Informix Integration Archives - Oninit Consulting

Connection Manager for DRDA and HDR

Abstract

Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) provides a simple way to replicate a whole instance to a hot standby system, namely High-availability Data Replication (HDR). The similar Remote Standalone Secondary (RSS) mode has some additional features, but is normally only used in addition to HDR when there are more than two nodes in a cluster, as fail-over requires more steps. Note that a passive replica not running any workload does not require a licence. In either case, a group can be defined for use in client connection details instead of a specific Informix server name, so that the session is routed to whichever is currently the primary in a pair. This is done in the sqlhosts file, except for non-Java APIs on Windows where the Setnet32 app maintains equivalent registry entries. However, such a group only works for native protocols and not Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA). That protocol is shared with DB2, and has drivers which are better supported for some development environments such as .Net via the IBM Data Server Driver Package on Windows. Automating fail-over for DRDA clients therefore needs the Informix Connection Manager (CM). This article provides an example configuration in which each server in an HDR pair runs CM as well as IDS, avoiding the need for separate CM hosts, but still providing automated fail-over without any VIP or DNS change.

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Connection Manager for DRDA and HDRDoug Lawry2026-02-26T11:50:23+00:00

Informix Workgroup cluster relocation

Abstract

We were recently asked to move an Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) Workgroup Edition (WE) version 14.10.FC8 High-availability Data Replication (HDR) server pair to new hardware in another country. The application is a critical 24×7 public service, and only a short break in service would be tolerated. The instance has around 1.5TB used pages, so we needed to have the databases replicated at the new site beforehand. That was a problem because WE only allows 3 replicas to be connected, and there is also a Remote Standalone Secondary (RSS) instance which was not moving. This article explains how it was achieved.

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Informix Workgroup cluster relocationDoug Lawry2024-06-14T11:54:02+01:00

Informix Read-Only Access

Abstract

Informix DBAs are often asked to provide login details for a user account that should only be allowed to view data or run reports. In other database products such as Microsoft SQL Server, a suitable database level privilege is available, but this is not so easy with Informix Dynamic Server (IDS). This article describes how to achieve this, including a script to perform the bulk of the work.

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Informix Read-Only AccessDoug Lawry2021-11-19T15:38:02+00:00

Informix Connection Logging

Abstract

There is no built-in way to view the history of connections to an IBM Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) database once they have terminated. Doing so can be the key to solving questions such as where a user is located or who has been performing particular SQL actions, whether it be for auditing, application improvement, or user training. This article outlines a simple solution that can be implemented to append connection details to an external text file as a permanent record, and goes further to describe how that can then be maintained and accessed with SQL.

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Informix Connection LoggingDoug Lawry2023-01-25T09:55:55+00:00

Making Microsoft SQL Linked Server and Informix Standard engine work

Abstract

Microsoft SQL Server is a popular choice for consolidation of report data from multiple database products, as its Linked Server feature – which is included in the base product – makes it possible to access tables in heterogeneous databases within T-SQL via OLE DB or ODBC. However, the settings are not obvious that are required to make this work with Informix Standard Engine (SE) – the legacy version of Informix that uses C-ISAM to store tables (*.dat) and indexes (*.idx) in individual files (whereas Dynamic Server manages storage within its own “dbspaces”). This article reveals how to make Microsoft SQL Linked Server and Informix Standard Engine work together.

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Making Microsoft SQL Linked Server and Informix Standard engine workDoug Lawry2020-08-14T13:21:38+01:00

Making Microsoft SQL Linked Server and DB2 work

Abstract

Microsoft SQL Server is a popular choice for consolidation of report data from multiple database products, as its Linked Server feature – which is included in the base product – makes it possible to access tables in heterogeneous databases within T-SQL via OLE DB. However, there are some settings required to make this work seamlessly, which are described in this article as they are not that obvious.

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Making Microsoft SQL Linked Server and DB2 workDoug Lawry2020-08-18T15:29:56+01:00

Is the cloud the right place for IBM Informix?

“We saw an increase in computed throughput of 42%” Read how the free version, Innovator-C edition and Workgroup edition compare in a cloud environment when being stress tested by TPC-C benchmark. “The total daily cost was less than the price of 2 cups of coffee”

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Is the cloud the right place for IBM Informix?Tristan Baron, John Baker2020-08-18T15:36:03+01:00

Making Microsoft SQL Linked Server and Informix work

Abstract

Microsoft SQL Server is a popular choice for consolidation of report data from multiple database products, as its Linked Server feature – which is included in the base product unlike Informix Enterprise Gateway Manager – makes it possible to access tables in heterogeneous databases within T-SQL via OLE DB. However, there are some settings required to make this work seamlessly, which are described in this article as they are not that obvious.

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Making Microsoft SQL Linked Server and Informix workDoug Lawry2020-08-14T12:41:16+01:00

Easy IWA: Part 4 Running a selection of TPCH Queries accelerated by IBM Informix Warehouse Accelerator 12.10.FC4

Abstract

This fourth and final article in the Easy IWA series provides a demonstration of accelerating a selection of TPCH queries, based on the TPCH warehouse queries, by IBM Informix Warehouse Accelerator. Building on previous articles, this provides the ability to accelerate a set of SQL queries within a directory against IWA with sub-second timing, demonstrating the speed of query acceleration that can be attained. Provided with this article are the SQL queries and a driver script where a database (or multiple databases) is specified and the SQL queries are run against the specified database with the request to accelerate by IWA

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Easy IWA: Part 4 Running a selection of TPCH Queries accelerated by IBM Informix Warehouse Accelerator 12.10.FC4Jon Ritson2021-06-08T16:39:23+01:00

Easy IWA: Part 3 Creating and Loading a Data Mart under IBM Informix 12.10.FC4 and IBM Informix Warehouse Accelerator

Abstract

This third article in the Easy IWA series provides specific worked examples of creating two Data Marts under IBM Informix Dynamic Server and IBM Informix Warehouse Accelerator 12.10.FC4. Both examples use the “smart mart” utility, with the first example loading from external tables into IBM Informix tables and subsequently into an IWA Data Mart; the second loads directly into an IWA Data Mart from external tables. Both examples use the TPCH data generation utility and schema as detailed in a previous article, with the addition of the removal of unsuitable “*_comment” columns via a simple in-line pipe and sed or awk approach.

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Easy IWA: Part 3 Creating and Loading a Data Mart under IBM Informix 12.10.FC4 and IBM Informix Warehouse AcceleratorJon Ritson2020-08-18T15:38:31+01:00

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