Product Description

IBM Universal Database is experiencing tremendous share growth and certification in DB2 is quickly becoming an important hiring factor with many corporations turning to UDB for their database solutions. This book will guide you quickly through preparation for the DB 2 Fundamentals exam -- and start you on the path to DB2 certification!

Focused specifically on this exam, DB2 Fundamentals Certification For Dummies will help you prepare quickly and efficiently for the Fundamentals exam. This guide brings you extensive self-assessment opportunities -- including questions prepared by IBM insiders with access to the actual exam content. Plus, the book includes coverage of what to expect during the actual testing situation, and tips and hints on how to best prepare for the exam.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #764265 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 450 pages

Amazon.com Review
IBM's competitor in the database server wars is DB2, and an IBM certification that proves your skill with that database is valuable in any IBM shop. DB2 Fundamentals Certification for Dummies does a lot to prepare its readers for the DB2 Family Fundamentals (512) exam, explaining much of what IBM expects successful certification candidates to know and understand about DB2 version 7.1. The truth be told, this book focuses almost exclusively on the Windows NT/2000 implementation of the DB2 server and the Windows version of the DB2 client. Evaluation copies of both of these appear on the book's companion CD-ROM. You can indeed pick up all the concepts on the Fundamentals exam by studying the Microsoft environment exclusively, but more coverage of other operating systems would fit well into this book.

In any case, the three authors do a praiseworthy job of describing the purpose and operation of DB2 components, combining clarifying text with procedures in an appropriate mix. They've made some strange decisions. For example, they include a super-basic tutorial on how to free RAM when installing software but relegate a Structured Query Language (SQL) tutorial to the book's aft end. All the material is here, though, and the proficiency tests that open each chapter are good for gauging your level of preparedness in specific areas of DB2. --David Wall

Topics covered: IBM DB2 7.1 client and server, with emphasis on the Windows platform. The DB2 product line, installation of components, the Control Center, database design, security, concurrency, and Structured Query Language (SQL) all get attention.

From the Back Cover
"This book is tops! It's the fastest, easiest way to study." Janet Perna, IBM Software

Dummies Test Engine, DB2 UDB v7.1 evaluation copy, and more on 2 CD-ROMs

CD-ROMs include hundreds of sample exam questions

Here's the DB2 Fundamentals exam test-prep guide you've been waiting for — a For Dummies book-and-software package that actually makes studying fun. Prepared by IBM insiders and packed with proven tips and practice exams, it's all you need to get up to speed on DB2 techniques — and pass the test! all this on 2 bonus CD-ROMs IBM® DB2® Universal Database Workgroup Edition, v7.1, for Windows® Operating Environments, evaluation copy IBM® DB2® OLAP Starter Kit v7.1, for Windows® Operating Environments, evaluation copy Dummies Test Engine, our exclusive, fully customizable test-prep software featuring hundreds of sample questions PC with Pentium II or faster running Windows NT SP5 or later (Windows 2000 recommended); 64MB of RAM (128 recommended); 300MB HD space available. See the About the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

About the Author
Paul C. Zikopoulos, Jennifer Gibbs, and Roman B. Melnyk are all DB2 specialists at the IBM Toronto Lab.

Customer Reviews

Essential to my success on Exam 512
This book made passing Exam 512 fairly easy. Books & classes from IBM do not focus on passing the exams, but this book does. During 10 yrs. of UNIX sys. admin. I'd done almost no database work. I passed Exam 512 after 3 weeks of concentrated effort. Week 1 - 2 classes: DB2 UDB Family Fundamentals (2 days) & DB2 UDB SQL Workshop (2 days). Weeks 2 & 3 - Read "DB2 Fundamentals Certification for Dummies" cover to cover. I answered every end of chap. question, did every lab and took the practice exams on the CD. I'd never sat for a certification test and this book made me very comfortable with the process. I passed Exam 513 three weeks later using a 4 day class, DB2 UDB Admin. Workshop, and "All-In-One DB2 Admininistration Exam Guide" in the same fashion. I highly recommend this book for passing Exam 512. I would not recommend it as a reference for DBAs.

Buy for the CD, is a Dud for reading
The Test engine on the CD is GREAT. The chapters cover 50 to 70 percent of what is on the IBM family fundamentals Certification (I have the IBM DB2 512, and 513 DBA certs). On the test engine, the answers refer to certain chapters in the book. These references that they refer to do not exist in MANY cases. If you want to get an in depth coverage of the two certs (512 and 513)get the "All In One DB2 Administration Certification Exam Guide" by Roger Sanders(Test engine is horrible). For testing practice The Dummies book test engine is the best I have seen and is worth getting just for that purpose. Having another book for reference never hurts either.

Good Catch on for an experienced DBA
I have over 2 years experience with SQL Server 2000, 5 years experience with Oracle, 2 years with DB2 V2.x Common server in 1997 and about 8 months with DB2 V7.2 on clustered Windows 2000 and OS/390. I have MCDBA, MCSE, MCSD, I-Net+, CIW and some other certifications. So, I am not a newbie in the field of IT.

I can say this book is a very easy reading for an experienced DBA because you can figure out most of the Db2 functionnalities with one reading pass.

The only weak part in this book is the SQL query piece that is at then end instead of at the beginning of the book. Poor newbie (or dummy) that have to figure it out at the end of the reading and not at the beginning.

Like the other reviews said, there are some mistakes with the questions on the CD. But they are still good for you to evaluate your level of knowledge to be able to pass the exam.

I recommand this book for anyone who wants to learn the basics of DB2, but you will still need the IBM DB2 administration guide and the IBM DB2 SQL reference guide to be really prepared for the IBM certification exams or just to be able to work with DB2.

Alain Gagne
Lead DBA
USA
...

P.S.: After doing most of the Microsoft certifications, and having a lot of books as references, many web sites with practices questions, It is kind of lame to just have a couple of DB2 books and the IBM certify web site with a few questions to practice and get used with the material (certify.torolab.ibm.com). So, all the questions we can get are good.