IBM DB2 UDB Express Edition Version 8.2 delivers everything small to medium-sized businesses need to accelerate time-to-value and dramatically reduce TCO in their database applications. Now, IBM's own experts show exactly how to get started with DB2 Express, and use it to develop, deploy, and manage superior applications from start to finish.

Like DB2 Express itself, this book cuts out the complexity — helping you achieve the full business benefits of today's most advanced database platform simply and quickly. You'll find step-by-step guidance and expert tips for every facet of DB2 Express development and administration, including: application design; development with both Visual Basic .NET and Java; security; deployment; performance tuning; day-to-day administration; and more.

IBM's own DB2 specialists demonstrate how to use DB2 Express' graphical tools to manage DB2 more easily than any other full-function relational database. Along the way, they help you make the most of DB2 Express' powerful "autonomic" features for self-administration, self-tuning, and self-healing to drive down costs throughout the entire application lifecycle.

This book will help you:

* Understand DB2 Express architecture and its implications for development and administration
* Install DB2 Express, create databases, and master essential DB2 Express tools
* Work with database objects: schemas, data types, tables, relationships, views, and indexes
* Develop VB.NET applications with ADO.NET and the DB2 .NET Data Provider Reference
* Develop Java applications with JDBC and SQLJ
* Leverage DB2's concurrency model to design efficient transactions and improve userexperience
* Make the most of functions, stored procedures, and triggers
* Manipulate data efficiently: LOAD, IMPORT, Microsoft Excel reporting, and more
* Tune performance: optimize your configuration, analyze SQL with Visual Explain, and optimize SQL with Design Advisor
* Secure your applications: authentication, authorization, group privileges, and more
* Deploy to production, and master silent DB2 installations
* Define a solid database maintenance plan that fully leverages DB2 Express autonomic features
* Troubleshoot DB2 Express and avoid common pitfalls

Whether you're a developer, administrator, IT manager, or end-user, this definitive single-source guide will help you achieve results fast... and maximize DB2 Express' business value, every step of the way.