic Maintenance: Ability to set up and update policies to automate Backup, Reorg, and Runstats, as well as support in Data Partitioning Facility (DPF) environments

Workflow assistant for query tuning

The new workflow assistant for query tuning guides you through capturing single SQL statements, performing query analyses, and tuning. The workflow assistant consists of sections that represent general steps in the process of tuning.

• Status, for ensuring that your database or subsystem is configured correctly for query tuning
• Capture, for capturing SQL statements from the supported sources
• Invoke, for running analysis tools, reports, and advisors on an SQL statement or a query workload
• Review, for reviewing the results of the analyses, reading the reports, and reviewing and implementing the recommendations of advisors
• Compare, for comparing the access plan graphs of SQL statements as you progressively tune them

Improvements to the Statistics Advisor

The usability of Statistics Advisor is improved by the following new features:

• Run either of two recommended RUNSTATS commands. The Complete version of the RUNSTATS command collects a full set of statistics for the objects used in access plans for the statements that you are tuning. The Repair version fixes just the problems that the advisors identified.
• Prevent this advisor from generating RUNSTATS commands to fix statistics that you do not yet want to fix. You can specify to tolerate problems in statistics that were collected within a certain number of days.

Enhancements for tuning on DB2 for z/OS

• You can find out whether an access plan uses a plan hint by reading the description of the QUERY node in an access plan graph.
• You can choose to exclude dynamic SQL statements issued by the capture process when you capture SQL statements from statement caches.

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Data Studio, Version 2.2.1 (both IDE and stand-alone packages)

Data Studio Version 2.2.1 provides enhancements in the following categories, for both the IDE and the stand-alone packages:

• Product interface
• Web-based help and new online product information center
• Administration Explorer
• Object list
• Context menus
• Database privileges
• Health monitoring
• Database connections
• SQL and XQuery editor
• Routine development
• Routine debug

• A new Task Navigator drop-down menu has been added to the main menu bar to allow you to more easily switch between perspectives as you perform different types of development tasks.
• A new Task Launcher view provides launch points and links to help you more quickly get started with key tasks in the product.

In this release of the IDE package, there are new options for accessing the contents of the information center (Help > Help Contents). These options are presented on a new panel in the Installation Manager Install wizard, and they can be changed at any time on the Window > Preferences > Help > Contents preferences page.

• The help content can be accessed on the Web so that you can have the smallest installation footprint and the most up-to-date information.
• The help content can be downloaded and accessed on your computer so that you can work disconnected from the Internet with periodic updates.
• The help content can be deployed on an intranet server so that you can work behind a firewall with administrative updates.

The information center for the stand-alone package is still installed with the product, and the stand-alone product does not include the new install options.

As part of this enhancement, for both the IDE and the stand-alone package, you can also choose to view the product-specific information center online, in an external browser. The new information center is located here:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/idmhelp/ds-v2r2/index.jsp

For more information about Web-based help, see the following topic in the information center: "Configuring Web-based help".

The Administration Explorer view replaces the Data Source Explorer as the main interface for your databases. The Administration Explorer displays all known servers followed by instances and the databases in those instances. This view can be especially useful in improving your ability to manage environments with a large number of databases.

The Object List, which is the primary view for working with database objects, includes the following enhancements:

• The Name Like filter is supported for connections. In addition, the Show action on the context menu provides catalog navigation to the objects in that connection.
• You can set and preserve the width of columns.
• You can create custom properties based on DB2 catalog information. These custom properties can help you to monitor and analyze your database.
• You can use the improved filter dialog to find the objects that you want to see more quickly and with less chance of errors.

Context menus are reorganized to be more intuitive, which makes it easier to find the action that you want to take

A Manage Privileges action has been added to the context menu for objects, including databases, that simplifies managing privileges. Rather than managing privileges from the Properties view for an object, you can use the new Manage Privileges action to use the new privileges interface.

You can launch Data Studio Health Monitor from within Data Studio. Monitoring your databases helps you understand database status, verify the access of applications to your databases, and take any necessary actions to maintain an optimal database environment.

• New "Properties" context menu from database connections opens the Properties view.
• Improved usability for the New Database Connection wizard: Better error validation for wizard fields and an improved error message display format for database connection errors including links to more information about database error codes.

• New option to import or export SQL statements between the SQL and XQuery editor and the file system.
• New syntax validation/parsing support in the editor for the following data sources:
• DB2 Version 9.8 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows
• DB2 Version 9.7 for Linux,
• DB2 for z/OS Version 10

This release of the product introduces several new features for routine (stored procedure, UDF, and PL/SQL packages) development.

• The routine creation wizards are simplified to use a template-based approach. You create and manage routine templates in the Preferences window and re-use them across your team.

For more information about this new feature, see the following article on IBM developerWorks: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/techarticle/dm-1010devstudioroutines/index.html

• The routine editor is simplified to embed the appropriate SQL or Java editor and provides synchronization between each tab.
• Support for PL/SQL routines and packages has been enhanced with the following new features:
• Import and export PL/SQL objects to the file system
• Drag/drop or copy/paste PL/SQL objects to packages
• Tooling support is added for the creation and management of Informix routines.
• Tooling support is added for DB2 for z/OS Version 10 routines, including support for non-inline SQL scalar functions.
• User-defined data types are now supported for routine parameters and return values for most base DB2 data types.
• Parameter data types are now always constructed from the database catalog to eliminate previous differences that were seen when running routines from a project or from the Data Source Explorer.

This release of the product introduces several new features for the routine debugger.

• New integrated session manager options are available on the Routine Debugger Preferences pages.
• Routine debugging is now processed as a database server-based operation. Source code is loaded by the debugger from the database server to which routines have been deployed to maintain debugging fidelity.
• Support for SQL and SPL routines for Informix and support for DB2 for z/OS Version 10 has been added. For a full list of objects that are supported for debug, see the following topic in the information center: "Routine debugger".

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Data Studio, Version 2.2.0.2 (both IDE and stand-alone packages)

Data Studio Version 2.2.0.2 provides enhancements in the following categories, for both the IDE and the stand-alone packages:

• Microsoft Windows 7 support
• Database connections
• SQL and XQuery editor

This release of the product introduces support for the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. For detailed system requirements information see the system requirements techdoc.

Database connections that become invalid are now detected and indicated with an icon change in the Data Source Explorer. You can set preferences for this feature in the Preferences window.

The SQL and XQuery editor has been enhanced so that you can view and change the database connection and parser information that is associated with the current editing session.

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Data Studio, Version 2.2.0.1 (IDE package)

There are no new features in the Data Studio Version 2.2.0.1, IDE package.

Data Studio, Version 2.2.0.1 (stand-alone package)

Data Studio Version 2.2.0.1, stand-alone package provides key enhancements in the following categories:

• Query tuning
• Support for the DB2® pureScale Feature for DB2 Enterprise Server Edition

You can tune single queries with several features that are incorporated from Optimization Service Center for DB2 for z/OS, which is now deprecated. These new features are supported on either DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows or DB2 for z/OS:

Supported query tuning features for DB2 for z/OS:

• Capture queries from all data sources that Optimization Service Center for DB2 for z/OS supports and from XML files that are exported from DB2 Query Monitor for z/OS.
• View formatted queries.
• View access plan graphs.
• Capture information about the data server that queries run against, a feature which corresponds to Service SQL in Optimization Service Center for DB2 for z/OS.
• Generate reports on the performance of queries.
• Run the Query Statistics Advisor to analyze the statistics that are available for the data that a query accesses, check for inaccurate, outdated, or conflicting statistics, and look for additional statistics that you might capture to improve how the data server processes the query.

Supported query tuning features for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows:

• Capture queries from all data sources
• View formatted queries.
• View access plan graphs.
• Run the Query Statistics Advisor to analyze the statistics that are available for the data that a query accesses, check for inaccurate, outdated, or conflicting statistics, and look for additional statistics that you might capture to improve how the data server processes the query.

Using Data Studio, you can perform the following administrative tasks on DB2 pureScale:

• Cluster Members: Start, Stop, Configure, Quiesce, Unquiesce
• PowerHA pureScale server (CF): Start, Stop, Configure

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Data Studio, Version 2.2

Data Studio version 2.2 contains a different feature set than previous Data Studio product releases, and there are two packaging options. For more information, see the product Web page.