IBM Books

Glossary

O

object
(1) Anything that can be created or manipulated with SQL--for example, tables, views, indexes, or packages. (2) In object-oriented design or programming, an abstraction consisting of data and operations associated with that data. (3) For NetWare**, an entity that is defined on the network and thus given access to the file server.

object property
A property that identifies a category of information associated with an object. A NetWare** bindery object can be assigned one or more properties. The DB2 server instance object has an object property NET_ADDR, which denotes the location of the record within the object.

object type
(1) A 2-byte number that classifies an object in the bindery on a NetWare** file server. 062B represents the DB2 database server object type. (2) A categorization or grouping of object instances that share similar behaviors and characteristics.

ODBC
Open Database Connectivity.

ODBC driver
A driver that implements ODBC function calls and interacts with a data source.

offline backup
A backup of the database or table space that was made when the database or table space was not being accessed by applications. The Backup Database utility acquires exclusive use of the database until the backup is complete. Contrast with online backup.

offline restore
A restoration of a copy of a database or table space from a backup. The Backup Database utility has exclusive use of the database until the restore is completed.

online backup
A backup of the database or table space that is made while the database or table space is being accessed by other applications. Contrast with offline backup.

online monitor
See Snapshot Monitor.

online restore
A restoration of a copy of a database or table space while the database or table space is being accessed by other applications. Contrast with offline restore.

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
An API that allows access to database management systems using callable SQL, which does not require the use of a SQL preprocessor. The ODBC architecture allows users to add modules, called database drivers, that link the application to their choice of database management systems at run time. Applications do not have to be linked directly to the modules of all the supported database management systems.

operand
An entity on which an operation is performed.

optimized SQL text
SQL text, produced by the Explain facility, based on the query actually used by the optimizer to choose the access plan. This query has been supplemented and rewritten by the various components of the SQL compiler during statement compilation. The text has been reconstructed from its internal representation, and differs from the original SQL text. The optimized statement produces the same result as the original statement.

optimizer
A component of the SQL compiler that chooses an access plan for a DML statement by modelling the execution cost of many alternative access plans and choosing the one with the minimal estimated cost.

ordinary identifier
In SQL, a letter, which might be followed by zero or more characters, each of which is a letter (a-z and A-Z), a symbol, a number, or the underscore character, used to form a name.

ordinary token
A numeric constant, an ordinary identifier, a host identifier, or a keyword.

outer join
A join method in which a column that is not common to all of the tables being joined becomes part of the resultant table. Contrast with inner join.

output file
A database or device file that is opened with the option to allow the writing of records.

overflow record
(1) On an indirectly addressed file, a record whose key is randomized to the address of a full track or to the address of a home record. (2) In DB2, an updated record that is too large to fit on the page it is currently stored in. The record is copied to a different page and its original location is replaced with a pointer to the new location. (3) In Database Monitor, a record inserted in the event monitor data stream to indicate that records were discarded because the named pipe was full and records were not processed in time. An overflow record indicates how many records were discarded.

overloaded function name
A function name for which there are multiple functions within a function path or schema. Those within the same schema must have different signatures.


[ Top of Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Table of Contents ]

[ DB2 List of Books | Search the DB2 Books ]