Recently, I posted a series of blog entries on DevOps and Db2 DBA here on the Db2 Portal blog site. The posts dealt with the many issues and considerations that need to be addressed as mature Db2 shops embrace DevOps practices and procedures. This post is a short one that collects together links to all 7 of the posts in this series. You can use this post to review all of the posts in this series on DevOps Db2 DBA... Part 1: Intro to DevOps Part 2: The DevOps Toolchain Part 3: Automating the DevOps Toolchain Part 4: Database Schema Change and DevOps Part 5: SQL Performance Testing Part 6 ..read more

When DevOps is embraced by an organization it should mean that DBAs get aligned more closely with development and appli­cations than in the past. By deploying agile development, with DBAs participating in teams along with the developers, you get increased cooperation and communication between the folks coding the application (that’s Dev) and the folks developing and managing the database (that’s Ops, or the DBAs). So an overarching change required to succeed with DevOps is that DBAs should be work­ing in teams with developers, instead of in teams of other DBAs... at least for periods of time w ..read more

Although DevOps is widely accepted in the industry, it is not without some problems. The biggest problem, as I see it, is that many DevOps shops, emphasize the “Dev” over the “Ops” causing important operational aspects to be overshadowed by development concerns. And the “Ops” part is where you will find database management and administration. Far too often, control of the application delivery process is driven by development, sometimes without the traditional control and oversight of the DBA group. Without the expertise of the DBA, the delivery and integration process can fall apart ..read more

Although implementing database schema changes is the most important component when incorporating database structures into your DevOps pipeline, it is not the only thing to consider. It is also important to be able to analyze and optimize SQL performance within your application code. As anyone who has written SQL knows, it is a very flexible language. There are multiple ways to write SQL queries to achieve the same results. For example, you can combine multiple tables using a join or a subselect and achieve the same results. But each SQL formulation is likely to perform differently, one better ..read more

Traditionally, the DBA is the custodian of database changes. But the DBA typically is not the one requesting the change. Usually, a programmer does that. There are times when the DBA requests changes, such as to improve performance or to utilize new features, but this is not as common as development changes. Regardless of who requests the change, the DBA must be involved to ensure that each change is performed successfully and with no impact on the rest of the database.  After moving to a DevOps approach, there is a shift that places more of the responsibility for database change on the d ..read more

Understanding what is meant by DevOps and the many requisite pieces of the DevOps toolchain is just the first step in adopted DevOps. The key to success with automating DevOps is a well-constructed toolchain for automating all of the afore-mentioned processes in an integrated and cooperative manner. If you have been an IT professional for any length of time most of the categories we just discussed will not be new to you. What is new, however, is likely the integration of the tools hooked up together to work in concert for the purpose of delivering application software quickly and accurately. A ..read more

Adopting a DevOps approach to application development is all about moving faster. Automating the multitude of processes required during software development and management is a core part of increasing speed and enabling faster development. As mentioned in the first part of this series, a DevOps toolchain is used to automate the development process. A toolchain is a set of software tools used to perform a complex development task... or to create a software product. The software tools that comprise a toolchain typically are executed sequentially with the output or state of one tool becoming the ..read more

Organizations of all types are being impacted by the transformation to the modern digital economy. This digital transformation, driven by the 24/7 expectations of users and customers to access data and apps at any time, from any device, requires the ability to rapidly change technology and software. This means that today’s businesses have to deliver and improve the services and software used by their customers faster than ever before. To survive and thrive in the new digital economy requires that organizations adopt new and faster methods of developing, testing and delivering application sof ..read more

Did you know that there are over two dozen holidays celebrated across the world between November 1st and January 15th?      So in the spirit of the season, I want to wish all of my readers everywhere a Happy Holiday season.   This will be the last post I make here this year. I hope that you will take some time to celebrate whichever holidays you observe... and that you enjoy this time of year with your family and friends.    And let's meet back here next year to talk some more about our favorite DBMS... Db2 ..read more

Have you ever been confronted with a Db2 message and needed help deciphering what it is trying to tell you?  I'm sure most of us have. But let's back up a moment and define what a Db2 message actually is. In Db2 for z/OS, a message refers to a notification from the Db2 subsystem that is conveying information about the status, events, errors, or other conditions within the Db2 environment. Db2 for z/OS generates messages to report various aspects of its operation, and these messages can be critical for monitoring, diagnosing, and resolving issues in the database system. There is an entire ..read more