DB2 Questions: 1. How do you find physical file for a logical file?

By using DSPFD command and PFILE

2. What is use of RGZPFM? (Reorganize Physical File Member) Remove deleted records to make the space occupied by them available for more records. Reorganize the records of a file in the order in which you normally access them sequentially, there by minimizing the time required to retrieve records. This is done using the KEYFILE parameter.

This may be advantageous for files that are primarily accessed in an order other than arrival sequence. A member can be reorganized using either of the following: Key fields of the physical file Key fields of a logical file based on the physical file

Reorganize a source file member, insert new source sequence numbers, and reset the source date fields (using the SRCOPT and SRCSEQ parameters on the Reorganize Physical File Member command).

Reclaim space in the variable portion of the file that was previously used by variable-length fields in the physical file format and that has now become fragmented

3. What is ODP in AS/400? An open data path is the path through which all input/output operations for the file are performed. In a sense, it connects the program to a file. If you do not specify the SHARE(*YES) parameter, a new open data path is created every time a file is opened. If an active file is opened more than once in the

Classification: GE Internal

same job or activation group, you can use the active ODP for the file with the current open of the file. You do not have to create a new open data path 4. Can you tell about the access path maintenance (*Immediate, *Rebuild, *Delay)? The MAINT parameter specifies how access paths are maintained for closed files. While a file is open, the system maintains the access paths as changes are made to the data in the file.

Immediate maintenance of an access path means that the access path is maintained as changes are made to its associated data, regardless if the file is open. Access paths used by referential constraints will always be in immediate maintenance.

Rebuild maintenance of an access path means that the access path is only maintained while the file is open, not when the file is closed; the access path is rebuilt when the file is opened the next time. When a file with rebuild maintenance is closed, the system stops maintaining the access path. When the file is opened again, the access path is totally rebuilt. If one or more programs has opened a specific file member with rebuild maintenance specified, the system maintains the access path for that member until the last user closes the file member.

Delayed maintenance of an access path means that any maintenance for the access path is done after the file member is opened the next time and while it remains open. However, the access path is not rebuilt as it is with rebuild maintenance. Updates to the access path are collected from the time the member is closed until it is opened again. When it is opened, only the collected changes are merged into the access path. 5. How do you update a file in a CL program? By using RUNSQLSTM Command 6. How to lock a file in CL? Using ALCOBJ command 7. Max number of fields in a PF

Classification: GE Internal

Number of bytes in a record 32,766 bytes Number of fields in a record format 8,000 fields Number of key fields in a file 120 fields Size of key for physical and logical files 2000 characters1 Size of key for ORDER BY (SQL) and KEYFLD (OPNQRYF) 10,000 bytes Number of records contained in a file member 4,294,967,294 records2 Number of bytes in a file member 266,757,734,400 bytes3 Number of bytes in an access path 1,099,511,627,776 bytes3 5 Number of keyed logical files built over a physical file member 3,686 files Number of physical file members in a logical file member 32 members Number of members that can be joined 32 members Size of a character or DBCS field 32,766 bytes4 Size of a zoned decimal or packed decimal field 31 digits Maximum number of constraints per physical file 300 constraints Maximum number of triggers per physical file 6 triggers Maximum number of recursive insert and update trigger calls 200

8. Difference between Access path and open data path?

Open Data Paths (ODPs) provide a way for more than one program in the same job to share the same file status information (I/O feedback areas), file pointer positions, and storage area. ODP's are quite useful as they can improve performance, reduce the amount of main storage needed by the job, and reduces file opens/closes. For native I/O access you can set up ODP's by specifying SHARE (*YES) on the CRTPF, CHGPF, or OVRDBF commands. However, SQL based I/O access is not influenced by the SHARE (*YES) setting. The DB2 SQL engine is solely responsible for creating and reusing ODP's for I/O performed from SQL-based interfaces (and does so automatically).

An access path (also known as a keyed logical file or an index in SQL terms) is data structure that represents the order in which data will be retrieved from a file. It provides a quick way of locating data. Without an access path, a program would be forced to read every row in the table to find the particular rows of interest. This technique (known as a full table scan), can be a lengthy process, depending on the size of the table and how many rows are being retrieved. A scan using an access path tends to be more efficient than a full table scan when a small percentage of rows are selected since the length of the access path key value is usually shorter than the length of the table row

Classification: GE Internal