Extend your legacy date fields to support a richer set of date values and improve the performance of your reports.

By Gene Cobb

In my previous TechTip, "Converting Legacy Date Fields to DB2 Web Query Dates, Part I," I described how to use the powerful DB2 Web Query for IBM i built-in functions (BIFs) to convert your legacy date fields to "smart dates." These smart dates are virtual columns stored in the metadata and, as such, can be used in DB2 Web Query reports and graphs just like any other field in the data source. In Part II of this TechTip, I'll show you an alternate way of extending your legacy date fields to support a richer set of date values and improve the performance of your reports. This technique involves the introduction of a new table (physical file) to your database: the date conversion table.

The chances of travelers losing sensitive data riding on laptops, mobile devices, or USB drives are running high today for anyone who doesn't effectively encrypt their data.

By Chris Smith

We usually think of encrypting data as a way to protect it from hackers and criminals, but did you ever consider that the U.S. federal government can now search your laptop without probable cause?