Chapter 1 DBA Tasks and Tools

This guide shows how to perform database administration tasks for your ALLBASE/SQL relational database management system. The present chapter introduces the following topics:

Chapters 1 through 3 describe the concepts behind ALLBASE/SQL database administration tasks. Subsequent chapters describe DBA concepts and tasks in detail. Experienced database administrators may wish to turn directly to chapter 4, "DBEnvironment Configuration and Security." Before you read this manual, you should be familiar with the material in the ALLBASE/SQL Reference Manual and the ISQL Reference Manual for ALLBASE/SQL and IMAGE/SQL.

Most of the examples presented in this guide are based on a DBEnvironment Named PartsDBE, which is provided with the ALLBASE/SQL product. This DBEnvironment contains the sample database PurchDB, which includes several tables: Parts, SupplyPrice, Vendors, Orders, OrderItems, and Inventory. Refer to the "Sample DBEnvironment" appendix in the ALLBASE/SQL Reference Manual for complete details.

This guide assumes that a single individual is carrying out the tasks of database administrator, also known as the DBA. The DBA uses SQL statements, usually through ISQL, to create and maintain ALLBASE/SQL DBEnvironments. The DBA also uses a variety of utility programs, explained later in this chapter, to perform specific kinds of maintenance. If you create and maintain your own DBEnvironment, then you are its DBECreator as well as its DBA.

The individual who serves as database administrator normally needs DBA authority for the DBEnvironments that are to be administered. If you are the DBECreator of a DBEnvironment, you automatically receive DBA authority in that DBEnvironment, and you can therefore use almost all the commands described in this manual.