Judy Nall has performed a much-needed service for the DB2 for z/OS community by writing her new book, DB2 9 System Administration for z/OS: Certification Study Guide. There are many DB2 for z/OS books (heck, I wrote one myself) that cover programming, performance, and database administration details. But never before has there been one that focused on system administration and system programming.
Of course, the book is targeted at those looking to become an IBM Certified System Administrator for DB2 for z/OS. I have never taken the exams required for that certification, but the material in this book will go a long way toward making you a better system programmer for a mainframe DB2 environment.
Whereas some of the material can be found in greater detail in other books on the market, we must keep in mind that target market for the book. And the coverage of DB2 fundamentals and performance is well-written and hits the mark for systems folks. And the chapters on installation and migration, system backup and recovery, and systems operation and troubleshooting offer great systems-level knowledge not found in other DB2 for z/OS books.
So while DB2 9 System Administration for z/OS: Certification Study Guide is not for everyone, the people that it is for (systems programmers and systems DBAs) should enjoy it and benefit from the nice job Judy has done organizing and explaining the details of system administration for DB2 for z/OS.