The IBM Maximo Database Configuration tool ensures the integrity and upgradeability of your configuration.
In IBM Maximo, there is the concept of Maximo Business Objects (MBO) and Attributes which translated to database level, an MBO would be a table whereas an Attribute would be a field. Changes to the structure should only be done through the Database Configuration application and not directly through the database. This will ensure that all Maximo rules are observed. After doing the changes in the database configuration, the system will then take care to do the changes to the underlying database, if any are needed.
Learn more about IBM Maximo Asset Management.
The following will further help you understand what can be done through the Database Configuration, and why it is much more than just the tasks one would perform in a database. With this in mind, it is suggested that when dealing with IBM Maximo, one thinks about MBOs and Attributes instead on simply tables and fields.
- Adding/Editing MBOs: One of the most important features in the Database Configuration is adding new MBOs. Here, one of the most important reasons why we should be talking about MBOs and not tables is instantly visible. In Maximo, you can choose to add Non-Persistent MBOs. This means that these would not be present in the physical database. If you execute an SQL statement on such MBO through the database, it will not be found. When adding a new MBO, there are several settings which one should configure. Just to mention a few, you can set a “Custom class” which will tell Maximo which Java class has the logic to be used with this MBO. You can also set the MBO to be a View or enable Auditing for this MBO.
- Adding/Editing Attributes: Apart from adding MBOs, more often you would find yourself adding Attributes to existing MBOs. Attributes can also be Non-Persistent, even if the parent MBO is itself persistent. In the Attribute section, one would set the type of the attribute, default value, class, domain and many more features.
- Setting Indexes: From the Database Configuration, you are also able to set the database indexes. We all know how important indexes are for the performance of databases. Apart from maintaining and adding new indexes as required, from the Select Action menu in the List Tab of the Database Configuration, one of the actions is “Updates Statistics” which will also help the system use the right indexes and work faster.
- Relationships are another important feature in the Database Configuration applications. As the name suggests, relationships are used to create a link between different MBOs, example PO and POLINE. Relationships can then be used practically anywhere, from the UI to Java customizations, and are a very easy way to get data related to a particular record.
- Although domains are a separate application, they are also used with attributes. Setting domains to attributes will help you show and validate the attribute data against a specific set of data. From the database configuration, you can also set default values to attributes, set auto-numbering and set if an attribute is required or not.
- Admin Mode and DB Configuration: When changing configuration in the application, the changes will not be effective until you do a database configuration. So if you are doing a lot of changes, you might choose to do all the changes and then submit them all at once. In order to do the database configuration, sometimes you would need Admin Mode on. Example if you are changing an MBO or adding a new Attribute, you need it on. If you are just changing a Default Value, you don’t need it. When switching Admin Mode on, all users will be kicked out and will not be able to log in.
The features mentioned above are some of the most important features that the IBM Maximo Database Configuration tool offers. Certainly, there are a lot more features not mentioned here.
Read the IBM Maximo Asset Management product sheet.
All in all, the IBM Maximo Database Configuration tool reduces the need to use the database directly to almost none. All changes should be performed from here, as this will ensure the integrity and upgradeability of your configuration. Updates and inserts shouldn’t be done through the database and all such changes are to be done through the Maximo UI. This might seem a bit of a hurdle to people who already know SQL, but this tool and MBOs in general are quite easy and straightforward to use. As all powerful applications, one should also be cautious when doing changes, and database backups are a must to ensure that any mistake or unwanted changes can be reversed.
