Need help. I am completely unfamiliar with DB2, but I am trying to do a database audit for our company. One of the files returned is an .lob file and when I open it with Word or Text Pad, it shows strange symbols, like squares filling the page. Does anybody know of an easy way to open this file so I can actually read what's contained in it? Any help is greatly appreciated.

John,

When you say "one of the files returned" how exactly do you mean.   The most common way I would expect to see .lob files produced is if someone did an export of a table containing LOB (CLOB, BLOB) files and they used the export parameter "MODIFIED BY LOBSINSEPFILES".   That dumps the non-LOB contents of the table to a standard export file, but puts each of the LOB columns into a separate file.   In the main file you'd get a reference to the file name for each row / column combination.  

If you are seeing strange symbols in this file, it is most likely a BLOB (binary large object column).   You'd therefore need to know what produced the binary data.   BLOBs are typically used for multimedia files such as photos, videos and such like.

If you could provide a bit more detail that would be helpful.  Particularly the contents of the directory where you see this .lob file and any files with similar names.

HTH

Phil Nelson

Need help. I am completely unfamiliar with DB2, but I am trying to do a database audit for our company. One of the files returned is an .lob file and when I open it with Word or Text Pad, it shows strange symbols, like squares filling the page. Does anybody know of an easy way to open this file so I can actually read what's contained in it? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Phil,

Thank you very much for your response. I apologize for the lack of detail, but I am a database novice as I only perform database access reviews for our company. Basically, I asked for a user listing for all accounts which have access to our PA2 system in SAP, which is apparently held on a DB2 database. I received SYSIBM.SYSUSERAUTH csv files, which I can obviously read, but the addended lob file just shows symbols. In this review I am performing, it looks like the lob file characters are populating the Auth_Desc column in this review, which I am assuming shows what kind of access these accounts have and is critical to this review.  I have attached a screenshot of the file names hoping that will help. When you say BLOB files, do you mean binary, as if they would only show numbers?

John,

When you say "one of the files returned" how exactly do you mean.   The most common way I would expect to see .lob files produced is if someone did an export of a table containing LOB (CLOB, BLOB) files and they used the export parameter "MODIFIED BY LOBSINSEPFILES".   That dumps the non-LOB contents of the table to a standard export file, but puts each of the LOB columns into a separate file.   In the main file you'd get a reference to the file name for each row / column combination.  

If you are seeing strange symbols in this file, it is most likely a BLOB (binary large object column).   You'd therefore need to know what produced the binary data.   BLOBs are typically used for multimedia files such as photos, videos and such like.

If you could provide a bit more detail that would be helpful.  Particularly the contents of the directory where you see this .lob file and any files with similar names.

HTH

Phil Nelson

Need help. I am completely unfamiliar with DB2, but I am trying to do a database audit for our company. One of the files returned is an .lob file and when I open it with Word or Text Pad, it shows strange symbols, like squares filling the page. Does anybody know of an easy way to open this file so I can actually read what's contained in it? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Phil,

Thank you very much for your response. I apologize for the lack of detail, but I am a database novice as I only perform database access reviews for our company. Basically, I asked for a user listing for all accounts which have access to our PA2 system in SAP, which is apparently held on a DB2 database. I received SYSIBM.SYSUSERAUTH csv files, which I can obviously read, but the addended lob file just shows symbols. In this review I am performing, it looks like the lob file characters are populating the Auth_Desc column in this review, which I am assuming shows what kind of access these accounts have and is critical to this review.  I have attached a screenshot of the file names hoping that will help. When you say BLOB files, do you mean binary, as if they would only show numbers?

John,

When you say "one of the files returned" how exactly do you mean.   The most common way I would expect to see .lob files produced is if someone did an export of a table containing LOB (CLOB, BLOB) files and they used the export parameter "MODIFIED BY LOBSINSEPFILES".   That dumps the non-LOB contents of the table to a standard export file, but puts each of the LOB columns into a separate file.   In the main file you'd get a reference to the file name for each row / column combination.  

If you are seeing strange symbols in this file, it is most likely a BLOB (binary large object column).   You'd therefore need to know what produced the binary data.   BLOBs are typically used for multimedia files such as photos, videos and such like.

If you could provide a bit more detail that would be helpful.  Particularly the contents of the directory where you see this .lob file and any files with similar names.

HTH

Phil Nelson

Need help. I am completely unfamiliar with DB2, but I am trying to do a database audit for our company. One of the files returned is an .lob file and when I open it with Word or Text Pad, it shows strange symbols, like squares filling the page. Does anybody know of an easy way to open this file so I can actually read what's contained in it? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Phil,

Thank you very much for your response. I apologize for the lack of detail, but I am a database novice as I only perform database access reviews for our company. Basically, I asked for a user listing for all accounts which have access to our PA2 system in SAP, which is apparently held on a DB2 database. I received SYSIBM.SYSUSERAUTH csv files, which I can obviously read, but the addended lob file just shows symbols. In this review I am performing, it looks like the lob file characters are populating the Auth_Desc column in this review, which I am assuming shows what kind of access these accounts have and is critical to this review.  I have attached a screenshot of the file names hoping that will help. When you say BLOB files, do you mean binary, as if they would only show numbers?

John,

When you say "one of the files returned" how exactly do you mean.   The most common way I would expect to see .lob files produced is if someone did an export of a table containing LOB (CLOB, BLOB) files and they used the export parameter "MODIFIED BY LOBSINSEPFILES".   That dumps the non-LOB contents of the table to a standard export file, but puts each of the LOB columns into a separate file.   In the main file you'd get a reference to the file name for each row / column combination.  

If you are seeing strange symbols in this file, it is most likely a BLOB (binary large object column).   You'd therefore need to know what produced the binary data.   BLOBs are typically used for multimedia files such as photos, videos and such like.

If you could provide a bit more detail that would be helpful.  Particularly the contents of the directory where you see this .lob file and any files with similar names.

HTH

Phil Nelson

Need help. I am completely unfamiliar with DB2, but I am trying to do a database audit for our company. One of the files returned is an .lob file and when I open it with Word or Text Pad, it shows strange symbols, like squares filling the page. Does anybody know of an easy way to open this file so I can actually read what's contained in it? Any help is greatly appreciated.