MDUG
Michigan DB2 Users Group (MDUG)
Quarterly Newsletter
November 2014
Michigan DB2 Users Group
Board of Directors:
Carol Little
Group Coordination
Group & Membership Director
GreenStar Solutions
Stella Keesling
Finance Director
Comerica
Chuck Hill
Newsletter & Evaluations Director
Ford Motor Co.
Nhon Do
Director Web Site Support
Ford Motor Co.
Mike McCarthy
Location Director &
Advisory Support
IBM Corporation
Dave Mazza
Advisory Support
IBM Corporation
Ron Flannery
Advisory Support
One Point Solutions
Mark Rader
Advisory Support
IBM Corporation
Bill Moran
Advisory Support
BMC Software
Founding Members:
IBM Corporation
Platinum Technology
“Keeping members up to date on changes in the DB2 Environment”
MDUG seminars usually feature topics for DB2 for z/OS and DB2 for LUW. As many companies utilize DB2 on the Z/OS and Linux, UNIX, and Windows platforms, members are encouraged to attend presentations that focus on both or either platform to expand their knowledge of DB2 across the OS spectrum as well as many features are common across the DB2 family.
The upcoming all day seminar on Wednesday, November 19th at the Crowne Plaza in Novi, MI features two outstanding speakers. The morning presentations will be provided by Mark Rader of IBM. First he will discuss WLM features and how you can set goals for service classes. In the second presentation you will learn a technical overview for DB2 11. The afternoon session will be presented by Mike Wingfield of Compuware. This session will look at several DB2 tuning opportunities in CICS, Batch, and DDF. Overall the seminar should be a good one.
TO REGISTER: Send an email to with your name, your membership type (Corp, Vendor or Ind.), and if appropriate the number and name of additional attendees. Reservation deadline is on Friday November 14th, but if there are still seats available reservations will be taken up until noon on Monday November 17th.
ATTENDANCE FEES: For MDUG members, the cost for attendance at the seminar is covered by the yearly membership fee, so make sure to renew before or at the seminar. For Non-members the cost is $55 at the seminar, payment in either cash or check. Credit cards are not accepted at the door. Please see the Membership section below in regard to paying via credit card for memberships.
MOST REQUESTED TOPIC: “DB2 Performance & Tuning“and “New DB2 Releases” were the most requested topics based on the results of the August 2014 seminar meeting evaluations.
GROUP SUPPORT/FUTURES: There is always a need for volunteers to support the ongoing activities of the Group and for its continued operation. Please see News for Members/Group’s Future on how the lack for volunteers could impact the future of the group.
Remember to keep current with DB2 via the IDUG web page; www.idug.org.
Seminar dates for 2015:
February 18 or 19, 2015 – Venue TBDMay 13 or 20, 2015 – Venue TBD
August 12 or 19, 2015 - Venue TBD
November 4, 11, or 18 – Venue TBD
MDUG is an affiliate of IDUG (international DB2 User Group), and is chartered under the State of Michigan. It promotes the awareness of DB2 in solving business problems by providing a non-profit forum for presenting new functionality, features, ideas, and usage of DB2. This forum is used for communications among DB2 users in the Southeastern Michigan area, as well as bringing together others through out the state.
2 November 2014
MDUG
November 19, 2014 - Seminar Agenda
8:15 am – 9:00 am Check In / Continental Breakfast
9:00 am – 9:10 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:10 am – 10:25 am "DB2 for z/OS and WLM: Understanding the Basics"
Speaker: Mark Rader (IBM)
10:25 am – 10:45 am Break
10:45 am – 12:00 pm "DB2 11 for z/OS: Technical Overview”
Speaker: Mark Rader (IBM)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch – included as part of the seminar
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm “Mainframe DB2 for z/OS Performance & Tuning”
Speaker: Mike Wingfield (Compuware)
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm "MDUG Plans for 2015"
Speakers: MDUG BOARD
Presentation Handouts:
Seminar presentation copies will be made be available in Soft copy, as available, prior to the seminar and will be posted on the MDUG web site as they are made available. If posted, the presentations should be downloaded and printed from the MDUG web site www.mdug.org and brought to the seminar as these speakers will not be bringing hard copies to the seminar. Please check the web site for the presentations prior to the seminar.
Presentation Abstracts
Presentation #1:
Mark Rader (IBM) – “DB2 for z/OS and WLM: Understanding the Basics”
Abstract:
Confused about what exactly the IBM z/OS Workload Manager (WLM) is, how it manages work on your system, and how it relates to DB2 for z/OS? In this session, we review WLM features, including the types of goals you can set for each service class, importance levels and work classification. This information is the foundation for understanding how DB2 for z/OS uses LM, including advanced WLM functions such as enclaves and application environments. We also explain the relationship between the different types of DB2 work and WLM.
Presentation #2:
Mark Rader (IBM) – “DB2 11 for z/OS: Technical Overview”
Abstract:
DB2 11 for z/OS offers reduced CPU, enhanced availability and resiliency, increased autonomics, numerous analytics features, and support for faster and easier migration. It is already in production in several client sites. Come hear the technical details of the newest DB2 for z/OS release, including feedback from Early Support Program participants, and a preview of the next release of DB2 for z/OS.
Presentation #3:
Mike WIngfield (Compuware) – “Mainframe DB2 for z/OS Performance & Tuning”
Abstract:
Mainframe Application Performance Management has become even more imperative today with processor speeds approaching the theoretical limit of 7 GHZ. So just throwing hardware at performance problems is not enough anymore. Application response times and runtimes need to be tuned to run as efficiently as possible and often times when DB2 is a big player in the application, that is where most of the performance opportunities will be found. We will look at several DB2 tuning opportunities in CICS, Batch, and DDF; analyzing the SQL Text, the DB2 Access Paths, and the DB2 Catalog Objects involved.
Speaker Biographies
Mark Rader (IBM)
Mark Rader is a Consulting IT Specialist with IBM Advanced Technical Skills (ATS), located in Chicago. He has over 30 years of technical experience with IBM, and for the last 25 years has worked primarily with DB2 for MVS, OS/390 and z/OS. Among his specialties are DB2 data sharing, DB2 performance, and DB2 and WLM interaction. He has guided numerous customers in their implementation of DB2 data sharing, and has presented a variety of DB2 topics at IOD, regional user group meetings and customer workshops. He has contributed as an author to Redbooks on Parallel Sysplex application considerations, DB2 data sharing, and DB2 for z/OS distributed function.
Mike Wingfield (Compuware)
Mike has been in IT for over 35 years and has been working with DB2 since Version 1.1 in 1987 as a programmer, DBA, Tech Support, Data Modeler, Data Architect, and for the last 20 years as a DB2 Performance and Tuning Specialist. Mike has been utilizing Strobe since 1991 and has documented mainframe operating cost savings of over 50 million dollars using Strobe from 1994 through 2001. Mike retired from U S
WEST (which became Qwest Communications and now Century Link) after 30 years of
service. As a Strobe Solution Consultant for the last 10 years in Compuware’s Field Technical Support, Mike takes part in Application Performance Assessments for many Strobe customers throughout North & South America, Asia/Pacific, and Europe analyzing Batch, Onlines, Stored Procedures, and DDF performance with Strobe and iStrobe and
providing recommendations for runtime and response time improvements.
Seminar Logistics:
Seminar onsite check in begins at 8:15 am and the seminar will begin at 9:00am. The cost of the seminar is covered by the yearly membership fee, if you are a member, and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. The cost for non-members is $55 and covers attendance at the seminar, the continental breakfast and lunch.
Maps and directions to the Crowne Plaza Hotel are available at the MDUG web site: www.mdug.org
Registrations:
You can register yourself and/or your site/Company attendees by sending an email with your full name, company name, and registration count (if making reservations from more then yourself) to . Please include the name of all attendees in the email message and the type of membership; corporate, individual or vendor that you will be attending under. Confirmation is available upon request only. Early registration for the seminar will be taken until the end of the day on November 14th (Friday before the seminar). Late registration until noon on Monday, November 17th, if seating is still available. Respond early to guarantee yourself a spot.
News for Members:
1. Seminar Feedback (based on 18 evaluations turned in) from the November 2014 Evaluations (used for Planning purposes):
# Responses by Potential Future Topics
12 / DB2 Performance & Tuning12 / New DB2 Releases
11 / DB2 Application Tuning
6 / DB2 Performance Tools
6 / DB2 Programming/Application Development
6 / Using Stored Procedures
5 / DB2 Utilities
5 / Data Warehousing
4 / DB2 Experiences
4 / Supporting DB2
3 / DB2 Disaster Recovery
3 / DB2 Using CICS / IMS
3 / DB2 Web Connectivity / Usage
3 / DB2 Interconnectivity
1 / DB2 Supporting Software
1 / Other (i.e. 1. "global" database design structures on: i) Phone ii) address iii) email/social media address;
2. User defined functions
3. Designing databases for multiple instances)
3. August 2014 Seminar Speakers Feedback
Rating based on a scale of 1 – 5 with 5 as the highest rating.
Dave Beulke - DB2 z/OS SQL Considerations for a Big Data 22 Billion Row Data Warehouse
Topic Value / Session Content / Speaker / Material Covered / Handouts / Visuals4.44 / 4.56 / 4.72 / 4.39 / 4.22 / 4.22
Dave Beulke - DB2 z/OS Big Data Disaster Recovery Performance
Topic Value / Session Content / Speaker / Material Covered / Handouts / Visuals4.11 / 4.33 / 4.67 / 4.18 / 4.12 / 4.35
David Simpson - DB2 for z/OS - SQL for the 21st Century: Overlooked Enhancements
Topic Value / Session Content / Speaker / Material Covered / Handouts / Visuals4.65 / 4.59 / 4.59 / 4.65 / 4.18 / 4.35
4. Last Seminar: Presentations are still available online at: www.mdug.org under the “Past Seminars” section.
5. MDUG Membership
There are four types of memberships; Individual, corporate, vendor and shared.
Memberships are annual and run from the first seminar of the year through December and allow for attendance at all seminars for the year. MDUG accepts payment directly in cash or check on site at a seminar. Checks should be made payable to Michigan DB2 User Group (MDUG). Credit cards are accepted only through PayPal; instructions available on the MDUG web site or contact a MDUG Director at a seminar or through for details. All memberships are contingent on payment of the annual membership fee
Membership forms along with membership details and instructions on paying via Paypal can be downloaded from the MDUG web site www.mdug.org by clicking on the Membership and Fees. Inquiries on the status of corporate/company memberships should be sent to the MDUG email box at . Invoices for 2014 were sent to members of record for 2013 in April 2014. If you or your company were not a member in 2013, and you need an invoice for 2014, email MDUG at , and one will be emailed to you.
6. Group Support
Volunteers are the heart of any non-profit group. This is especially true for MDUG. Without volunteers to handle the affairs of the group, the group wouldn’t exist. Group membership fees only provide enough income to cover the costs for holding the seminars, and others things such as the web site and the PO Box, which are required for the group’s operation. There isn’t enough income to pay someone to find speakers, pay bills, coordinate activities, etc.
As always MDUG needs more volunteers to keep operating. Volunteering is a good way to find out more about the group operations and expand your skills. If you can volunteer to support the group’s activities next year, please let us know. Many of the support activities can be done from your home or desk and many do not take more then a few hours a month. Even MDUG Board meetings can be done from your desk, as all meetings are held via telecom and usually not more than once a month. And supporting the group allows you to attend the seminars at no cost.
A few of the areas where you could help out are: supporting the web site, taking reservations, suggesting topics/speakers, management of the group emails, group coordination, providing onsite support at the seminar, handling evaluations, and speaker introductions. We hope you will talk to one of the red ribbon wearers at the seminar about how you can volunteer or send an email with your contact information to asking where you can help out or just that you want to discuss volunteering with someone on the board. We will get back to you.
Please volunteer to help by talking to any board member, contacting MDUG at . If you are a DB2 practitioner, MDUG needs you and your ideas and enthusiasm."
7. Group’s Future
Current board members will mentor new board members on procedures and tasks. For most of the roles/functions, the time commitment is not large. A few group members have helped lead the group over the past decade. Some will be moving on to new endeavors or are no longer involved with DB2. So, if you want MDUG to continue to offer local training and seminars, please volunteer now.
Roles – Speaker coordinator, Facilities coordinator, Newsletter editor, Website editor, Membership database administrator, Onsite support, Email management, Treasurer, President
Without new volunteers DB2 seminars could be a thing of the past, unless one of the vendors takes over the operation of the seminars.
If you can’t volunteer, are you willing to pay more to keep MDUG functioning. Let us know on the evaluation or by your responding to this note with an email to .
2 November 2014