dynamic DB2 database manager configuration parameters: must be connected!

I was testing some updates to the code that gets executed when we process an update db cfg. Specifically, something of the following form

db2 update db cfg for b using CF_SCA_SZ 4096
db2 get db cfg for b | grep CF_SCA_SZ

I wanted to override the automatic default to set it to something very small to force a testing condition for my code. With an earlier version of my changes for this cfg update, I was able to do these sorts of updates dynamically, but then I started hitting errors like

DB20000I  The UPDATE DATABASE CONFIGURATION command completed successfully.
SQL1363W  One or more of the parameters submitted for immediate modification
were not changed dynamically. For these configuration parameters, the database
must be shutdown and reactivated before the configuration parameter changes
become effective. 

I figured that I’d messed things up with my changes, preventing the dynamic config updates, but couldn’t figure out what. I proceeded to take db2trc’s, seeing how far through the internal function sqlfUpdateDbCfg() [which shows up in the db2diag.log], before there was a failure, and finally bugged the owner of the configuration code.

Turns out the resolution of this problem shouldn’t have been pouring through the source code, taking internal traces, and bugging developers that knew about the code. Instead I needed to RTFM (although the cfg owner nicely didn’t say that). Here’s what the help says for this error:

db2 \? SQL1363W


SQL1363W  One or more of the parameters submitted for immediate
      modification were not changed dynamically. For these configuration
      parameters, the database must be shutdown and reactivated before
      the configuration parameter changes become effective.

Explanation:

The database configuration command has been successfully processed.
However, not all changes were processed right away.

Changes to database configuration parameters can only take effect
dynamically if you are connected to the database. Not all configuration
parameters support dynamic update, meaning that they will not take
effect until the database is deactivated and reactivated.
...

I’d activated my database, but hadn’t connected. Earlier when I didn’t have this trouble I must have been connected. Simple explanation, leaving me feeling very dumb.

A disgusting example of war propaganda in Tuesday’s Toronto Star

For some reason, a paper copy of the Tues-June-4-2013 of the Toronto Star, came home by way of the public school system yesterday  with the grade one member of the household.  It contained the following vile statement, penned by Mitch Potter:

“But Manning grew disillusioned in late 2009 in the wake of an attack that caused Iraqi casualties without costing American lives”

Why do I call this statement vile?  Why did reading this turn my stomach?  Why did this disturb me so much that I spent the last few hours of my attempt to sleep last night tossing and turning?

The use of “disillusioned” describes an event (or events) shocking severe enough that Manning risked his career, his liberty, and perhaps even his life to bring it to light.  Specifically, he had seen the video now known as “Collateral Murder”, and the subsequent coverup of the incident.  This coverup was made eventually made available by wikileaks.  This is a video record of the one incident where civilians were slaughtered because somebody perceived that they were armed with and firing AK47’s and RPGs.

The spin imposed by Potter in this article is mind boggling.  He apparently desired a way to show the whistleblowing of Manning in a negative light.  A statement like “Iraqi casualties without costing American lives” does just that.  It is anonymous enough that somebody who didn’t know what he was talking about might imagine that there had been some sort of glorious battle where the American military showed valour and skill, and managed to beat the enemy without any injury to themselves.

The problem is this.  The US Iraq invasion force has been sent in with loaded weapons, they’ve been indoctrinated to imagine they are fighting an enemy, so they see and find and create enemies that do not exist.  This is inevitable.  This is the crime of war.

There was a man carrying a camera.  Later pentagon inquiry found that there was an RPG with these men, but I’d trust that claim no further than I could spit.

A camera could be a dangerous weapon in this day and age where media manufactures the stories that support their preconceived ideas and agendas.  It could be used to show that war is nothing more than viscous profiteering.  There has been little use of cameras for this purpose in North American mainstream media.