Hi,my questions is following :

Which two of the following types of storage management methods are supported by DB2 OLAP Server?
A. Object
B. Network
C. Relational
D. Hierachical
E. Multi-dimensional
The answers i thinks is CE,but somebody told me the answers is DE,which one is correct?

When establishing client-server communication, passwords CANNOT be v
erified by:
(Select the correct response)
A. The DRDA DB2 server.
B. The client operating system.
C. The gateway operating system.
D. Looking in the catalog tables for the password.
What about this question ?

Thanks!

1st question: DB2 is neither an object-oriented DBMS, nor a network DBMS, and also not a hierarchical DBMS. IMS/DS is hierarchical, and network DBMS never had a real chance in the market because the relational model came too early for them. That leaves "relational" and "multi-dimensional" - no question about that.

If you you have only a single answer, then I would vote for "relational". After all, the multi-dimensional clustering in DB2 still stores data in rows in tables. It just organizes the rows on pages in certain ways. If you have more choices, then it is C and E.

2nd question: DB2 relies on so-called security plugins to manage authorization. (By default, you will use a security plugin that refers to the underlying operating system to verify user-ids/passwords.) Why is this relevant here? Because DB2 does not store user credentials (id/password) in any catalog table.

The exception are user mappings and server definitions in DB2's federated capabilities, which are kept in catalog tables. But even there, DB2 just stores those credentials and the remote data source verifies it.

Coming from the other side, the DB2 server (DRDA) verifies passwords if AUTHENTICATION=SERVER is used. The client operating system does the verification if AUTHENTICATION=CLIENT is applied (and an appropriate security plugin defers to the client's OS). Gateway is just a combination of server/client. From the perspective of the host DB2, the gateway is just client. From the perspective of the real user client, the gateway is the DB2 server. (I'm only 90% sure on the gateway, though, but completely sure on the catalog tables.)

Thank you very much !

DB2 OLAP Server supports 2 databases on the back-end: DB2 and the native Essbase multi-dimentional database that comes with Essbase. I was not aware the DB2 OLAP Server (a repackaging of Essbase) was still marketed by IBM, but it will be interesting to see what happens since Essbase (Hyperion) was recently purchased by Oracle.

Hi,
first yanqinghuang question was in DB2 v8 Ceftification, I don't know if it still is. I have been working with DB2 OLAP Server for 7 years now so I know little bit about this topic.

First to note: DB2 and DB2 OLAP Server are two separated products. DB2 is relation database management system and DB2 OLAP Server is OLAP-bussiness intelligence tool.

IBM shipped DB2 v7.1 with OLAP Starter Kit (which was some kind of OLAP demo - it could be used only by 3 end-users) in separated CD but it could be installed on single install with DB2. IBM stated at that time that OLAP Server will become part of DB2 environment, just something like XML is in DB2 9. Strange to say something so bizarre, but the statement was quite clear. The integration between DB2 and DB2 OLAP Server was at the most integrated times one install but separated products with separated installation paths.

In DB2 v8 IBM removed OLAP Starer Kit from DB2 packaging. But in DB2 Certification for DB2 v8 this question still remained in exam, which is some kind very strange. It looks like IBM has not revised certification program for DB2 v8!!!

DB2 OLAP Server was some kind of IBMs work of integrating relational software with OLAP product and was some kind of Hyperion Essbase Server which was always multi-dimensional OLAP tool.

DB2 OLAP server version 1.1 had only relation storage - this was actually multidimensional OLAP with relation storage - this was never ROLAP (relational OLAP) product! In DB2 OLAP Server 7.1 (there was no other version between 1.1 and 7.1 - just marketing numbering DB2 and DB2 OLAP Server to same level) there was option to have relation or multidimensional storage at installation time. So all OLAP cubes could be relational or multidimensional depending what option was selected at installation. DB2 OLAP Server 8.1 there was an option to select relational or multidimensional option per cube creation time. In DB2 OLAP Server 8.2 (the last release in IBM ownership) there was only multidimensional storage - relational storage was completely removed. In the last release there was almost no changes between IBM and Hyperion tool.

So back to main question and according to IBM DB2 v8 certification program and OLAP Server 8.1 at that time I would answer DB2 OLAP server had relational and muldimimensional storage.

Marcus_A, question: Hyperion was purchased by Oracle. IBM stopped selling IBM DB2 OLAP Server two years ago. The maintenance of the last v8.2 version was stopped at biggining of 2007, if I remember correctly in at end of Februar.
IBM published new tool IBM Warehouse Edition and now in November IBM Warehouse which has OLAP functionalities bundled into warehouse+OLAP+analytics tools. I have been investigating OLAP functionalities between new IBM product and Hyperion one and I can say Hyperion product is multiple way infront of IBM. So our company is currently migrating to Oracle/Hyperion lines of products.

I just can't imagine why IBM didn't purchase Hyperion and instead let superior product to his biggest competitor. Biggest question to me? Four years ago OLAP Server was IBM strategic software, now it is dead for IBM. Quite interesting isn't it?

You may have noticed that IBM purchased Cognos just a few days ago for $5 Billion. I am sure that the Oracle purchase of Hyperion was a factor in that decision.