DB2 9.7 is the latest DB2 release on the Linux, UNIX, and Windows (LUW) platforms and provides exciting new technology. This session will discuss upgrading to DB2 9.7 for LUW from previous versions of DB2 LUW and will point out and discuss areas to be aware of and prepare for as well as listing many of the changes that you need to be aware of before and after an upgrade to DB2 9.7.

Managing performance of your mission critical applications can be a challenge, especially for growing workloads. In this session we will look at options for increasing throughput and reducing CPU utilization for new and existing Java and .Net applications. We will look at options available to stabilize the performance of applications. Finally, you will also see how to proactively avoid problems by taking advantage of database best practices during the development phase.

A panel of four IBM DB2 Gold Consultants will join us to share their recommendations to address DB2 for LUW performance issues. Members attending are encouraged to bring their toughest challenge to the panel to see how the experts would approach it. Perhaps they will simply validate the process your team has followed, but MAYBE they will suggest another option that will direct you to the solution. The format will be simple: questions submitted will be answered by each panel member in turn; questions may be submitted in advance to board@bwdb2ug.org and questions received in advance will be answered first.

Panel Members

David Beulke is an internationally recognized DB2 consultant, author and instructor. He is known for his extensive expertise in database performance, data warehouses and internet applications. He is currently a member of the IBM DB2 Gold Consultant program, an IBM Information Champion, past president of the International DB2 Users Group (IDUG), past co-author of the IBM DB2 z/OS Administration and the Business Intelligence Certification exams, columnist for the IBM Data Management Magazine and former instructor for The Data Warehouse Institute (TDWI). With over 22 years experience working with mainframe, UNIX and Windows environments, he redesigns and tunes systems, databases and applications dramatically reducing CPU demand and saving his clients from CPU upgrades and millions in processing charges.

DB2 Gold Consultant James Sobieski is the President and founder of Fourth Millennium Technologies. He has 30 years experience in large systems and database management. James specializes in the design, implementation and performance and tuning of very large, very complex databases. He is an expert in Data Warehousing as well as OLTP systems, systems architecture, system migrations and performance and tuning. He has a deep knowledge of DB2 LUW and other database systems. Before forming Fourth Millennium Technologies in 1997, James worked at the University of Houston Computing Center for five years and then IBM for 14 years at NASA, IBM’s Toronto Development Lab prototyping parallel processing for relational DBMS systems.

Frank Fillmore is a DB2 Gold Consultant and InfoSphere Information Champion with over twenty years experience working with DB2 on all platforms and a track record of successful consulting and training engagements. An award-winning teacher and presenter, Frank developed the IBM Information Management Top Gun sales program for IBM and has delivered over one hundred DB2 courses. Frank is the founder and president of The Fillmore Group, where he leads the consulting team and manages TFG's training and software sales operations.

Steve Mazer is currently a Senior Database Architect at Fourth Millennium Technologies, specializing in the design, implementation, and management of very large Database systems. He focuses on Data Warehousing, database architecture and design, system conversions and migrations, and performance and tuning. Steve is also a member of the IBM DB2 Gold Consultants Program.  Steve has extensive database experience utilizing DB2 Universal Database (UDB) with DPF on the AIX and Linux platforms, DB2 UDB ESE on AIX, and DB2 for OS/390. Steve has over 15 years of database management and development experience on large/complex enterprise systems in various industries, including Intelligence, financial, retail, Government, and telecommunications.