SQL/MP Installation and Management Guide

HP NonStop SQL/MP Installation and Management Guide—523353-004
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7
Adding, Altering, Removing, and
Renaming Database Objects
After you create a database, you can assume that the database is consistent and that
application data is valid. Database management operations must ensure the same
level of data consistency and validity.
Any addition, alteration, or deletion to the database should be carefully planned. Only
authorized persons should make changes to the active data dictionary.
You should review all changes to the database for these issues, discussed further in
this section:
•
Will dependent SQL objects be affected? Sometimes a single change makes other
changes necessary for consistency. Your plan for completing a change should
include performing an initial change and, if needed, changes to dependent SQL
objects throughout the database.
•
Does the user making the change have the authority to do so?
•
Are the necessary base tables, partitions, and systems available?
•
What impact would the change have on the production application? Should the
application be stopped to apply this change consistently and without system
degradation?
•
Does the user making the change have a valid recovery mechanism to undo the
change if required?
When you make changes to the database, you should always maintain a log of the
operations of adding, dropping, and altering database objects.
Adding Objects to a Database
Because an SQL/MP database has an active data dictionary, you can add objects to
the database online:
•
Adding a catalog or table to the database is the same as creating the object for the
first time. The addition can require integration into the existing database but does
not affect the validity of the current database or its use.
•
Adding a new dependency (an index, view, column, constraint, comment, or
partition; or object, column or constraint that uses a collation) alters the current
state of the database.