Modernize query for iSeries (Query/400) reports
DB2 Web Query offers the ability to import Query/400 definitions and enhance the look and feel of the green screen reports, while opening them up to the Web. Add charting, parameterization, OLAP-like slicing and dicing to the reports, or view reports in disconnected mode for the end user on the go.
Hide complexity of data from end users
DB2 Web Query can automatically recognize relationships defined across tables/files in your data and import them into its metadata, making it much easier for end users to understand the data without having to worry about how to join multiple tables. Enhance the metadata with a Developer Workbench feature to define multi-dimensional relationships for OLAP processing, or to build HTML-based compound reports.
Take advantage of DB2 for i query processing features
DB2 Web Query fully leverages DB2 for i query optimization features such as:
- SQE (SQL Query Engine), the latest in i5/OS Query Optimization which includes a new statistics manager that provides more sophisticated and more complex database statistics for use in the query access plan
- Materialized Query Tables (MQTs), which are "optimizer aware" summary tables that contain the results of a query with the query definition and can be read automatically by the optimizer to provide a powerful way to improve response times for complex SQL queries
- Look-ahead Predicate Generation (LPG), an IBM-patented DB2 for i optimizer technique that re-writes the query internally to process large complex queries more efficiently by "looking ahead" and pre-applying reduced, composite join conditions to drastically minimize random I/O against the largest tables
- Encoded Vector Indexes (EVIs), an IBM-patented DB2 for i technology that can significantly improve performance of data warehouse queries. The optimizer can use EVI symbol tables and vector array structures as well as statistics stored in the symbol table to perform techniques such as dynamic bitmap processing to significantly speed up end user queries.
- The On Demand Performance Center, built into DB2 for i, provides capabilities to understand how DB2 is processing the query workload. Real-time analysis of the SQL Plan Cache, autonomic indexing and easy-to-use database monitors provide facilities to help you ensure that your system is running optimally.
Reduce I/T support efforts
The single server-based code installation and thin client implementation of DB2 Web Query offers the following potential benefits:
- Lower installation costs—no client software needs to be loaded
- Lower maintenance costs—upgrades, patches need only be installed on the server
- User administration savings
- Simpler and more controlled document backup and archiving—everything is stored in i5/OS
- Simpler and more controlled security and compliance administration—leverage i5/OS security and auditing features
Keep the data in DB2
Many enterprise reporting tools on the market force you to move your data out of DB2 or require multiple servers to support various reporting functions. The IBM product is an i5/OS server-based and thin client implementation, simplifying the whole reporting infrastructure for System i customers. Software upgrades are simplified, reliability can be increased, network traffic is reduced, and security and auditing may be simplified.
Query remote databases
Through the single server installation, DB2 Web Query provides the ability to pull data from remote DB2 for i databases into a report. You can avoid complex data replication by leaving the data where it is at and report on it as needed.
With additional adapters from Information Builders, DB2 Web Query can also access data in a variety of different relational database management systems or ERP systems. Add the Oracle or Microsoft® SQLServer™ Adapter, for instance, to build a DB2 Web Query report combining data from those sources into the report. Leverage a variety of ERP adapters to smooth the transition from complex ERP databases to easy to understand metadata-driven reports with DB2 Web Query. Over two hundred adapters are available from Information Builders to connect to other database or ERP systems.
Start small and grow big
DB2 Web Query provides a foundation for more complex Business Intelligence applications such as cubing, data mining, and enterprise data warehouse implementations. API support is available from Information Builders for popular i5/OS data mining and cubing technologies from IBM Business Partner SPSS. By adding Information Builders' Data Migrator tool you can build data warehouses or data marts. And IBM Information Server components such as WebSphere DataStage and WebSphere QualityStage offer you sophisticated metadata-driven ETL (Extract, Transformation, and Load) and data cleansing capabilities. Or check out any of the IBM Business Partner solutions for BI in the System i Tools Innovation program that can supplement your DB2 Web Query installation.
Become productive with little training
DB2 Web Query is designed to be very easy to learn, enabling end users to be proficient in building or running reports in a matter of hours vs. days or even weeks. IBM has provided a set of tutorials as part of IBM's DB2 Web Query Redbook.
In addition, leverage IBM and IBM Business Partners offer Quick Start Services to install and get a few reports built in a short engagement that can be used with Services Vouchers.
But if more structured training is your best way to learn, that is available as well. The DB2 Web Query Basics class is delivered electronically, and provides a strong foundation for using DB2 Web Query.
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