Updated June 2020
Open source C program “bsed” is no longer accessible and has been superceded by “bbe”:
Examples in this article have been reworked accordingly.
Abstract
Depending on your IDS version, you may be unable to restore a test instance from production using “ontape” if the edition (Ultimate/Enterprise, Growth/Workgroup or Innovator) is different, even if the version is otherwise the same. This article provides a solution.
Content
If you attempt to restore from an “ontape” level 0 archive made on a different IDS Edition, you can get an error such as:
In fact, as long as the version is otherwise identical, such a restore should be possible as the data content is compatible.
You can trick “ontape” by substituting the version number with a binary stream editor such as “bbe” (source code publicly available).
An example solution adapted from a real case follows:
Another real case required restoring from an archive made with a different special build, which is normally refused in similar fashion:
Conclusion
Restoring from a different IDS edition with “ontape” is possible using this trick, whereas restoring from a different version is inadvisable.
Disclaimer
The code fix suggested above is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of condition, uninterrupted use, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about “ontape” and Informix, simply contact us.
