Deploy SQLJ applications

Use Structured Query Language in Java (SQLJ) to develop data access applications that connect to DB2 databases. SQLJ is a set of programming extensions that allow us to use the Java programming language to embed statements that provide SQL (Structured Query Language) database requests.

The advantages of developing applications with SQLJ include improved performance and a shorter, more efficient development cycle. We can achieve the following with SQL:

• Improve performance using static SQL statements.

• Reduce the development cycle:
  • Write less code with the simpler SQLJ syntax, which reduces the number of lines of code required to execute statements, set parameters, and retrieve parameters.

  • Detect programming errors earlier in the development phase with the online check function, which performs data type validation and schema validation. See the DB2 documentation for a complete list of customization options.

Consider using SQLJ in situations where dynamic SQL is not needed, and where applications use DB2 as the database server.

The application server includes enhanced SQLJ support for applications that use container-managed persistence (CMP). The enhanced support includes the following items: include:

• Deploy CMP beans during the application installation in the application server.
• Customizing and binding SQLJ profiles with the administrative console or scripting.
• Customizing and binding SQLJ applications again without needing to reinstall the application.

These enhancements reduce the complexity of installing, deploying, and customizing SQLJ applications for both container-managed and bean-managed persistence.

Tasks

1. Acquire the required drivers to deploy an SQLJ application in the application server. We need the following files, depending on the JDBC provider that we use:

   JDBC provider type	Required files
   DB2 Using IBM JCC Driver This driver is also known as: IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ IBM DB2 Driver for JDBC and SQLJ IBM DB2 Universal JDBC Driver.	db2jcc.jar or db2jcc4.jar
   DB2 Universal JDBC driver (deprecated)	db2jcc.jar

2. Deploy the SQLJ application.

   • Deploy applications that use container-managed persistence (CMP):

     • Deploy SQLJ applications that use CMP with the DB2 Using IBM JCC Driver.
     • Deploy SQLJ applications that use CMP with the ejbdeploy tool.

   • Deploy SQLJ applications that use bean-managed persistence, servlets, or sessions beans.
   • Use embedded SQLJ with the DB2 for z/OS Legacy driver (deprecated).

3. Customize and bind the SQLJ profiles. Before the application server can use an SQLJ application, the SQLJ statements must be processed for the database server. By default, four DB2 packages are created in the database; one package is created for each isolation level. The customization process augments the profiles with information that is specific to the database. If we do not customize the SQLJ profiles, the SQLJ application uses dynamic SQL like a JDBC application.
   • Customize and binding profiles for Structured Query Language in Java (SQLJ) applications.
   • Customize and bind SQLJ profiles with the wsadmin scripting tool. See the topic, Customizing and binding SQLJ profiles with the wsadmin tool.
   • Customize and binding SQLJ profiles with the db2sqljcustomize tool.

Subtopics

• Deploy SQLJ applications that use container-managed persistence (CMP)
  
• Deploy SQLJ applications that use bean-managed persistence, servlets, or sessions beans
  
• Customizing and binding profiles for SQLJ applications
  
• Use embedded SQLJ with the DB2 for z/OS Legacy driver
  
• Directory conventions
  

Deploy SQLJ applications that use container-managed persistence (CMP) with the ejbdeploy tool

Customize and binding SQLJ profiles with the db2sqljcustomize tool

Rational Application Developer: Developing SQLJ applications

Application management