Db2 Performance Optimization and Tuning Tool

IBM Db2 is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) created by IBM in 1983. Since its introduction, Db2 has been adapted to work with several popular operating systems including Windows, Linux, and UNIX.

Like other relational databases, Db2 lets you organize data through indexes that can be accessed via queries. To make this process easier, IBM created the now-standard SQL (Structured Query Language) for accessing your data.

Since so much of Db2 performance revolves around queries performing effectively, Db2 performance tuning helps optimize your database to improve overall performance. Db2 performance tuning requires intelligent analysis of query slowness by utilizing wait-time analytics and historical trends to help you more quickly identify and resolve your biggest performance issues.

As with many optimization efforts, IBM Db2 SQL performance tuning is often best performed using Db2 tools specifically designed to track key metrics to help you better understand potential database performance improvement and query tuning opportunities. For example, a Db2 optimization tool can help you more easily monitor and analyze SQL queries to answer questions like:

• What’s causing query slowness?
• Why is all this blocking occurring?
• What changed in my Db2 database?

Monitoring Db2 performance involves keeping track of key metrics and understanding what those metrics can tell you about your database and query health. Some of the most important metrics to monitor in Db2 include:

• O/S CPU Utilization: This metric tells you the percentage of CPU being used and can help you detect potential bottlenecks and deadlocks.
• O/S Memory Utilization: This metric tells you the percentage of system memory being used. If it’s high, you may need to increase physical RAM, reduce the server load, or change your configuration.
• DB Buffer Pool Hit Ratio: This metric tells you the rate at which Db2 finds data in memory instead of reading it from a disk. Index optimization and query tuning are some of the best ways to increase your buffer pool hit ratios.
• DB Package Cache Hit Ratio: This metric tells you the percentage of time Db2 finds an execution plan in the package cache.
• DB Blocked Sessions: This metric tells you the number of sessions waiting on lock waits because another session is using a resource they need.
• Connected Devices: This metric tells you the number of distinct client machines connected to your system.

Several other metrics tied to query monitoring are an essential part of monitoring Db2. When queries are long-running, they may be experiencing problems that could lead to issues with Db2 performance. Understanding metrics like DB Physical Read Rate, DB Physical Write Rate, and DB Physical I/O Rate can help you find the queries waiting on specific events and better understand where to focus your query tuning efforts.

However, manually monitoring these metrics can be overwhelming, especially when you’re monitoring Db2 as part of a larger environment. Also, some native management tools may lack the ability to provide a more holistic view of how your Db2 instances are performing in relation to other key elements within your infrastructure that can also contribute to database performance issues.

Using a specialized tool like SolarWinds DPA to monitor Db2 performance can help you more easily resolve and proactively address issues before they affect Db2 performance. DPA is designed to go further than traditional Db2 management tools with the ability to provide increased visibility by correlating relevant context and common variables that can affect performance into a centralized view—such as response time, resources, SQL statements, and wait events/types—to help you more quickly identify metrics contributing to database performance issues.

SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is designed to make monitoring and optimizing Db2 performance easier, whether on-premises, virtualized, or in the cloud, from a single, customizable view.

The DPA Db2 query monitor can track key metrics related to database performance to help you identify problems as soon as they arise, including issues with queries performing slowly, deadlocks, indexing issues, and more. As soon as Database Performance Analyzer detects a problem, the tool can automatically alert the proper stakeholders through a customizable alerting system. You can then navigate to the dashboard where information related to the problem is clearly displayed and begin troubleshooting the root cause.

DPA Db2 monitoring features can help you:

• Quickly identify what’s causing query slowness and the best tuning opportunities. DPA is designed to display query/plan analysis, wait-time analytics, and resource metrics with a single click for Db2 tuning opportunities. With anomaly detection powered by machine learning and advanced wait state analysis, DPA can help you quickly identify the most impactful queries and inefficient workloads to improve application and overall database performance.
• Resolve the root cause of blocking. DPA helps you keep Db2 performance tuning focused on critical queries by identifying blocked queries with the highest wait times.
• See past performance metrics, queries, and response times for historical analysis. DPA helps you discover the causes of past Db2 performance issues by drilling into specific timeframes, which you can compare and analyze the data to find issues more easily.