Learning DB2 for z/OS

This recent post about the free IDUG workshop prompted a reader from India to ask about the availability of such education in his region. Fortunately, just having Internet access opens up a world of inexpensive  DB2 for z/OS resources.

For instance, IBM manuals: Whenever I need to get started with something new, the DB2 for z/OS manuals are my first stop.

Then there are the DB2 for z/OS certification guides:

• DB2 9 for z/OS Database Administration: Certification Study Guide
• DB2 9 System Administration for z/OS: Certification Study Guide: Exam 737
• DB2 10 for z/OS Database Administration: Certification Study Guide

 There's also this IBM book that makes the case for upgrading to DB2 10.

 And don't forget about DB2 blogs.

Finally, I recommend this IBM presentation by Surekha Parekh, Willie Favero and Susan Visser: "Staying in Touch with the World of DB2 for z/OS." It greatly expounds on my brief blog list, covering an array of DB2 for z/OS collaborative groups.

My Favorite DB2 Blogs

Most of the top DB2 experts have their own blogs. These blogs can help you keep up on what’s happening with DB2 and the DB2 community. Do you have a favorite DB2 for z/OS blog? Well, if you're reading this, then I would hope I make it into your top blogger list -- and there is a healthy list of excellent DB2 blogs out there:

Planet DB2 (DB2 Blog Aggregator)

Getting the Most out of DB2 for z/OS (Willie Favero)

DB2 Portal (Craig Mullins)

DB2 USA

Native XML Database (Matthias Nicola)

DB2 News & Tips (Fred Sobotka)

Dave Beulke

DBI Blogs

IT, Life, DB2, pureXML, House Construction (Henrik Loeser)

Channel DB2

Robert Catterrall

SAP on DB2 for z/OS (Omer Brandeis)

Thoughts on DB2 (Triton)

Just DB2 Chatter (Jan Koblenzer)

DB2 Performance (Sameer Kumar)

Smart Questions

Juice DB (Rav Ahuja)

Database Diary (Conor O’Mahony)

The Fillmore Group Blog (Kim May & Frank Fillmore)

DB2 Express-C Team

Free DB2

MHC Inc (Martin Hubel)

DB2utor (Troy Coleman)

If I had to pick a favorite from this lengthy list, I'd go with Planet DB2, because it offers the deepest and most frequently updated list of active DB2 blogs.

And, honestly, DB2utor is another of my favorite blogs. One thing I like about this blog is its search capability. I've spent many hours researching and testing features. Some of these features I use only occasionally in the real world, so I can't always immediately recall every command I should issue or every function I should perform. Fortunately, when that happens, I can just search on the blog name (DB2utor) and a database term (locking) and quickly retrieve what I'm looking for -- e.g., "DB2utor locking."

 Anyway, if you didn't find your favorite DB2 blog on this list, please let me know in Comments.

 Thanks so much for reading this blog. See you in 2012.

 

I've Been Blog-Tagged

When you read a blog do you ever think about who's doing the blogging? Do you think you know this person? Well, about a year ago a blogger named Jeff Pulver started a fun game called "blog tag." The idea is to encourage bloggers to share some little-known facts about themselves. Blog tag rules: Reveal eight things about yourself that others may not know. Then perpetuate the game by "tagging" eight other bloggers.

Think of this as a chain letter for bloggers. While I don't generally forward chain letters (so please don't send me any), I decided blog tag is a nice, friendly way to share some personal information and to encourage other bloggers to do the same. The renowned DB2 expert Willie Favero tagged me. Thanks, Willie.

Now, here are eight things you may not know about me:

• I live in Illinois, but I grew up in Fresno, Calif., the gateway to Yosemite National Park.
• I taught jazz, ballet and tap dance, performed in the Nutcracker Ballet for the Fresno Civic Ballet and danced in West Side Story for Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater in Fresno.
• Back in 1977, I competed at the Long Beach International Karate Tournament. When I got out of the van, I was standing next to Chuck Norris, who at the time was one of the world's top black belts.
• I became a cabinet maker immediatly after high school. It was three years before I decided to go to college and pursue a degree in computer science.
• I'm currently a member of the Palatine Civil Emergency Response Team (CERT) and recently received my amateur radio (HAM) license, KC9MRL, so that I can provide communication support in emergencies when phone systems are unavailable.
• I've written several technical articles for magazines--most recently, IBM Systems Magazine. (OK, you may already know that one.)
• I even wrote a few chapters for a book on DB2 with a group of other writers. However, the publishing company went out of business and the book was never published. I'd love to have the opportunity to publish a book on DB2 with a group of other DB2 experts.
• I believe it's important to stay connected with friends and colleagues. When invited by Chris Eaton to join the Facebook group, "The Face of DB2 DBAs," I not only joined, but encouraged everyone I could think of to sign up. It's a fun way to keep in touch and learn more about other people through pictures and stories. I also just created a group for the Chicago Midwest Database User Group (MWDUG).
• Prior to taking a job at SoftBase System as a technical sales guy, I worked for the startup company, Expand Beyond. There I developed the first wireless product to manage DB2 from your phone or PDA--it was called Pocket DBA for DB2.

Now it's my turn. "Tag" to these eight bloggers:

• Chris Eaton http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/database/technology
• Anant Jhingran http://jhingran.typepad.com/anant_jhingrans_musings/
• Antonio Cangiano http://antoniocangiano.com/
• Boris Bialek http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/linux/db2
• Leons Petrazickis http://lpetr.org/blog/
• Omer Brandis http://www.ittoolbox.com/profiles/yellowg
• Philip Nelson http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/database/geek
• Vincent McBurney http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/bi/websphere