a
Making sure that the right
people—and only the right
people—have access to specific
data is a critical challenge for
data management professionals.
IBM tackles this issue in the new
version of DB2 with enhanced
security and audit features.
DB2 9. 7 for LUW increases
ccess control granularity, making
it possible to give DBAs full
control over a database without
access to the actual data. This
enables DBAs to do everything
to the database that they would
t
ordinarily do—perform regular
administration tasks, load data,
use utilities—but not see or alter
the data. Separating the ability to
administer the database from the
ability to access the data it carries
makes it easier for organizations
to establish and maintain security
policies without interfering with
necessary maintenance and
administration functions.
Auditing was also recently
weaked for DB2. The audit
facility was redesigned to improve
performance and to provide
fine-grained auditing (FGA). The
audit facility now produces all
audit records based on the audit
configuration specified, controlling
critical information about who
is accessing DB2, when, and
from where. The audit facility still
provides the ability to audit at both
the instance and the individual
database level, independently
recording all instance- and
database-level activities in
separate logs. The improvements
help data managers track
connections and authorizations,
i
statement text, application IDs,
and the originating request’s
IP, along with timestamps for
important events.
Rounding out the security
mprovements in DB2 9. 7 is
Encryption Expert, which allows
users to encrypt data at rest,
onsite, and offsite, and to store
passwords at a central security
server. In-transit data is also
secured by passwords so that
even if a tape is lost during
delivery, the data on it is not
accessible to unauthorized users.
l
How to control time
Saving DBA time and effort is another big part of the
DB2 9. 7 feature set, which expands on the familiar DB2
controls and automated tools for configuring, optimizing,
and protecting the database. One of the most important
new administrative features expands on the workload
management capabilities of DB2, which gives database
administrators the ability to prioritize workloads and be
sure that their databases are processing the right job at the
right time.
In DB2 9. 5, users gained the ability to prioritize work-oads and assign rankings to different users, roles, groups,
application names—any combination of factors. In DB2
9. 7, this capability is enhanced with time-based functionality. Integrated tooling from IBM Data Studio Base, in
the IBM Optim Performance Manager for DB2 for Linux,
UNIX, and Windows tool (previously IBM Data Studio
and IBM DB2 Performance Expert; see sidebar, “Optim
development environment grows”), allows users to automatically boost job priorities at specific times of day to
meet deadlines. Users can also assign a high priority to
batch jobs during off-peak hours so they can be completed
within designated windows.
A waterfall workload management ability also enables
DBAs to automatically lower the importance of some
workloads when certain thresholds, such as CPU used or
rows read, are hit. This helps ensure that rogue queries do not
development
environment
Optim
grows
a
IBM continues to build on its vision of Integrated Data Management in parallel
with the development of DB2 9. 7. Key product announcements to support the
strategy were first made in October 2008. In June 2009, IBM is announcing
extensions to its Optim product line in the areas of query and query workload
performance tuning; a common environment for developing applications
with DB2, IBM Informix, and Oracle database management systems; and
enhanced integration of products across the Optim, IBM InfoSphere, and
IBM Data Studio portfolios.
IBM is introducing Optim Development Studio, Optim pureQuery Runtime,
nd Optim Database Administrator (formerly Data Studio Developer, Data
Studio pureQuery Runtime, and Data Studio Administrator). These products
have been enhanced and renamed under the Optim umbrella. In addition,
IBM is announcing the new Optim Query Tuner product.
