What are the top skills for a SQL DB2 programmer?

1 SQL syntax and logic

SQL is the standard language for interacting with relational databases. You need to know how to write SQL statements that follow the correct syntax and logic, such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, JOIN, GROUP BY, and HAVING. You also need to understand how to use subqueries, expressions, functions, and operators to perform complex calculations and operations on data. Additionally, you need to be familiar with the specific features and extensions of SQL DB2, such as OLAP functions, recursive queries, common table expressions, and temporal tables.

2 Database design and normalization

Database design and normalization are the processes of organizing data into tables and columns that avoid redundancy and inconsistency. You need to know how to apply the principles of normalization, such as identifying the primary keys, foreign keys, and functional dependencies of each table. You also need to know how to use the tools and methods of database design, such as entity-relationship diagrams, data models, and data dictionaries. A good database design and normalization can improve the performance, integrity, and security of your SQL DB2 databases.

3 Performance tuning and optimization

Performance tuning and optimization are the techniques of improving the speed and efficiency of your SQL DB2 databases and queries. You need to know how to use the tools and features of SQL DB2 to monitor, analyze, and enhance the performance of your databases, such as explain plans, indexes, statistics, partitions, and compression. You also need to know how to optimize your SQL queries by applying best practices, such as using appropriate data types, avoiding unnecessary joins, limiting the result set, and using bind variables.

4 Data security and backup

Data security and backup are the measures of protecting your SQL DB2 databases from unauthorized access, modification, or loss. You need to know how to use the security features and options of SQL DB2 to control the access and privileges of users and roles, such as authentication, authorization, encryption, auditing, and labeling. You also need to know how to use the backup and recovery features and tools of SQL DB2 to create, restore, and manage backups of your databases, such as backup utilities, recovery utilities, logs, and snapshots.

5 Data integration and migration

Data integration and migration are the processes of transferring and combining data from different sources and formats into your SQL DB2 databases. You need to know how to use the data integration and migration features and tools of SQL DB2 to import, export, load, and unload data from various sources, such as flat files, XML files, JSON files, and other databases. You also need to know how to use the data transformation and cleansing features and tools of SQL DB2 to convert, validate, and enhance the quality of your data, such as ETL tools, data quality rules, and data masking.

These are some of the top skills for a SQL DB2 programmer that can help you create, manage, and improve your SQL DB2 databases and queries. By mastering these skills, you can increase your productivity, efficiency, and value as a SQL DB2 programmer.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?