Development Modes

Prototyping Mode	This is the default mode of operation. Use this mode primarily when designing new databases. If you intend to make changes to an existing DB2 database that cannot be made in Production Mode, then you should carefully consider the possibility of data loss and /or how applications dependent on this database will be affected by the changes. In Prototyping Mode, DB2 tables are modified using the DB2 ALTER TABLE statement when possible; otherwise, a new table that defines the extended table alterations replaces the old one. Any data that is compatible with the new design is retained. Any new tables are created using Migration Mode options.
Migration Mode	Use this mode if you are migrating an existing Access database to DB2 or designing a new database and are not concerned with losing any existing DB2 data. It is usually faster to implement extensive changes in Migration Mode rather than Prototyping Mode. You can also use Migration Mode to transfer data to DB2 tables with corresponding definitions. See Options.
Production Mode	This is the safe way to make changes to DB2 databases that contain important data and/or are used by application programs. In Production Mode, DB2 tables (corresponding to Access tables) are modified using DB2 ALTER TABLE statements only. Changes made using ALTER TABLE are safe in that they will not affect the behavior of any existing applications or other database objects. Any new tables are created using Migration Mode schema options.

Supported “Safe” Modifications

Add a new column to the end of a table. If a field is inserted before other fields in an Access table, the DB2 table will require rebuilding since existing columns need be repositioned. Adding an AutoNumber column also requires that the table be rebuilt.
Increase the length of a VARCHAR column.
Add or drop Primary, Unique and Foreign keys (including any cascade update related triggers.)
Add or drop Check constraints.
Add or drop Indexes

Press the Update DB2 button to synchronize or deploy selected tables. Change the default Choosing Options to meet your development needs. The Status Page displays the progress of the synchronization.