CS185cSpring 2010Sec1Home Page/Syllabus

Fundamentals of IBM DB2 for z/OS

The DB2 Database Management System from IBM has a long heritage going back to System R, the relational database system on which SQL was originally developed. Nowadays, there are many DBMSs on the market and to first-order they have similar interfaces both from the DBA and from the application programmer perspective. However, if one wants to get decent performance from a database system, it is important to understand the specific product and how it interacts with its operating environment. DB2 on z/OS (and on mainframes in general) is an especially interesting database system from this perspective due to the fact that it has been deployed in many mission critical settings over an extended period of time. From this long gestational period, it has acquired many abilities for tuning, logging, dealing with lots of transactions, handling recovery, etc. It also has facilities for interacting with other software systems and within groups of such systems. In this course, we will explore these capabilities of DB2 for z/OS. The student learning outcomes for this course as described in the proposed departmental syllabus are as follows. By the end of this course, a student should be able to: (1) Identify DB2 components and understand DB2 architecture. (2) Describe the system environment of DB2 on z/OS, understand how DB2 cooperates with other facilities within this environment. (3) Develop applications using DB2 on z/OS as a data server. (4) Understand DB2 performance issues and know how to manage them. (5) State basic DB2 management issues. (6) Understand the new challenges in today's data management world and DB2's solution to them.

Below is a tentative time table for when we'll do things this quarter:

Grades will be calculated in the following manner: The person or persons with the highest aggregate score will receive an A+. A score of 55 will be the cut-off for a C-. The region between this high and low score will be divided into eight equal-sized regions. From the top region to the low region, a score falling within a region receives the grade: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-. If the boundary between an A and an A- is 85, then the score 85 counts as an A-. Scores below 55 but above 50 receive the grade D. Those below 50 receive the grade F.

If you do better than an A- in this class and want me to write you a letter of recommendation, I will generally be willing provided you ask me within two years of taking my course. Be advised that I write better letters if I know you to some degree.

This semester we will have weekly quizzes and five homeworks. Every Tuesday this semester, except the first day of class, the Midterm Day, and Spring Break; there will be a quiz on the previous week's material. The answer to the quiz will either be multiple choice or true-false, and will basically make sure you reviewed the previous weeks notes. Each quiz is worth a maximum of 1pt. Out of the total of thirteen quizzes this semester, I will keep your ten best scores.

The homeworks will consist of the output of several labs and short answer questions. For the labs you will get to actually experiment on a z/OS system running DB2 in Dallas, Texas. I will post solutions to homeworks after the due date. However, since some of these labs are copyright IBM, I will only post solutions in a password protected way. Further, by submitting the homework to be graded you are agreeing not to redistribute or make available your solution or the solutions I post to others in any way or in any medium. Links to the current list of homeworks and quizzes can be found on the left hand frame of the class homepage. All homeworks are to be done individually. All communications regarding homeworks with other students or individuals must be at a high-level. You may not share snippets of text, code, or copy such code from other sources such as the internet and submit these as your own for homeworks, except in such circumstances as I have said it is acceptable. Material from assignments may appear on midterms and finals. Homeworks for this class will be submitted and returned completely electronically. To submit an assignment click on the submit homework link for your section on the left hand side of the homepage and filling out the on-line form. Hardcopies or e-mail versions of your assignments will be rejected and not receive credit. Homeworks will always be due by the start of class on the day their due. Late homeworks will not be accepted and missed quizzes cannot be made up; however, your lowest score amongst the five homeworks and your quiz total will be dropped.

For programming parts of assignments, please make sure to adhere to the specification given as closely as possible. Names of files should be as given, etc. Failure to follow the specification may result in your homework not being graded and you receiving a zero for your work.

The midterms will be during class time on: Mar 16.

The final will be: 5:15-7:30pm, Tuesday, May 25.

All exams are closed book, closed notes and in this classroom. You will be allowed only the test and your pen or pencil on your desk during these exams. Beeper or cell-phone interruptions will result in immediate excusal from the test. The final will cover material from the whole quarter although there will be an emphasis on material after the last midterm. No make ups will be given. The final exam may be scaled to replace a midterm grade if it was missed under provably legitimate circumstances. These exams will test whether or not you have mastered the material both presented in class or assigned as homework during the quarter. My exams usually consist of a series of essay style questions. I try to avoid making tricky problems. The week before each exam I will give out a list of problems representative of the level of difficulty of problems the student will be expected to answer on the exam. Any disputes concerning grades on exams should be directed to me, Professor Pollett.

If you believe an error was made in the grading of your program or exam, you may request in person a regrade from me, Professor Pollett, during my office hours. I do not accept e-mail requests for regrades. A request for a regrade must be made no more than a week after the homework or a midterm is returned. If you cannot find me before the end of the semester and you would like to request a regrade of your final, you may see me in person at the start of the immediately following semester.

The campus policy to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is:
"If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to establish a record of their disability."

More information about SJSU policies and procedures can be found at the following links: