DB2 10.1 LUW FP2, new SQL compatibility features

Early this month, DB2 10.1 Fix Pack 2 was released. This fix pack includes a big bunch of new SQL compatibility features, enhancements on data movements, monitoring as well as several enhancements on maintaining your database.

Here's the key compatibility features:

• Distinct type now supports sub-typesm: although there was a workaround for this feature, I'm glad that it's added. It was used by customers extensively.
• PIPE-lined table functions.
• Line number for runtime errors: The long waited for feature.
• You can now monitor routines and debug them much faster with data studio. The debugger has order of magnitude speed-up.
• LTRIM, RTRIM and MOD scalar functions" LTRIM & RTRIM has a second parameter that can be used to specify which character to trim. MOD now goes beyond integers and supports all numeric data types.
• ARRAY_AGG of rows: this is the faster answer for customer running into performance trouble with BULK COLLECT.

I'm glad that DB2 has cut a log way for perfect SQL compatibility.

Passing Netezza exam 000-553

Last week I successfully passed netezza exam 000-553, Netezza Software platform v6.0. It was not an easy exam! If you think about taking this exam, you should be aware of the key points below:

• Short Query Bias.
• Physical components and structure of the appliance. You may be asked in every thing; power supply, number of disks, S-blades, SPA, SPUs, disk controllers, host, FPGA .... etc
• Power supply failure effect.
• Query plans and different ways to show the plans.
• nzload and external tables.
• backups and restore to different versions. (e.g. can u restore to an old version).
• autoReplay option.
• nzstate and nzstats.
• location for different system files. Including log and temp.
• Cursors.
• crontab
• zoneMaps
• CTAS
• Data distribution on different data slices.
• Sequence data type.
• Default user group.
• Isolation level.
• Workload management. 
• Cross database access.
• Materialized views.
• Connectivity; focusing on ODBC.
• HA host states (Active & stand by)

That's what I remember now. Please feel free to post your comments if you have a question.
Thnx.