Welcome to the Virtual Db2* User Group

The Virtual Db2 user group is an independently-operated vendor-neutral site run by and for the mainframe Db2 user community.

*This is a mainframe Db2® information website, not in any way related to, sponsored, or approved by IBM, which is the legitimate owner of the trademark, and any use of the mark in the URL or the body of the site is for information, education, and opinion expression purposes.

The Virtual Db2 user group was established as a way for individuals using IBM's Db2 for z/OS database to exchange information, learn new techniques, and advance their skills with the product.

This Web site provides a central point for coordinating periodic meetings (which contain technically-oriented topics presented in a webinar format), and provides articles, discussions, links, and other resources of interest to IBM Db2 practitioners. Anyone with an interest in Db2 for z/OS is welcome to join the Virtual Db2 user group and share in the knowledge exchange.

Next Virtual Meeting

November 21, 2023 | 10:30am CDT
Gaining Insights from Db2 Statistics and Accounting Data

Db2 produces extensive SMF metrics that can provide great insights into how the many facets of your Db2 environment are operating. This session will explore many examples of how Db2 Statistics (SMF 100) and Accounting (SMF 101) data can be leveraged to enhance performance and availability, including:

  • Leveraging automated assessments of key metrics to proactively direct your attention to potential risks to availability and performance
  • Exploring the extensive buffer pool metrics provided by Db2, and leveraging them to inform buffer pool tuning activities
  • Overview of the many types of other metrics provided in the Statistics data
  • Examining the differing profiles of work generated by the various callers of Db2 services (“Connection Type”), including CPU and SQL activity, suspend events, and elapsed time profiles
  • Exploring the visibility provided by Correlation ID into the specific drivers of Db2 activity (e.g., by CICS transaction, batch job, etc.)
  • How focusing analysis of DDF work by Authorization ID can help manage what is often a challenging workload
  • Drilling into metrics at the plan (and package) levels to navigate through the typically massive volumes of accounting data and quickly focus analysis on the desired subset of data
  • Introducing important Db2 operational insights that can be derived from integration with other SMF data types, including CICS transaction (SMF 110.1) data

Todd Havekost

Senior z/OS Performance Consultant
IntelliMagic

Future Virtual Meetings

January 16, 2024
TBA

Dave Beulke
Db2 Consultant

March 19, 2024
TBA