QuickSelect® for Db2

Turbocharge your Db2

Are you looking for ways to reduce the costs of running your mainframes without impacting functionality or stability? QuickSelect® for Db2 offers an effective solution that caches Db2 query result. It operates where standard optimisation approaches fail:

    • You require shorter response and execution times for online and batch applications – but want to avoid changes to SQL statements or application programmes?
    • Your SLAs require reliable performance but you want to deploy the necessary resources cost efficiently and with minimal impact on your productive load?
    • You have repetitive SQL queries for static data such as price lists, post codes, or user rights, which lead to significant CPU usage despite data base tuning, code refresh, and hardware upgrades?

At a glance

    • Tangible usage reducation: reduces SQL queries and CPU usage by up to 25%, all without changes to the code.
    • Shorter completion time: much faster response times for online applications and shorter batch runtimes.
    • Targeted analysis: survey mode automatically identifies repetitive SQLs with high potential for optimisation.
    • Full transparency: detailed monitoring provides cache statistics down to the SQL and programme levels.
    • Flexible introduction: step-by-step deployment can be limited to programmes, jobs, or transactions.
    • Seamless integration: plug-and-play solution, fully transparent for applications – no rebind, and no risk.

The solution with QuickSelect®

A large proportion of CPU resources in Db2 applications is often used for what are straightforward but repetitive SQL queries on static data such as price lists, post codes, charges, or user rights. While the value of these queries is constant, they cause unjustifiably high costs, especially during peak times.

This is where QuickSelect® for Db2 operates:

The solution recognises and saves repetitive SQL events in the cache instead of loading it anew from the database for every query. The result: shorter response times, much lower CPU usage – and all of that without changes to applications, SQL or Db2 database structures.

QuickSelect® is a fully detachable plug-and-play solution that can be easily activated or deactivated when you need it. It is not embedded in the application code, works transparently for all programmes, and delivers results faster than standard Db2 buffer pools – while maintaining full data integrity.

Thanks to QuickSelect® DynaCache technology you can activate Db2 tables for temporary storage without adjusting their definition. QuickSelect® automatically recognises changes to source tables through a so-called Utility Trap which also takes into account Db2 utilities such as LOAD, REORG, or RECOVER, and which can invalidate the cache when necessary.

The solution runs as a started task in the 64-bit address space (above the BAR) without impacting other memory locations. It runs reliably in batch, CICS, and IMS/TM environments and thus enables dynamic, selective, and safe performance optimisation for your existing infrastructure.

QuickSelect® doesn’t just reduce your mainframe TCO, it also reduces the burden on critical system resources, improved performance, and reduces operative efforts – all without any risks.

Plug-and-play with QuickSelect®

QuickSelect® für Db2 is a genuine plug-and-play solution, which can be integrated into existing system environments seamlessly – without any changes to application programmes, JCL, or the Db2 database.

The intelligent plug-in recognises repetitive SQL queries on static data, saves the relevant query results in the cache, and provides these quicker and with less CPU and I/O effort when required again.

This comes with substantial operative advantages: clients report 15 % to 25 % fewer SQL queries and a 10 % to 15 % CPU reduction in peak times. Response and completion times are significantly lower, especially for online transactions or batch processing.

What is more, QuickSelect® offers additional modern analysis and management features:

    • Survey Mode allows you to – during production – identify SQLs that are especially strong candidates for caching – without manual analysis.
    • Integrated monitoring provides detailed information about cache hits in both table and programme levels.
    • Step-by-step deployment enables the selective use for specific programmes, jobs, and transactions (CICS, IMS). This gives you full control over roll-out and operational behaviour.
    • Full application transparency means no rebinds or relinks are required. You can even deactivate QuickSelect immediately – without impacting currently running applications.

QuickSelect® represents a high performance, flexible, and low-risk optimisation of your Db2 systems – with minimal effort and maximum effectiveness.

Guaranteed integrity for your data

Despite automatic caching of SQL results QuickSelect® always guarantees the full integrity of your data. Each cached SQL output draws on data that comes from one or more tables. To ensure that the cached results are accurate at all times, QuickSelect® automatically detects changes in the underlying tables.

An integrated Utility Trap makes this possible. This monitors Db2 utilities such as LOAD, REORG, DISCARD, or RECOVER. As soon as one of these programmes affects a table, whose content is cached, the relevant datasets are invalidated – without any manual input.

QuickSelect® is reliable even in the most complex infrastructures: the solution fully supports operation within multi-LPAR environments and uses XCF functions (cross system coupling facility) to guarantee that caches are up-to-date across entire systems. Any relevant change automatically results in a cache reset – and thus in an always current, valid result that guarantees full data integrity.

QuickSelect® – the ideal addition to IDAA

IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) is a high-performance, hardware based add-on module for IBM mainframes. It is a specialist tool that processes large volumes of data for analytical purposes (OLAP). It offers high levels of performance for complex SQL queries for reporting and business intelligence.

QuickSelect® ideally completents IDAA by covering those aspects which IDAA does not: the processing of large volumes of simple, repetitive SQL queries in operational production.

IDAA copies whole tables from Db2 into a separate back-end, where it performs complex analyses. QuickSelect® works differently. It specifically saves often queried data results of individual SQL statements in the cache where it can then quickly and efficiently access them again when needed.

This means that IDAA and QuickSelect® are complementary technologies: IDAA optimises analytical processing, QuickSelect® optimises transactional throughput and reduces day-to-day CPU usage. Together, they enable comprehensive, performance-enhancing tuning for Db2 environments – from complex analysis to quick transaction processing.

QuickSelect® at a glance

    • Compatible with Db2 V12 and V13 in all operating modes
    • Fully supports Db2 data sharing – with update sensitivity across multiple LPARs thanks to XCF functions
    • Runs on z/OS version 2.1 and higher
    • Supports static SQL
    • Deployable in batch, CICS, IMS/TM, and IMS/BMP environments
    • No need for JCL adjustments for batch jobs
    • Provided via SMP/E – for an easy installation and straighforward maintenance