Chapter 21: Further Reading and Resources

This reading list supports and extends the material in Chapter 21. Resources are organized into two tiers based on verifiability, followed by categorized recommendations for deeper exploration.

Tier 1: Verified and Authoritative Sources

These are primary sources, established reference works, and resources from authoritative publishers. They can be independently verified and are widely cited in the DB2 community.

IBM Official Documentation

IBM's documentation is the authoritative source for catalog table and view definitions. Because the catalog structure can change between DB2 versions, always consult the documentation for your specific version.

  • Db2 for z/OS — SQL Reference: Catalog Tables

  • Search for "Db2 12 for z/OS catalog tables" on IBM Documentation (ibm.com/docs). The catalog tables section of the SQL Reference manual provides complete column-level documentation for every SYSIBM table. This is the definitive reference when you need to know what a specific catalog column contains.

  • Db2 for z/OS — SQL Reference: DB2 Directory

  • The same SQL Reference manual includes a section on the DB2 directory (DSNDB01), describing the DBD, SPT01, SCT02, SYSLGRNX, and SYSUTILX structures. Search for "DB2 directory" within the Db2 12 for z/OS documentation.

  • Db2 for LUW — SQL Reference: System Catalog Views

  • Search for "Db2 LUW SYSCAT views" on IBM Documentation. The system catalog views section provides complete documentation for every SYSCAT view and its columns, along with the corresponding SYSSTAT updatable views.

  • Db2 for z/OS — Administration Guide: Real-Time Statistics

  • The Administration Guide contains detailed information on setting up, configuring, and using Real-Time Statistics, including SYSTABLESPACESTATS and SYSINDEXSPACESTATS column definitions and usage guidelines.

  • Db2 for z/OS — Utility Guide: RUNSTATS

  • The Utility Guide documents the RUNSTATS utility, including which catalog columns it updates, the various options for collecting different levels of statistics, and best practices for execution frequency.

IBM Redbooks

  • "DB2 12 for z/OS Technical Overview" (SG24-8482 or later)

  • Contains chapters on catalog structure, Real-Time Statistics, and catalog-based administration techniques. Freely available for download from redbooks.ibm.com.

  • "DB2 for z/OS: Diagnosis Guide and Reference"

  • Includes detailed information on catalog and directory structures as they relate to problem diagnosis. Useful when you need to understand error conditions that reference catalog or directory objects.

  • "Optimizing DB2 Queries with IBM Data Studio"

  • While focused on the Data Studio tool, this Redbook includes extensive material on interpreting catalog statistics and using them for query optimization.

Textbooks and Reference Works

  • Mullins, Craig S. DB2 Developer's Guide. (Multiple editions, most recently from IBM Press/Pearson.)

  • Contains comprehensive chapters on the DB2 catalog and directory, including catalog table descriptions, example queries, and best practices for catalog-based administration. The catalog chapters are among the most practically useful sections of the book.

  • Lawson, Susan. DB2 for z/OS and OS/390: Ready Reference. (MC Press.)

  • A compact reference that includes concise descriptions of all SYSIBM catalog tables with their key columns. Useful as a desk reference when writing catalog queries.

  • Zikopoulos, Paul C., and Collins, Rav Ahuja. DB2 pureXML Cookbook. (IBM Press.)

  • While focused on XML features, this book demonstrates catalog queries for XML-related metadata — SYSCAT.XSROBJECTS, SYSCAT.XSROBJECTCOMPONENTS — extending the catalog knowledge from this chapter into XML schema management.

Tier 2: Attributed Sources and Community Resources

These resources are authored by recognized experts or established community voices. While they have not undergone formal peer review, they represent the practical knowledge of the DB2 community.

Blogs and Technical Articles

  • Craig Mullins' Blog (craigsmullins.com)

  • Craig Mullins regularly publishes articles on catalog-related topics, including catalog query recipes, statistics management best practices, and impact analysis techniques. Search his blog for "catalog" to find relevant posts.

  • IDUG (International DB2 Users Group) Technical Library (idug.org)

  • IDUG conference presentations frequently cover catalog-based administration, Real-Time Statistics, and catalog automation techniques. Many presentations are available to IDUG members and include downloadable SQL scripts.

  • IBM Data and AI Community

  • IBM's community forums contain discussion threads on catalog queries, statistics management, and directory maintenance. Search for "SYSIBM catalog" or "SYSCAT views" to find relevant threads.

Tools and Utilities

  • db2look (LUW)

  • IBM's built-in utility for extracting DDL and statistics from a DB2 for LUW database. db2look reads the SYSCAT views and generates CREATE statements, RUNSTATS output, and table space definitions. Understanding the catalog as taught in this chapter helps you understand and customize db2look output.

  • DSN1COPY and DSN1PRNT (z/OS)

  • Utilities for copying and printing VSAM data sets, including catalog and directory data sets. Used in advanced recovery scenarios when catalog data needs to be examined at the physical level.

  • DSNACCOR (z/OS)

  • The DB2 Autonomic Computing sample stored procedure that uses Real-Time Statistics to generate utility recommendations. IBM provides DSNACCOR as a sample that you can customize — it implements many of the same patterns described in Section 21.10 and the Lighthouse case study.

Professional Certification

The IBM DB2 certification exams include significant coverage of catalog and directory topics:

  • IBM Certified Database Administrator — Db2 for z/OS: Expects knowledge of catalog table structure, directory components, catalog-based problem diagnosis, and Real-Time Statistics usage.

  • IBM Certified Database Administrator — Db2 for LUW: Expects knowledge of SYSCAT view structure, statistics management, and catalog-based administration techniques.

Search "IBM Training and Certification" for current exam numbers and study guides.

For a reader who has completed Chapter 21 and wants to go deeper:

  1. Immediate: Open a DB2 session and run each of the Meridian Bank Catalog Toolkit queries from Section 21.12 against your own database. Modify the schema names to match your environment. The best way to learn the catalog is to query it repeatedly.

  2. Within one week: Read the catalog tables section of the IBM SQL Reference for your platform (z/OS or LUW). Skim every table/view description. You do not need to memorize every column, but you should know what tables exist and what categories of metadata they cover.

  3. Within one month: Build your own catalog toolkit — a set of 10-15 queries tailored to your specific environment and DBA responsibilities. Store them in a version-controlled SQL file. Run them regularly.

  4. Ongoing: When you encounter a DB2 problem (slow query, failed bind, security question, space issue), make your FIRST action a catalog query. Train yourself to think "what does the catalog say?" before reaching for any other diagnostic tool. Over time, this habit will make you dramatically more efficient.

A Note on Catalog Version Differences

The DB2 catalog evolves with each product version. Columns are added, views are expanded, and new catalog objects appear to support new features. The core tables and views described in this chapter have been stable across many versions, but specific columns (especially those related to newer features like temporal tables, JSON support, or in-memory optimization) may differ.

Always verify catalog column availability against the documentation for your specific DB2 version. The queries in this chapter target DB2 12 for z/OS and DB2 11.5 for LUW, which are the current production versions at the time of writing. If you are running an older or newer version, consult the version-specific SQL Reference for any differences.

Return to Chapter 21 | Continue to Chapter 22 — How the DB2 Optimizer Works