Boosting DB2 Performance for Version 9 for z/OS

DB2 9 for z/OS has many new features that give database and application designers greater flexibility to solve business problems. I recently helped a client with an application design review and saw first hand how implementing many of these features can immediately and dramatically improve DB2 performance.

SELECT FROM UPDATE/DELETE Helps DB2 SQL Coding

The first improvement for DB2 performance the client implemented was:

SELECT FROM UPDATE/DELETE

This capability extends the functionality introduced with SELECT FROM INSERT in DB2 Version 8 to these additional SQL statements. My client generates new key values that need to be returned to the application during an UPDATE statement; now, this task can be handled with a one SQL call to the database instead of two.

New DB2 SQL MERGE Statement

DB2 9 also introduces the new SQL statement MERGE. MERGE improves application DB2 performance by allowing DB2 to integrate data into a table in a single SQL statement. The MERGE statement could improve my client’s nightly batch database INSERT and UPDATE process by allowing DB2 to avoid doing the SELECT data existence check and then an INSERT or UPDATE to the table. Now a SQL MERGE statement will determine whether the database-keyed row is already in the table and will integrate the data into the database.

The MERGE SQL statement operation can use multiple rows as an input array. When multiple input rows are used, the phrase NOT ATOMIC CONTINUE ON SQL EXCEPTION can be specified. This phrase allows DB2 to process each row independently. If an error occurs when merging a row, only the error row is backed out. DB2 continues processing all the subsequent input rows. DB2 will take each of the multiple input rows then determine the correct insert or update operations to integrate them into the table. When there are triggers over the table, each successfully merged row fires the trigger and the appropriate actions are taken. MERGE error rows encountered don’t fire triggers.

Applications can use the new MERGE SQL statement in a SELECT FROM MERGE statement. With only one SQL statement, DB2 can insert or update multiple rows in the table and return the values back to the application. This capability reduces application complexity and helps eliminate potentially millions of SQL calls in nightly OLTP or data warehousing system load and update processing cycles.

DB2 Row Ordering Improvements

Another great new application feature is the ability to use an SQL ORDER BY or FETCH FIRST n ROWS within a subselect and fullselect. This feature gives applications the ability to quickly retrieve a small number of rows in the proper order. Using ORDER BY affects which rows are first in the answer set; the FETCH FIRST n ROWS clause helps limit the number of rows retrieved.

My client’s OLTP and data warehousing applications only need to retrieve top products or one screen of data, so this feature fits their needs. Retrieving a limited number of rows improves DB2 performance and reduces coding complexity for all applications.

Other great DB2 9 for z/OS application features include new scalar functions, global query optimization, autonomic re-optimization, and many more. These are only some of the few SQL enhancements you can leverage in DB2 9 for z/OS.