DB2 Universal Database V8 for Linux, Unix, and Windows Database Administration Certification Guide [With CDROM]

I boought and read a couple of other IBM press books looking for this one. If you are a DBA or a wanna be BDA then this is the book that you want to read. I found the writting smooth and usefull. I did read a paragraph that was lifted almost directly from the IBM db2 administration guide. I have not made use of the cd yet nor have I taken the certification test so I can not comment on the works usefullness in those two areas. I recomend this book to the DBA or the developer. I would not recommend this book to the nontechnical reader.

This is a great book for what I do. I needed to keep on top of the new features in DB2 -- though for the wrong reasons (we are an Oracle business partner), I def'ly got to see all the new features with deep technical explanations and even examples; pretty neat stuff from IBM I must say. I looked at the What's New Guide that was referenced in other comments before buying this book, hoping to save a buck. Too bad they don't have a review forum for that book, horrible. All marketing fluff. Don't bother trying to find it -- it will only make you mad. Buy this book.

IBM invented relational databases and SQL and they have since always been in the forefront of offering the most advanced features in RDBs, via their DB2 product. (Though it must be a source of considerable chargrin that Oracle has the bigger market share.) Nowadays, dB2 is in its 8th major revision, attesting to its maturity.So what does this book offer? A veritable laundry list of enhancements. These range from improvements in the GUI to tighter integration into their Websphere container, and into java. Plus showing how to run it under Microsoft's .NET. As far as the core RDB usage is concerned, you do need prior knowledge of SQL and the theory of RDBs. It is not the book's place to teach that. You need it to fully appreciate the usefulness of the new features.To me, it seems like there are no surprises here, with one exception, discussed below. The new features are all useful, but they are mostly continuous improvments on earlier functionality.What is the exception? Multidimensional Clustering tables. A conceptual discontinuity. It automatically clusters data on the disk in multiple data field dimensions. IBM claims big improvements in query speeds, especially for complex queries. IBM is bragging! But they certainly seem entitled to do so. Oracle 9 and MySql appear to have nonesuch comparable feature. Granted, I am taking IBM's claim at face value from this book. But IBM's technical literature has always been credible. If IBM's clients independently affirm the utility of MDC, we can expect IBM to push hard on rapidly expanding this.Even if you do use another database, just out of the need to keep abreast of changes in your field, you should check out this offering.[If you do need to learn SQL itself, or RDB theory, try "Fundamentals of Database Systems" by El Masri and Navathe, also published by Addison-Wesley.]

This book is more than a Certification Study Guide, it is a complete DB2 v8.1 reference covering in a clear and well organized manner both standard well-known DB2 features and new less known features introduced in version 8.1.It is a must read for any administrator trying to get up-to-speed with DB2 UDB v8.1.

This is a must have for production DBAs. Beside being an excellent certification reference, it is very handy as a deskside how-to reference. This edition has been updated to address sequences, MQTs, write-to-table event monitors, Health monitor and Health Center, and common client changes. The book touches on just about every area you need to know about as a DBA.