IIUG Insider (Issue #115) January 2010 Other Issues

Highlights: IDS 11.50 xC6 is GA; Participate in the Early Access Program for the Next Release of Informix Dynamic Server

Welcome to the International Informix Users Group (IIUG) Insider! Designed for IIUG members and Informix user group leaders, this publication contains timely and relevant information for the IBM Informix community.

Contents:

• Editorial
• Highlights
  • IDS 11.50 xC6 is GA
  • Participate in the Early Access Program for the Next Release of Informix Dynamic Server
• Conference corner
  • 2010 IIUG Informix Conference Update
• Education
  • Advanced DataTools
  • IBM
• Developer corner
  • Informix Chat with the Lab
  • New in DeveloperWorks
• Informix support Corner
• Handling Defaults for programming sysdbopen()
• IBM Corner
• Business Partners: Attend the Informix Dynamic Server 11.5 Bootcamp Coming to a City Near You
• Nominations are Open for the IBM Information Champion Program
• Informix news
  • IBM Informix Receives "Vendor of the Year" Award from VendorRate
• Informix news
  • Informix resources
• Calendar of events
• Useful links
• Closing and credits

Happy new year to all IIUG members!

I wish you all a wonderful year. However I am not sure it is going to be a good year for Informix.

Last January I wondered if IBM will continue the momentum of growing and improving Informix. Today I have no answer to this question. IBM is acting like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

On one hand Informix is dramatically improving. Every fix pack is loaded with new features. Mach 11 and the warehouse capabilities are positioning Informix ahead of any other database including DB2. The Panther release is due this year. It is going to be a huge improvement (if you want to know more about it join the EVP program. You can read more about it in the following section).

However if you talk to IBM executives or read the press, Informix does not exist. It looks as if things are set back to 2001.

Once again we need to say loud and clear that Oracle and MS SQL server are alternatives to Informix. They are inferior but if forced we will migrate to one of them. DB2 is not an option.

Gary Ben-Israel
IIUG Insider Editor
gary@iiug.org

Once again we have a great new release packed with new features and performance improvements. To find more about it download the white paper from:

http://www.iiug.org/news/announcements/ids_11.50xC6.php

The IBM Informix Dynamic Server Panther release extends Informix core strengths to help you reduce your cost of doing business and shorten the time to value. By participating in the Early Access Program you will:

• Get early exposure to new capabilities and assist the IBM Information Management team in defining the roadmap.
• Have access to IBM resources through lab advocates to ensure successful deployment of new Informix features.
• Be able to prototype solutions in your environment for faster deployment.

IBM seeks participants in this program from a variety of industries, including Retail, Financial Services, Telecommunications (Industrial), Government, Health, and Research.

To submit your nomination and learn what is required of you in the program, complete the form at this link. If you have any questions, please send an email to ahujam@us.ibm.com.

Greetings!

The IIUG Conference Planning Committee had to work extra hard this year, wading through a record number of abstracts submitted - over 250!

As a result, we have what we think is the best selection of Informix technical content ever. There will be new topics, new user speakers, and new IBM presenters.

Another first for the IIUG Conference - we will be offering Hands-on Labs during the week, in addition to the regular technical sessions.

We are highlighting a few of the offerings below. See the conference website for all the details.

Tutorials

We will be offering 8 half day tutorials the Sunday, April 25, before the conference begins. Here is a sample of two of them:

Rev Up Your Engine, Improve the Speed of Your IDS - John Miller
This presentation will focus on how to improve your database performance. We will examine a few main areas which will give the student detailed knowledge about IDS. These include the how to improve the efficiency of your network, getting more bandwidth for less, improving the response time of SQL statements, when and how to utilize fragmentation/partition to improve response times of queries especially on large tables, indexing and how you can improve the efficiency of indexes and the btree scanner. Lastly how to utilize the new performance features in IDS increasing performance for less work.

Informix Warehouse Unleashed! - Pamela Siebert
This hands-on lab gives you a look at the Informix Warehouse Feature and its components. It will first introduce you to the context behind the new tools available and the value they add in a data warehouse scenario based on Informix, and then, it will give you a hands-on and example-driven view of the Informix Warehouse Client component, the Design Studio, by going through the steps for creating a simplified data warehouse and data extract-load-transform (ELT) project, identifying the source and the target databases involved, and designing the database physical model you have planned for your target Informix warehouse. Then, you will continue using Design Studio to create and test the jobs for extracting, loading, and transforming data from various sources into the target warehouse repository on Informix. Finally, you will learn the usage of the server components in the Informix Warehouse to manage and monitor resources associated to your warehouse.

For all the details on tutorials, please go to: http://www.iiug.org/conf/2010/iiug/tutorials.php

Sessions

There will be over 80 Technical sessions offered on Informix Mon- Wed. (April 26-28, 2010) Here are a few examples:

• Informix Dynamic Server can be Groovy -- Adam Hattrell, IBM
• New Informix Features for Application Developers. -- Mark Jamison, IBM Information Management
• Performance Tuning for Informix applications -- Khem Chander, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; Wen-Ching Chiang, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
• Using Informix to Break into a New Market -- Robert Dant, Centric iSolutions, Inc.
• Implementing SDS (Shared Disk Secondary) Tips and Tricks -- Jeff Filippi, Integrated Data Consulting, LLC
• Building Data Warehouses with IBM Informix -- Lester Knutsen, Advanced DataTools Corp.
• How's Your BI? - Building your BI platform with Informix Warehouse and Cognos Express -- Rajesh Nair, IBM
• Conversion Guard - Making it easier than ever to migrate between IDS versions -- Scott Lashley, IBM
• Upgrading Hardware and IBM Informix Dynamic Server with Zero Downtime -- Ron Privett, IBM; Andrew Ford, NetworkIP

For more detail, please visit:

http://www.iiug.org/conf/2010/iiug/sessions.php

Hands-on Labs

For the first time, we will be offering hands-on labs during the conference week. Here are the topics that will be delivered. More information to follow.

1. Embedding IDS
2. Using Optim Test Data with IDS
3. Everything you wanted to know about CAF and Failover
4. Admin of IDS HA and Replication using OAT
5. Cloud using IDS

And more...

Some useless trivia - Kansas City the City of Fountains:

Did you know that Kansas City is home to more fountains than any city in the world except Rome? Kansas City's love affair with fountains may have to do with the importance of water to the city's development. The city is located where the Kansas and Missouri rivers meet and many arrived in Kansas City by steamboat to begin their overland journeys west.

Water, or the ability to get over it, was also important in the city's growth. Kansas City was the first city to build a railroad bridge over the Missouri River (the Hannibal Bridge in 1869), ensuring that Kansas City would become the major city in the region.

The fountain you see in the 2010 IIUG conference logo and on the website is one of Kansas City's landmarks - The JC Nichols Memorial fountain. Erected in 1960, the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain is the most photographed and well known of all the Kansas City Fountains.

At the East entrance to the Plaza, the four horses are said to represent four rivers: the Mississippi, Volga, Seine and the Rhine.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Overland Park in April!

Register Now!

http://www.iiug.org/conf/2010/iiug/index.php

Cindy Lichtenanuer
IIUG Conference Planning Committee

Registration is now open for the 3rd Information On Demand EMEA Conference 2010! This industry-leading, pan-IBM event will be held from May 19 - 21 in Rome, Italy, and provides you with the strategy and roadmap you need to turn information into a strategic driver of innovation, business optimization and competitive differentiation - an information-led transformation of your business.

Take advantage of the Early Bird registration discount and save up to €610 if you register before February 26.

Register at: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/uk/data/conf/

Upcoming Webcasts on Informix and Data Warehousing by Lester Knutsen of Advanced DataTools:

• Fast Data Warehouse Schemas - Deploying a Star Schema
  Date: Tuesday February 23, 2010
  Time: 2:00pm EST
  Register: http://www.iiug.org/url/adt_webcast_23feb.html
• Successfully Transform and Load Your DataWarehouse - Using the Informix Data Warehouse Feature
  Date: Tuesday March 30, 2010
  Time: 2:00pm EST
  Register: http://www.iiug.org/url/adt_webcast_30mar.html
• Key to Enterprise Data Warehouse Development - Data Marts are Building Blocks to the Enterprise
  Date: Tuesday April 20, 2010
  Time: 2:00pm EST
  Register: http://www.iiug.org/url/adt_webcast_20apr.html

Contact Advanced DataTools for more information and to discuss your unique data warehouse needs:

Call: 1-800-807-6732 x101
Email: info@advancedatatools.com

Free Informix Dynamic Server 11.5 Fundamentals Certification Exam (555) prep materials

To help you get better prepared for the IBM Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) 11.50 Fundamentals certification exam (555), take advantage of a series of nine helpful tutorials. Available in either online or PDF formats, these tutorials will help you get a solid base for each section of the exam.

Get started today!

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/offers/lp/idscert/ids-cert555.html

IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ (also known as JCC driver) has been enhanced to support IDS servers, since Cheetah (11.10UC1) release. This common driver for all IBM data servers have several advantages over Informix JDBC driver, especially in the areas of JDBC 4 capability, transaction-level work load balancing with Mach 11, tight integration with Websphere, pureQuery and other IM products, support for secure SSL among others.

Join IBM JCC Development Manager, Satheesh Bandaram, at the upcoming Informix Chat with the Lab as he discusses best practices around usage of IBM Data server driver for JDBC and SQLJ for IDS. He will examine migration path, challenges you might encounter and some useful tips.

Jerry Keesee, Director of the Informix Lab will introduce the call and Satheesh Bandaram, IBM JCC Development Manager will be our technical speaker.

Presentation material will be available at http://www.ibm.com/informix/labchats prior to the event.

Register at https://events.webdialogs.com/register.php?id=d44771608d%26l=en-US.

IBM Informix
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/products/informix/index.html
IBM Informix software delivers superior database performance for transaction intensive environments. developerWorks is the technical resource center for IBM Informix software, including technical articles, documentation, downloads, and support information.

21 Jan 2010

Data warehousing
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/products/datawarehousing/index.html
IBM's warehousing solutions provide you with all of the capabilities necessary to glean maximum return from your information.

21 Jan 2010

The Informix High Performance Loader - Part 3
http://www.dbmag.intelligententerprise.com/blog/main/archives/2008/07/the_informix_hi_2.html
Look at the more tedious, but sometimes necessary, High Performance Loader maps and formats objects.

15 Jan 2010

The Informix High Performance Loader - Part 1
http://www.dbmag.intelligententerprise.com/blog/main/archives/2008/05/the_informix_hi.html
Understand the basics of High Performance Loader. Follow a simple HPL scenario of unloading a large table to a single flat file and loading this data into a new table with the same schema.

15 Jan 2010

DBA Central
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/zones/dba/index.html
developerWorks DBA Central page is the technical resource center for the IBM Information Management database administrator and includes technical articles, tutorials, downloads, tools, code samples, and more.

14 Jan 2010

nformation Management and SOA
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/zones/webservices/index.html
Learn how you can use SOA and Web services technology with IBM Information Management products.

14 Jan 2010

For more information go to DeveloperWorks - Informix:
http://www.iiug.org/url/devworks.html

As a DBA or Cross platform developer dealing with necessary defaults, or enforcing them has always been difficult. As a Programmer the process is a pain to set up all your defaults, like isolation level, and each time you get a new hire, you have to re-teach and often go through the painful process of someone not adhering to those standards. As a DBA not having a way to easily enforce standards is often a clear means of frustration. With that in mind Informix version 11 introduced a new feature, a stored procedure, per database, that would be triggered any time a session connected to the database. So now you can set your default PDQPRIORITY or your isolation level without application members having to remember to add it to their data source, or recompile if the defaults change. So how do you do something like this, it's simple, just use sydbopen() like the following:

CREATE PROCEDURE public.sysdbopen();

SET pdqpriority 1;

SET ENVIRONMENT OPTCOMPIND '1';

SET ISOLATION COMMITTED READ;

SYSTEM "echo Logged IN: " || USER || " " ||

CURRENT || " >> /tmp/mylog";

END PROCEDURE;

What the above does is log when a user actually connects, and sets default PDQPRIORITY, OPTCOMPIND, and ISOLATION LEVEL. The nice thing is that this pushes these defaults out of the application. No longer will an app team have to recompile because the DBA.s have decided that PDQPRIORITY needs to be 10, you can just drop and recreate the sysdbopen() procedure to deal with it. If you want to log additional info each time a session closes a database, you can call the other bookend to the sysdbopen() procedure, sysdbclose().

- Mark Jamison

The three-day Informix Dynamic Server 11.5 Bootcamp is a technical workshop for IBM Business Partners providing training in a classroom setting. Detailed presentations and hands-on labs offer attendees in-depth knowledge of exciting new features, including:

• Continuous Availability
• Informix Warehouse
• Security features such as label-based access control (LBAC)
• OpenAdmin Tool
• Administration and performance tuning
• Plus much more

Business Partners with applications currently running on Informix Dynamic Server or who are new to working with the solution can benefit from this workshop by learning how Informix Dynamic Server can add value to your offerings. Business consultants are also welcome to attend.

For a detailed agenda and a list of scheduled Bootcamps, visit the Web site:

http://www.iiug.org/url/2010_bootcamps.html

Nominations are currently open for the IBM Information Champion Program. Anyone can nominate an Information Champion (including self-nominations). This program recognizes individuals who have made the most outstanding contributions to the Informix community over the past 12-18 months. Please note that the deadline for nominations is Feb 15. Please send completed nominations to champion@us.ibm.com.

You can read more about the program at http://www.ibm.com/software/data/champion/.

You can see the current names and profiles of Information Champions at http://www.ibm.com/software/data/champion/profiles/.

The nomination form is available at http://www.ibm.com/software/data/champion/nomination.html.

FAQs about the program are available at http://www.01.ibm.com/software/data/champion/faq.html.

The types of contributions we are looking to recognize individuals for include:

• Advocating IBM Information Management products and solutions with competence and credibility via content, blogs, thought leadership, event presentations, customer references or videos, etc.
• Sharing technical knowledge with the community and providing valuable support to the community such as authoring books, blogs, forums, redbooks, articles, etc.
• Nurturing Information Management communities including online communities and social groups, user groups, regional user groups and communities - especially in emerging countries

The new Information Champions for 2010 will be announced in March.

This program focuses on the community and recognizes individual contributors to the growth of the community. Therefore, this is YOUR program. Please nominate an Information Champion today. For more information about the program, please contact Amit Patel at amitpatel@us.ibm.com.

VendorRate, www.vendorrate.com, a Web-based business information service offering quick, confidential performance ratings and comparisons of technology vendors, announced IBM Informix was rated the top vendor for overall customer satisfaction in 2009.

IBM Informix' score of 94.3 out of a possible 100 was the top overall mark for 2009 and has placed first or second on VendorRate in each quarter since Q3 2008. VendorRate users rate vendors on ten specific performance criteria, including customer service, reliability, integrity, budget, and effectiveness. The results produce a cumulative score up to 100. VendorRate is vendor neutral and accepts neither vendor sponsorship nor advertising.

• The IIUG forums at http://www.iiug.org/forums/technical.php **** these are very good****
• Blogs, Videos, News and more at http://planetids.com
• IDS Experts at http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/idsteam
• Guy Bowerman at http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/gbowerman
• Madison Pruet at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/roundrep
• Jacques Roy at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/jacquesroy
• Cathy Elliott at https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/InformixVoices
• Informix blogs at http://www.ibmdatabasemag.com/blog/main/archives/informix/index.html
• Kate Dawson at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/katedawson
• Fernando Nunes at http://informix-technology.blogspot.com/
• Virtual Worlds, MMOGs, Serious data - Informix Technology for Persistent Worlds http://informix4virtual.wordpress.com/
• IBM DATABASE MAGAZINE at http://www.ibmdatabasemag.com
• The Informix Zone at http://www.informix-zone.com
• The Informix mag at http://www.informixmag.com/
• IIUG Developers Desktop http://www.iiug.org/devnews/Vol_1_Iss_4/Home.html
• There is an Informix group on LinkedIn. The group is called "Informix Supporter", so anyone loving Informix can join, from current IBM employees, former Informix employees, to users. It will also be a good occasion to get in touch with others or long-time-no-seen friends. If you fancy showing the Informix logo on your profile, join. To join, simply go to: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/25049/5E4B2048E558

In response to your input, we have created a page on the IIUG web site containing all the links we used to include. Please find it at:

http://www.iiug.org/quicklinks.html

The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization designed to enhance communications between its worldwide user community and IBM. The IIUG's membership database now exceeds 25,000 entries and enjoys the support and commitment of IBM's Data Management division. Key programs include local user groups and special interest groups, which we promote and assist from launch through growth.

For comments, please send an email to gary@iiug.org.