Welcome to StarAdmin
The StarAdmin utility is used to bind StarSQL driver packages on a DB2 host database. A StarAdmin user must have sufficient rights to create collections and bind packages, tasks which are typically performed by a Database Administrator ("DBA"), host administrator ("Security Officer"), or other privileged user.
The StarAdmin utility should be installed on a Windows computer that has TCP/IP access to a host DBMS that is configured to accept remote commands using the Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) protocol. Note that StarAdmin is also included in the Tools subfolder of the SQDR Plus installation.
The StarAdmin utility typically is used in the following circumstances:
| Initial installation | To configure a host DBMS for access by StarSQL clients for the first time. |
| Upgrades | When an update to the StarSQL driver software requires packages to be re-bound. |
| Configuration changes | To grant specific users authority to use packages or to otherwise change the options associated with previously bound packages. |
The general process for binding packages is:
- Start StarAdmin and click the Open Database Connection icon,
, from the Toolbar (or select Open Database from the File menu). - Connect to the desired host database (click the Advanced button first if you want to override any of the settings used to connect to the database).
- Set the Package Settings options and Grant Options as appropriate (see Binding Packages topic).
- Click the Bind Database Packages icon on the Toolbar, or select the Bind command from the Command menu, to start the bind operation.
- Review the summary of the bind operation. Note that you can use the values shown for the keywords in the summary to configure a datasource for the StarSQL ODBC driver to use, or the jdbc URL that is returned in the summary to connect to a host using the StarSQL for Java driver.
- After successfully binding packages, disconnect from the database and exit the StarAdmin utility.
About StarSQL SQL Packages
A SQL package is an object that StarSQL uses to store internal control structures as a compiled form of SQL. You must have a SQL package on the host to use dynamic or static SQL on a DRDA connection. StarSQL assumes that required SQL packages already exist on the server. If the package that StarSQL needs is not on the server, StarSQL automatically binds the package dynamically.
StarSQL binds two types of packages:
- Catalog packages
- Dynamic SQL packages
Catalog packages contain catalog information and are discussed further in the section Use Default Catalog Option of the Binding Packages topic. You can create one or more catalog packages in the database.
Dynamic SQL packages correspond to the cursor options settings (Held Cursors and Isolation Level) that are configured for the StarSQL data source. Depending upon the host database, StarSQL can create up to sixteen dynamic SQL packages on the host. You also can configure StarSQL to bind jumbo packages (UseJumboPackages setting), in which case it allocates up to 1314 statement handles for the dynamic SQL package. See the StarSQL Help for additional information about configuring the cursor and package options.
When to Bind Packages
Although StarSQL will attempt to bind any package that it needs to execute dynamic SQL, it is most efficient to run StarAdmin immediately after installing StarSQL so that packages and proper authorizations are in place before users attempt to connect to the host with an ODBC- or JDBC-enabled application. Users must make sure that the Catalog Schema and Package Collection named in their data source match those specified when the packages are bound using StarAdmin.
The StarSQL for Java driver does not use catalog packages, and any version of the StarSQL JDBC driver can connect to packages that are bound by StarAdmin. However, the StarSQL ODBC driver uses both catalog packages and dynamic SQL packages. Significant changes were made to catalog packages and dynamic SQL packages with the v5.1 release of the StarSQL ODBC driver. Unpredictable results may occur if you use the StarSQL v5.10 or later ODBC driver with packages created by earlier versions of StarSQL.
Packages that are rebound using StarAdmin can be shared with clients that are running previous versions of StarSQL, except if you use any functions related to stored procedures for DB2 for Linux, Windows and UNIX or if you need to work with LOB data types (BLOB or CLOB). Users also may get different results from ODBC catalog functions when using a version of the StarSQL ODBC driver prior to v5.1 with packages bound with v5.3 or later. In these cases, upgrade all clients to the new version of StarSQL, or use different package collections if you must maintain clients that are running previous versions of the StarSQL ODBC driver.
Following are examples of situations in which you may need to use StarAdmin to rebind SQL packages:
- To take advantage of StarSQL for Windows support for LOB data types.
- To use jumbo packages (see UseJumboPackages parameter of the StarSQL help). If you initially bind packages with the UseJumboPackages option of the StarAdmin Advanced Settings set to No (the default) and later find that you need more statement handles per connection, rebind the packages with the UseJumboPackages option of the StarAdmin Advanced Settings set to Yes.
- To access DB2 for z/OS when the host is configured to use a multi-byte character set and you need to enable the CustomizePrdid parameter of the StarSQL data source. Add and set the CustomizePrdid parameter to the StarAdmin Advanced Settings before rebinding packages.
Note that rebinding existing packages does not modify or replace the existing permissions on the packages. For example, if you bind packages and grant EXECUTE authority to the PUBLIC user, choosing to bind packages again in the same collection will result in a new set of packages with the same permissions (i.e., PUBLIC users will still have EXECUTE authority on these packages).