hi all,
m using db2 v8.1 ESE on windows.
1. what is the use of adding a new instance on server. the defalut instance is db2.now i tried adding a new instance. i created some database in this instance. if i refresh any instance from control center, the databases created in the new instance all comes in the default instance i.e db2 and the newly added instance has nothing in it to display. so my question is, whats the use of adding a new instance?

2. can we take backup of instance itself?

3. i need to take database backups on a tape which is not on the db2 server. how do i do that? i mean, how do i specify the path where the tape actully resides from the server while executing a backup command?

I never use cc, but creating instances, allowes you to stop and start a group of db belonging to a same instance
if some specific dbm setting are required ..
many reasons for having multi instances
being in command window
db2ilist - set db2instance=xxx - create db yy will create db below this instance
it can be cataloged in another instance with local instance
tape has to be shared for this machine
I will have a look around and see how others do

but whats the use of creating an instance when the databases ultimately fall under the default db2 instance

but whats the use of creating an instance when the databases ultimately fall under the default db2 instance?

the db is only created in the instance you specify, there is no default instance
what you ask, you will get
in command window check the variable
in cc create the db below the needed instance

ya this is what i did, i created the db under the instance i wanted to but once u restart the service or even simply refresh the instance, the created database comes under the db2 instance and the newly added instance has nothing in it.
by default i mean the instance which gets created at the time of installating db2

so the lesson is : go to command window and take control over your commands instead of having gui doing this and not knowing what you have done..

Typically, on Linux and UNIX, DBA's have a different login userid for each instance. So when they login, they are automatically pointing to instance associated with that login id. In fact, the instance name is the same as the login id. When the instance is created, DB2 updates the login profile for that userid to point to that instance.

In Windows, it is a little more complicated since most people don't want to switch user ids to work with a different instance. Changing user id's in Linux/UNIX is much easier. So the default instance is DB2, even though there usually is no userid with that same name.

But you can attach to an instance in Windows before you issue any other commands, and in that case you will now being working within the instance you are attached to. See the attach command in the Command Reference. There is also an attach option in the Control Center if you right click on the instance name.

Hi Marcus,
special thanks for understanding my query....
well i tried working as u said, but things are still not clear. just have a look at what i did.

C:\>db2 get instance

The current database manager instance is: DB2

C:\>db2 attach to del1

Instance server = DB2/NT 8.1.2
Authorization ID = DB2ADMIN
Local instance alias = DEL1

C:\>db2 get instance

The current database manager instance is: DB2

Now why it is again showing me DB2, what is expected is DEL1. so now if i create a database, it is again created in DB2 instance and not DEL1.

as indicated before
set db2instance=del1
this will execute all commands in this instance

but waht i know is, only one instance can remain active at a time...so even if we create 5 instances, only one of these five can remain active and not all five of these can be worked on simultaneouly...so now again the same question mark...!!!

this is the case for oracle - not for db2
you can create as many instance as needed with as many db as needed
all can be active at the same time