DB2 database integrity check?

[Hemant Shah]

Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s) asked
following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases (e.g. is
there database integrity checking)? Please provide a description of the
control and the name and phone number of the person who can demonstrate or
validate the control.

They are running DB2 UDB 8.2 on AIX 5.3.

Is there a db2 utility that can be executed to check the integrity of
the database?

Is db2dart the correct utility?

Is there third party software thet can use?

Thanks

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[aj]

Yes, you can use db2dart. However, on v8, db2dart should only be run
against a deactivated db, which of course implies that there are no
connections.

On v8, you can also use the inspect command, which works online (an
activated db w/ users connected):
db2 =inspect check database results inspect.out

The online inspect check processing will write out unformatted
inspection data results to the results file specified. The file will be
written out to the $DIAGPATH diagnostic data directory path. If there
are no errors found by the check processing, this result output file
will be ERASED at the end of the INSPECT operation. If there are errors
found by the check processing, this result output file will not be
erased at the end of INSPECT operation. After check processing
completes, to see inspection details, the inspection result
data will require to be formatted out with the db2inspf utility.

HTH

aj

Hemant Shah wrote:

Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s) asked
following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases (e.g. is
there database integrity checking)? Please provide a description of the
control and the name and phone number of the person who can demonstrate or
validate the control.

They are running DB2 UDB 8.2 on AIX 5.3.

Is there a db2 utility that can be executed to check the integrity of
the database?

Is db2dart the correct utility?

Is there third party software thet can use?

Thanks

--
Hemant Shah /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
E-mail: No************@ xnet.com \ / ---------------------
X against HTML mail
TO REPLY, REMOVE NoJunkMail / \ and postings
FROM MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.
-----------------[DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED BULK E-MAIL]------------------
I haven't lost my mind, Above opinions are mine only.
it's backed up on tape somewhere. Others can have their own.

[Hemant Shah]

Thanks.

While stranded on information super highway aj wrote:

Yes, you can use db2dart. However, on v8, db2dart should only be run
against a deactivated db, which of course implies that there are no
connections.

On v8, you can also use the inspect command, which works online (an
activated db w/ users connected):
db2 =inspect check database results inspect.out

The online inspect check processing will write out unformatted
inspection data results to the results file specified. The file will be
written out to the $DIAGPATH diagnostic data directory path. If there
are no errors found by the check processing, this result output file
will be ERASED at the end of the INSPECT operation. If there are errors
found by the check processing, this result output file will not be
erased at the end of INSPECT operation. After check processing
completes, to see inspection details, the inspection result
data will require to be formatted out with the db2inspf utility.

HTH

aj

Hemant Shah wrote:

>Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s) asked
following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases (e.g. is
there database integrity checking)? Please provide a description of the
control and the name and phone number of the person who can demonstrate or
validate the control.

They are running DB2 UDB 8.2 on AIX 5.3.

Is there a db2 utility that can be executed to check the integrity of
the database?

Is db2dart the correct utility?

Is there third party software thet can use?

Thanks

--
Hemant Shah /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
E-mail: No************@ xnet.com \ / ---------------------
X against HTML mail
TO REPLY, REMOVE NoJunkMail / \ and postings
FROM MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.
-----------------[DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED BULK E-MAIL]------------------
I haven't lost my mind, Above opinions are mine only.
it's backed up on tape somewhere. Others can have their own.

--
Hemant Shah /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
E-mail: No************@ xnet.com \ / ---------------------
X against HTML mail
TO REPLY, REMOVE NoJunkMail / \ and postings
FROM MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.
-----------------[DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED BULK E-MAIL]------------------
I haven't lost my mind, Above opinions are mine only.
it's backed up on tape somewhere. Others can have their own.

[Ian]

Hemant Shah wrote:

Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s) asked
following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases (e.g. is
there database integrity checking)? Please provide a description of the
control and the name and phone number of the person who can demonstrate or
validate the control.

I've seen questions like this, and this sounds like SOX compliance to
me. To us DBAs, "corruption " usually means bits getting screwed up.

However, "corruption " may be referring other "logical" errors, like
"update employees set salary = salary * 1.5 where emp_id = 'me'".

So, make sure you understand what the question is asking for: Is it
asking about logical or physical corruption of the data?

If physical, db2dart/inspect.
If logical, usually enabling auditing.

[Hemant Shah]

While stranded on information super highway Ian wrote:

Hemant Shah wrote:

>Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s) asked
following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases (e.g. is
there database integrity checking)? Please provide a description of the
control and the name and phone number of the person who can demonstrate or
validate the control.

I've seen questions like this, and this sounds like SOX compliance to
me. To us DBAs, "corruption " usually means bits getting screwed up.

Yes, I agree with you.

>
However, "corruption " may be referring other "logical" errors, like
"update employees set salary = salary * 1.5 where emp_id = 'me'".

So, make sure you understand what the question is asking for: Is it
asking about logical or physical corruption of the data?

If physical, db2dart/inspect.
If logical, usually enabling auditing.

I believe it is asking for both. How do I turn on auditing?

Thanks.

>

--
Hemant Shah /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
E-mail: No************@ xnet.com \ / ---------------------
X against HTML mail
TO REPLY, REMOVE NoJunkMail / \ and postings
FROM MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.
-----------------[DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED BULK E-MAIL]------------------
I haven't lost my mind, Above opinions are mine only.
it's backed up on tape somewhere. Others can have their own.

[The Boss]

Hemant Shah wrote:

While stranded on information super highway Ian wrote:

>Hemant Shah wrote:

>>Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s)
asked following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases
(e.g. is there database integrity checking)? Please provide a
description of the control and the name and phone number of the
person who can demonstrate or validate the control.

I've seen questions like this, and this sounds like SOX compliance to
me. To us DBAs, "corruption " usually means bits getting screwed up.

Yes, I agree with you.

>>
However, "corruption " may be referring other "logical" errors, like
"update employees set salary = salary * 1.5 where emp_id = 'me'".

So, make sure you understand what the question is asking for: Is it
asking about logical or physical corruption of the data?

If physical, db2dart/inspect.
If logical, usually enabling auditing.

I believe it is asking for both. How do I turn on auditing?

Thanks.

Starting and stopping the audit facility is the easy part:
"db2audit start" resp. "db2audit stop"
First however, you should consider what exactly you want to audit and
configure the audit facility accordingly with the many options of "db2audit
configure".
Check the DB2 Information Centre, starting at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoce...n/c0005483.htm

Also read this 3-page article at:
http://www.databasejournal.com/featu...le.php/3438801

HTH

--
Jeroen

[Hemant Shah]

While stranded on information super highway The Boss wrote:

Hemant Shah wrote:

>While stranded on information super highway Ian wrote:

>>Hemant Shah wrote:
Folks,

One of our clients is performing an audit, and the auditor(s)
asked following question, and I am not sure how to answer it:

28. Is there a control that prevents the corruption of databases
(e.g. is there database integrity checking)? Please provide a
descriptio n of the control and the name and phone number of the
person who can demonstrate or validate the control.
I've seen questions like this, and this sounds like SOX compliance to
me. To us DBAs, "corruption " usually means bits getting screwed up.

Yes, I agree with you.

>>>
However, "corruption " may be referring other "logical" errors, like
"update employees set salary = salary * 1.5 where emp_id = 'me'".

So, make sure you understand what the question is asking for: Is it
asking about logical or physical corruption of the data?

If physical, db2dart/inspect.
If logical, usually enabling auditing.

I believe it is asking for both. How do I turn on auditing?

Thanks.

Starting and stopping the audit facility is the easy part:
"db2audit start" resp. "db2audit stop"
First however, you should consider what exactly you want to audit and
configure the audit facility accordingly with the many options of "db2audit
configure".
Check the DB2 Information Centre, starting at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoce...n/c0005483.htm

Thanks for the info. I will look it up.

Also read this 3-page article at:
http://www.databasejournal.com/featu...le.php/3438801

HTH

--
Jeroen

--
Hemant Shah /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
E-mail: No************@ xnet.com \ / ---------------------
X against HTML mail
TO REPLY, REMOVE NoJunkMail / \ and postings
FROM MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.
-----------------[DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED BULK E-MAIL]------------------
I haven't lost my mind, Above opinions are mine only.
it's backed up on tape somewhere. Others can have their own.