Process to Justify an IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) Part 1

Unbelievably, the IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) has been available for many years, helping all types of customers improve overall processing, especially their analytical processing.

Many companies do not have an IDAA appliance helping their DB2 for z/OS environments. Since most every shop’s processing would benefit tremendously from an IDAA appliance, every company needs to begin a proof of concept and analysis to justify an IDAA implementation as soon as possible. Below are first steps of the process to defining an IDAA Virtual Server to test with, start the IDAA benefits conversations, and overall justification activities.

Proof of Concept at No Cost

Today most of the DB2 for z/OS environments continue to be the system of record for many OLTP applications and other core systems.  Companies have many existing large OLTP databases that continue to get bigger, creating a growing need to associate, research, and perform analytics on that data.

Analysis for the benefits of an IDAA appliance to assist and monitor the growing processing activities can be done easily and at no additional cost to the company by the use of a Virtual IDAA environment. Creating a Virtual IDAA environment is basically a six step process.

1. Make sure your DB2 z/OS runtime environment is up to date with all the require PTFs and maintenance. Since the IDAA appliance has been available for so many years, your DB2 environment probably meets all the requirements. Virtual DB2 IDAA environments can be setup in any DB2 from Version 9. Trust but verify. Check here for the z/OS and IDAA Version 4.1 prerequisites.
2. Next talk with your systems support people to configure and set the subsystem zParm(s) (the number depends on your DB2 z/OS version) to allow query acceleration. The exact DB2 zParm syntax for your DB2 version is in the DB2 Install and Migration manual, but it is simple to enable before the DB2 subsystem is recycled.
   
   ACCEL = COMMAND
   GET_ACCEL_ARCHIVE = YES, NO
   QUERY_ACCELERATION = YES, NONE
   QUERY_ACCEL_OPTIONS = 1,2,4, NONE
3.  Another good resource for getting going quickly is an IBM Redbook Optimizing DB2 Queries with IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (ssg248005.pdf). In section 5.4.1 it details the DB2 authorizations and z/OS privileges that are needed to use an IDAA accelerator environment. Make sure security approvals authorizations have been GRANTed so that your user id or authorized Data Studio configuration can reference the resources, DB2 Catalog accelerator tables, and functionality without issues.
4. Then make sure the DB2 SYSACCELERATORS table is created and exists within your DB2 subsystem. The DDL for creating the table exists in the DB2 SDSNSAMP library in member DSNTIJAS. This DB2 Catalog table is where the IDAA accelerator definitions are stored. After the SYSACCELERATORS table is created you insert the NULL Virtual IDAA Accelerator:
   
   CREATE TABLE “SYSACCEL”.”SYSACCELERATORS”
   ( “ACCELERATORNAME”    VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL
   , “LOCATION”           VARCHAR(128)
   )
   IN DSNACCEL.SYSACCEL
   CCSID UNICODE;
   INSERT INTO SYSACCEL.SYSACCELERATORS
   ( ACCELERATORNAME
   , LOCATION
   )
   VALUES
   ( ‘VIRTIDAA’
   , NULL
   );
5. Once the IDAA Virtual server is defined, it can be started through the straight forward DB2 command
   -START ACCEL(*)ACCESS(EXPLAINONLY). This makes the virtual server available for use, and it can be leveraged via DB2 SPUFI, DB2 Administration product, or Data Studio. The last is the easiest method.
6. Download Data Studio and/or get Data Studio (Version 4.11 or greater) installed on your PC and connected to your DB2 subsystem. Also, verify that all your DB2 EXPLAIN tables are current and available, because Data Studio will be using them while analyzing your SQL statement(s) for possible use of an IDAA accelerator. Data Studio has all the tooling mechanisms to EXPLAIN your SQL and simulate leveraging an IDAA environment through the DB2 system Virtual environment.

These are the beginning steps for getting a Virtual IDAA server defined and a proof of concept proving the new IBM DB2 IDAA can save your company huge amounts of time and CPU within your environment. Next week I will cover the additional steps, the Data Studio aspects, and demonstrate how it shows you all the CPU and elapsed time you can save in an IDAA environment.

Are you planning on going to the World of Watson conference in Las Vegas at the end of October?  Come to my presentation “Justified Big Data Performance: Transform your business with IBM Analytics Accelerator – IDAA,” Tuesday 25-Oct, 3:00 PM-3:45 PM in the Mandalay Bay – Jasmine B Session DMT-2041.

Links to other parts:

Process to Justify an IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) Part 2

Process to Justify an IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) Part 3

Process to Justify an IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) Part 4

Dave Beulke is a system strategist, application architect, and performance expert specializing in Big Data, data warehouses, and high performance internet business solutions. He is an IBM Gold Consultant, Information Champion, President of DAMA-NCR, former President of International DB2 User Group, and frequent speaker at national and international conferences. His architectures, designs, and performance tuning techniques help organization better leverage their information assets, saving millions in processing costs.