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3-18 Administrative Products for DB2 Installation Guide
Using Catalog Indirection
Catalog indirection applies only to catalog queries. Any action that changes
information in the catalog must operate on the actual catalog, not the
catalog’s copy or view. For example, when you issue a command through
CATALOG MANAGER to update the catalog, the action affects the actual
catalog. In contrast, the ALTER and CHANGE MANAGER Analysis
programs can use either the actual catalog or catalog indirection when
creating worklists. However, the Execution Monitor in ALTER and
CHANGE MANAGER always runs a worklist against the actual catalog.
Note: Successful implementation of catalog indirection requires an
in-depth understanding of the DB2 environment and its catalog
structure, and experience in maintaining DB2 applications. Each
method of implementing catalog indirection should be managed as if
it were a DB2 application.
General points about catalog indirection are as follows:
• The synonyms that reference the DB2 catalog are hard-coded in the
Administrative Products. You direct the synonyms to the catalog, copy, or
views during installation by providing information on the Install System
panels.
• When you install Administrative Products with the Install System, the
product is set up to access the DB2 catalog directly. After the installation,
you can use the Install System to implement and maintain catalog
indirection.
• You can use the same copy or view of the catalog for all Administrative
Products, or you can implement catalog indirection through separate
copies or views for each product.
• Catalog indirection can provide either of two benefits: reducing
contention for the DB2 catalog or providing an additional level of
security for sensitive data in the catalog. The following sections provide
details.
Note: Although you can implement a view of a copy of the catalog and
simultaneously reap both benefits of catalog indirection, this
approach is extremely complex to maintain and is not recommended.
Reducing Catalog Contention
For data centers that have high DB2 transaction rates, contention for the DB2
catalog can be a problem. Because the Administrative Products require
frequent access to the DB2 catalog, they can contribute to catalog contention.
