> Efficiently processes information saving valuable resources through job optimization and powerful restart features

A solution is needed that simplifies and reduces the time to perform changes to IBM DB2 Universal Database for z/OS structures and data across subsystems, and is beneficial for users of all levels of experience.

The BMC ALTER for DB2 product automatically handles all of your DB2 structure challenges and more. It simplifies the complex. It ensures the integrity of structures and data for all of your change management and needs—completely.

Automates and simplifies tasks

The ALTER product uses a three-step process consisting of specification, analysis and execution. ALTER simplifies administrative tasks by providing an ISPF dialog in the specification phase to make change or migration requests. It lists all the information you need to make changes to DB2 objects, such as tables and indexes. ALTER eliminates the need to search for the objects manually. Equally important, it eliminates errors and omissions associated with a manual process.

Once specification is complete, the next step is analysis, which accomplishes in minutes what would take hours to do manually. In this phase, ALTER performs extensive error-checking, locates affected dependent structures, and builds the most efficient strategy for executing the changes. ALTER generates all the necessary DB2 operations to perform these changes in a worklist structure. The worklist can contain:

During execution, ALTER reads the worklist and implements all the data structure changes and specified migrations. To further speed the process and eliminate the need for special applications, ALTER supplies extensive data conversion routines based on changes specified. ALTER also provides a facility to define a set of global overrides in order to incorporate environment changes during structure migration or cloning.

Efficiently processes information

With ALTER, automated also means optimal. Not only does using ALTER save you a significant amount of time, it also saves machine resources through job optimization and powerful restart features that allow you to keep what has been processed, rather than starting from the beginning.

Ensures data integrity

One of the biggest challenges associated with making changes is ensuring the integrity of data. Too often one overlooked dependency or one erroneous data length entry can give you a data integrity nightmare. One error can invalidate indexes, views or plans. An incorrect update may affect a number of dependent objects.

ALTER does not overlook anything. It verifies everything and warns you of any potential problems and does not take actions until they are corrected. With ALTER, automated also means accurate.

Simplifies complex changes

Accuracy and automation are only a small part of the ALTER product. ALTER simplifies the most complex of changes and delivers more than other products on the market. ALTER:

> eliminates the need to run multiple batch jobs by providing all the necessary change and migration definitions in a single batch job

> offers many analysis options in order to provide you with scripts that you can customize to your needs

> migrates data structures and, as an option, migrates data from one DB2 subsystem to another or within a subsystem

Improves availability

The automation features that ALTER brings to the change management process result in considerable cost reductions that save time and improve your availability. Here’s some of the cost-saving reductions you’ll find in ALTER:

Provides DB2 version 8 support

ALTER provides support for DB2 for z/OS version 8. Support includes, but is not limited to the following:

BMC Administrative Assistant for DB2 solution

ALTER is available as a standalone product or as a component in the BMC Administrative Assistant for DB2 solution. The Administrative Assistant for DB2 solution is an easy way to provide comprehensive administration tools that increase your staff’s productivity and your ROI.

Summary

BMC Software is committed to providing intelligent database administration solutions that make it easier to optimize and manage a DB2 for z/OS environment.

Changing database structures is complex, labor-intensive and error-prone. Your business applications are affected by application changes that affect availability. The more complicated your applications, the more complicated the changes are and the more time it takes to perform those changes.

Helping you maintain advantage

BMC Software Education Services offers a strategic investment for your business, maximizing the value for your employees and Business Service Management initiatives. Education ensures successful product implementation, promoting mastery of all product capabilities and highest productivity with your BMC Software solutions. To explore our education offerings, visit our web page at http://www.bmc.com/bmceducation, or contact BMC Software Education Services by telephone or e-mail:

> Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
Telephone: 00800 26233822
E-mail: emea_education@bmc.com

BMC Software, Inc. [NYSE:BMC] is a leading provider of enterprise management solutions that empower companies to manage their IT infrastructure from a business perspective. Delivering Business Service Management, BMC Software solutions span enterprise systems, applications, databases and service management. Founded in 1980, BMC Software has offices worldwide and fiscal 2005 revenues of more than $1.46 billion. For more information about BMC Software, visit www.bmc.com.

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