IIUG Insider (Issue #57) March 2005

Highlights: IIUG Conference in just two months, Denver CO, May 22 – 26, 2005

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.

Editorial…
IIUG Conference – Mark your calendars May 22 – 26, 2005
Press coverage of IDS 10.0
SAP Discontinues Support for IDS
IBM Informix Dynamic Server v10.0 Infobahn Launch Seminars
A brief extract of the new IBM Informix Products installer
HP-UX Itanium Adoption Survey
IIUG Board member Kate Tomchik profiled
Informix Chat with the Lab: Informix IDS v10.0
LUG meeting schedule
REPLAY NOW AVAILABLE – IBM Webcast – Developing with Informix or U2?
IBM Informix Dynamic Server information center
Developer Corner
Free Download
Useful Links
Closing and Credits

Editorial…

With the announcement of IDS 10.0 Informix is taking a giant step forward as you can read in the following item.

IBM, like a big ship, is slowly turning in the right direction. This direction is, as written on one of my T-Shirts, is Informix and DB2 winning together. We all helped it happen. By “we” I am referring to each and every one of you taking part in supporting Informix, sometimes against the will of your management, preferring your technical integrity to transient fashion. But there is much more to be done before IBM is not only in the right direction but sailing full steam ahead. Any demonstration of our power as a user group will help it happen. In this issue you will find a new IIUG corner. It is still empty. I would like to fill it with your content: Real life Informix stories, technical articles, requests, complaints, anything worth publishing…

Write it in your own language: French, German, Hebrew, Portuguese and I will translate it for you. Sorry I can not help with any other languages. Send your content to me: gary@iiug.org

We need your help!

Gary Ben-Israel
IIUG Insider Editor
IIUG Board of Directors

IIUG Conference – Mark your calendars May 22 – 26, 2005

Want to take a deep dive into IDS 10.0 Internals, learn what’s new in JAVA for the Informix Application Developer or find out about building a data warehouse with Informix? The IDUG/IIUG North America 2005 conference in Denver is the best place to do it. This is not just another conference. IDS 10.0, the greatest thing that happened to Informix ,will be covered from all aspects for the first time.

There will be more than 50 Informix Fully Technical Sessions including the first major public debut of Informix Dynamic Server 10 and much more. For a complete PDF download of the sessions and a copy of the Advanced Program download http://conferences.idug.org/namerica/2005/IDUG_NA05_advpro.pdf

IDUG 2005 – North America, May 22-26, in Denver was planned with you in mind – including pre-conference Educational Seminars that focus on specific topics. Leading authorities and instructors will conduct concentrated, full-and half-day seminars that provide a wealth of information on a variety of current DB2 and Informix-related topics. Seminar attendance is limited and advance registration is strongly recommended. This is the best lineup ever presented, including Jonathan Leffler on IDS 10 Security, Art Kagel on Advanced IDS Setup from Disk to Engine, Mark Scranton on IDS 10 – A Technical Deep Dive and Kevin Fennimore on Everything you wanted to know about Informix SQL and How to Make It Better.

For more information and online registration please go to http://conferences.idug.org/namerica/2005/index.cfm. Note: When you register you will be requested to enter a “source code”. The IIUG code is: NA110. Make sure you enter it to receive your special gift for IIUG members in Denver.

Hope to see you all at our IIUG Annual General Meeting in Denver on May 25.

Editor’s note: We understand that some users have noticed that the registration is on the IDUG site and not on the IIUG site. We believed there was no need to duplicate the effort. This is indeed the IIUG Informix User conference in conjunction with IDUG. So if you have the chance to be at any conference for Informix content, this is the place to be – an Informix Conference for Informix Users with all content purely TECHNICAL with no marketing content. We promise more Informix technical content and exhibitors than any other show in the world in 2005! Informix sessions will no longer be in an upstairs corner, but rather we are front and center, so come and visit us in Denver. One week at this conference and you’ll learn more than you would at multiple Informix classes. Best of all, you’ll meet other Informix professionals and share and enhance your knowledge.

Press coverage of IDS 10.0

IDS 10.0 is already having a big impact. Mark Scranton, IBM World Wide Informix Technical Specialist and member of the IIUG board of directors, has consolidated the links and article text from many of the recent press/magazine coverage of IDS v10.0.

Following are highlights from Mark Scranton’s document. Please find the full document at:

/markscranton/informix/INFORMIX_Press_Coverage.doc

For this link and lots of other interesting Informix stuff please go to:

/markscranton/informix/informix.htm

ComputerWeekly: IBM gives major overhaul to Informix server
By Antony Savvas
March 2, 2005
/news/newsitems/overhaul.html

IBM has announced what it describes as the most significant upgrade to the Informix database server solution since it bought the platform six years ago.

Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) version 10 is designed to provide increased performance, reliability and scalability, while helping customers lower total cost of ownership, said IBM.

ebizQ.com: Upgrade to IBM’s Informix Dynamic Server Announced
By Elizabeth Book
February 28, 2005
http://www.ebizq.net/news/5662.html

IBM today announced the general availability of Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) version 10, a next-generation database designed to provide increased performance, reliability and scalability, while helping customers lower total cost of ownership. IBM said IDS v 10 is the most significant upgrade to the Informix platform since 1999.

Capable of handling large volumes of complex data at very high speeds, the company said the enhancements to ease of use and administration delivered by IDS v10 will allow businesses to free up skilled resources and focus on next-generation enterprise applications.

InfoWorld: IBM pitches Informix upgrade
Informix Dynamic Server boosts performance, administration and security, Big Blue claims
By James Niccolai, IDG News Service
March 1, 2005
http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/01/HNinformixupgrade_1.html

IBM has released a big upgrade to its Informix database and plans to offer a new “Express” edition of the product, aimed at smaller businesses, by the middle of the year, the company said on Tuesday. Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) Version 10 has improvements in performance, administration and security, and also adds support for the Linux 2.6 kernel, IBM said. It called it the most significant upgrade of IDS in five years.

TechWorld: IBM to launch Informix upgrade
By James Niccolai
March 2, 2005
http://www.techworld.com/applications/news/index.cfm?NewsID=3242&Page=1&pagePos=4

IBM has released a big upgrade to its Informix database and plans to offer a new “Express” edition of the product, aimed at smaller businesses, by the middle of the year.

Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) Version 10 has improvements in performance, administration and security, and also adds support for the Linux 2.6 kernel, IBM said. It called it the most significant upgrade of IDS in five years.

eWeek: IBM, Zend Welcome Open-Source Developers
By Brian Fonseca
February 26, 2005
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1770352,00.asp

IBM is helping developers gain broader access to the company’s open-source cache of products and unveiling a partnership designed to let developers build and deploy services and applications based on the PHP Web scripting language. The Armonk, N.Y., company last week announced it is joining Zend Technologies Inc., in Cupertino, Calif., to create Zend Core for IBM, an offering that will integrate IBM’s Cloudscape database and Zend’s PHP environment, which are each based on open-source technology, said Jon Prial, vice president of information management software at IBM, in an interview here. Prial said IBM will not require customers to migrate from IDS to DB2. He said an integrated evolutionary code base between the databases is years away.

DM Review: IBM Introduces Next-Generation Informix Database
Online News published in DMReview.com
March 3, 2005

IBM announced general availability of Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) version 10, a next-generation database designed to provide increased performance, reliability and scalability, while helping customers lower total cost of ownership. IDS v 10 is the most significant upgrade to the Informix platform since 1999. Capable of handling large volumes of complex data at very high speeds, the significant enhancements to ease of use and administration delivered by IDS v10 will allow businesses to free up skilled resources and focus on next-generation enterprise applications.

iNewswire.com: IBM Introduces Next-Generation Informix Database
Leading retail database offers new security and administration features.

IBM today announced general availability of Informix Dynamic Server ( IDS ) version 10, a next-generation database designed to provide increased performance, reliability and scalability, while helping customers lower total cost of ownership. IDS v 10 is the most significant upgrade to the Informix platform since 1999.

Capable of handling large volumes of complex data at very high speeds, the significant enhancements to ease of use and administration delivered by IDS v10 will allow businesses to free up skilled resources and focus on next-generation enterprise applications.

IT Manager Journal: Informix isn’t dead yet
Topic: Businesses
March 2, 2005

IBM has released Informix Dynamic Server Version 10, the next generation of its Informix database server and the most significant revision of the software since IBM acquired Informix in 2001. IBM has shrunk the Informix database footprint and made it easier to embed it within a Java application. Informix is built into applications used in telecommunications, retail, health care, and government. IBM also plans to debut an Express version of Informix for small and midsize businesses in the second quarter.

Big Blue Launches Latest Informix Database
By CXOtoday Staff
March 3, 2005

IBM has announced the availability of Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) version 10, a database that is designed to provide increased performance, reliability and scalability, while helping customers lower total cost of ownership. Capable of handling large volumes of complex data at very high speeds, the significant enhancements are expected to allow businesses to free up skilled resources.

IBM pitches Informix upgrade
James Niccolai, IDG News Service
February 3, 2005

SAP Discontinues Support for IDS

SAP has announced that it plans to discontinue its support of the Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) as an underlying database beginning with SAP products released in the second half of 2005. According to some estimates, there are more than 1000 SAP implementations running on IDS with a market value of more than $100 million. This is significantly more than the number of SAP implementations running on DB2 UDB.

So why Is SAP doing it? The answer is simple. They do it because they can – or at least that is what they think. They are probably right. The main asset for a SAP user is SAP, and he will not leave it for a database.

Causing their users unnecessary expense and migration problems is something SAP couldn’t care less about. The formal reason is they support only one database per company and now, with IBM owning both DB2 UDB and Informix, They have to drop one. It is sad not only for Informix SAP users. The decision to support one database per company was probably made a long time ago and never reviewed although circumstances have changed. It is sad because once more rules are applied without questioning to harm to others. We have seen it all too often.

Is there anything we can do about it? Yes, there is. We can talk to our SAP salespersons, we can express our opinion in the technical press, and we can vote against it in surveys.

Will it help? Probably not but we must try. And if the day comes when you are considering SAP versus other products remember:

SAP does not care about your investment or your IT needs.

Add it to the cons.

Gary Ben-Israel

IBM Informix Dynamic Server v10.0 Infobahn Launch Seminars

IBM is hosting a series of worldwide launch seminars to showcase it new major release–IBM® Informix® Dynamic Server Version 10.0. Designed for senior managers of IBM customers and Business Partners alike, the Informix Infobahn seminars highlight the flexibility and versatility of this latest major release. Informix Infobahn is an information forum that offers a complete agenda of sessions–led by IBM executives and regional managers–for both business executives and technology professionals.

Business executives should register to come see Informix Dynamic Server version 10.0 featured together with other IBM Software Group technologies. The sessions will also discuss the Informix portfolio product roadmap and IBM’s bold maneuvers in the embeddable database market.

Register your entire IT leadership team to attend the Informix Infobahn forum near you. Event dates and agendas vary by location. For more information, contact your local IBM office or your authorized IBM Business Partner, or go to:

http://www.ibm.com/software/info/data/informix/infobahn/index.jsp.

A brief extract of the new IBM Informix Products installer

The new installer for IBM Informix Dynamic Server and Client products for Unix and Linux platforms is simple and easy to use compared to earlier versions. It features an intuitive and dynamic interface which helps to minimize critical manual steps and enhances usability. The newly added capability supports Graphical and Silent installation. The Graphical mode is very helpful for Novice users. By providing a common look and feel, it ensures uniform functionality across platforms. The installer also supports uninstalling of products.

The dynamic capability eliminates the need for pre configuration such as setting up of environment variables prior to installation. The installer reports an aggregated list of all the errors before proceeding with installation, thus preventing the need to deal with debris that may have been left over from previous run(s). The entire set of files to be installed is compressed into a Java jar package. This facilitates direct installation from the media. This helps to reduce media size and disk space required for intermediate activities such as copying and extracting the source files. All the required information is gathered upfront before actual installation so that installation process is smooth. The entire installation is carried out as a single user without the need for switching users, thereby reducing install time and avoiding scheduling conflicts.

This framework lays the groundwork for future product installation integration across IBM SWG products. The installer not compromising on installation scenarios with constraints/remote deployment still has a legacy option available for continued product support. Needless to say, IBM Informix products are always geared for best Customer experience and reduced cost of ownership.

For more information visit: http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0503shunmugam/

HP-UX Itanium Adoption Survey

IBM would like to ensure we are always meeting customer needs and would like to ask your assistance. Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey about your future strategy and plans surrounding HP Itanium. Your responses are confidential and anonymous and will be used solely for the purpose of ensuring our software is best meeting the needs of our customers. We appreciate your assistance. Thank you and we will publish the results in the next IIUG newsletter.

Click here for the survey /cgi-bin/survey_hp-ux.cgi

IIUG Board member Kate Tomchik profiled

Here it is again — time for a new board and new profiles… Let’s discover together board member Kate Tomchik.

Q:	How do you use Informix in your “real” job (DBA, Consultant, Developer, etc.)?
A:	I am a Lead Systems Engineer for the DBA team at The Home Depot. We have Informix databases controlling about 1900 stores as well as about 250 Unix boxes at the Store Support Center where I work. I go on-call for Informix problem about once every 5 or 6 weeks.
Q:	How long have you been using Informix products?
A:	I was hired in 1995 and Informix was already established at 400 stores at that time. I had used Informix 4gl at my previous job at Lanier Business Systems (formally Harris 3M) for 3 years. I guess that makes it about 13 years.
Q:	What is your role on the IIUG Board?
A:	I hope to help revamp the web page this year. I also have been setting up a South East Informix User Group (SEIUG) meeting in Atlanta, and I have been talking to many of our vendors that have stopped supporting Informix and am trying to convince them to come back.
Q:	Why did you volunteer to be on the board?
A:	I have always wanted to be a member in hopes that I could get IBM’s ear on a number of issues where I think they have gone wrong with the Informix products. I have always attended Board meetings since I was part of the Local User Group (LUG) leadership board since I was formerly a president of the SEIUG.
Q:	What do you want to accomplish this year on the Board?
A:	See above
Q:	Where are you from?
A:	Marietta, Georgia, but I lost my accent when I went to college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
Q:	Best Informix story?
A:	When I first came to Home Depot, we only had daytime support. One of the stores had a blocked checkpoint when the logs were full (this was version 5.02). The only way to fix this issue was to get an Informix Engineer to log in and fix it at the bit level. It was about 11:00 at night, and batch could not run without this fixed. If we waited until 8:00 in Kansas (9:00 in Atlanta) the store would be down for 3 hours already. I wasn’t oncall, so I was out drinking at a local bar with my steel dart team. The store paged me by mistake, but I rushed home to help them out. Once I realized we HAD to have an Informix Engineer, I started thinking (with a slightly altered thought process from the beer). We only had day time support, so in what country is it currently daytime? My first answer was Japan, but I wasn’t sure if I could speak the language. Then it hit me, AUSTRALIA! I called the office there, convinced them that Home Depot would pay their expenses to fix the store, and got them to log in! The next day, I talked my VP into purchasing the 24 hour support. Later that year I got the Entrepreneurial Spirit award for Information Services. 🙂
Q:	Worst Informix nightmare?
A:	In 2003, after working for THD for 8 years, I finally got the financing to purchase the BMC Informix Smart DBA tools. After going through lawyers for 2 months, we finally were ready to sign the bottom line and get the product. It was then that BMC mentioned that they were discontinuing support of the Informix products in December of that year. We never signed the contract.
Q:	Can you tell us about your family and hobbies outside of IIUG?
A:	I have three children, a 14 year old daughter named Rachel, an 11 year old son named Nathan, and an 18 month old baby named Garrett (Rett). My hobbies are dart playing, and Hold-em Poker.

Informix Chat with the Lab: Informix IDS v10.0

This month’s Chat will continue to look at capabilities of the newest release of IDS, version 10.0. Jonathan Leffler will be our featured presenter and will cover enhancements in the areas of Availability, Performance, Scalability and Application Development.

Our speakers are:

Jerry Keesee, Director of the Informix lab
Jonathan Leffler, Senior Technical Staff Member, Informix R&D

Wednesday April 6, 2005
11 a.m. Eastern
10 a.m. Central
9 a.m. Mountain
8 a.m. Pacific
For 90 minutes

Business Partners, Customers and IBMers – RSVP for this conference call via the Web:

https://ww4.premconf.com/webrsvp/register?conf_id=7224248

Save the date!

Our next Chat will be Wednesday, May 4, 2005.

Replays of previous Chats may be found at:

http://www-1.ibm.com/partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/weblook/eac_index_biz.html

Your comments and suggestions for this series are always welcome at: lspina@us.ibm.com

LUG meeting schedule

Date	LUG	Location
April 7th	Informix Infobahn	Paris, France
April 15th	Kansas City Informix User Group	USDA, Kansas City, Missouri
April 18th	Informix Infobahn	Auckland, New Zealand
April 19th	Informix Infobahn	Wellington, New Zealand
April 20th	Informix Infobahn	Melbourne, Australia
April 21st	Informix Infobahn	Sydney, Australia
April 26st	Informix Tech Fair	IBM Building, Beaverton, Oregon

REPLAY NOW AVAILABLE – IBM Webcast – Developing with Informix or U2? Leverage the PartnerWorld Industry Networks

If you missed the original webcast, or simply want to hear it again, the replay is now available for the popular Informix and U2 Developer’s webcast. Find out how the PartnerWorld Industry Networks can help you by leveraging your existing Informix and U2 solutions. This program delivers unique marketing, sales and technical support to help you tap into new revenue streams. You’ll also learn about new offerings in 2005 – including key benefits to help you close business. The speakers are Jonathan Prial, Vice President, Marketing, IBM Information Management and Scott Hebner, Vice President, Marketing and Strategy, IBM ISV and Developer Relations.

Title: Developing with Informix or U2? Leverage the PartnerWorld Industry Networks

Date: Replay through Jun 30, 2005

The replay is available at:

http://www-1.ibm.com/partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/weblook/eac_webcasts_biz08mar.html

IBM Informix Dynamic Server information center

This Information Center contains documentation for the following IBM Informix products:

IBM Informix Dynamic Server, version 10.0
IBM Informix Client Software Developer Kit, version 2.90

Please find the Informix Dynamic Server information center at:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/ids9help/index.jsp

For IDS 10.0 Manuals you can go directly to:

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/informix/pubs/library/ids_10.html

Developer Corner

Please visit our site for new, refreshed content:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2

Feature article:

Organize Web data with a high-performance taxonomy
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0503doerindex.php
Add value to your enterprise by structuring your Web content according to a high-performance enterprise taxonomy, using WebSphere Information Integrator OmniFind Edition.
(WebSphere information Integration)

Other new content:

New features in IBM Informix Dynamic Server, Version 10.0
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0503halilovindex.php
Explore some of the key features of IBM Informix Dynamic Server, Version 10.0, and gain insight into the general business problems they are intended to solve.
(Informix Dynamic Server)

A quick introduction to the Next Generation Installer for IBM Informix Products
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0503shunmugindex.php
The new installer for IBM Informix Products provides a uniform look and feel across various UNIX and Linux platforms. See how changes to the installer for IBM Informix Dynamic Server, Version 10.0–in terms of product size, setup requirements, and error reporting–provides an insight into the advantages of this installer compared to the previous installers.
(Informix Dynamic Server)

Updated content:

New to DB2 and Web Services
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/newto/db2websvc.html
DB2 Web services are Web services that are provided by DB2. These services include SQL operations like inserts, updates, and deletes, and calling DB2 stored procedures. On the other hand, DB2 can also behave as a Web service consumer. This page will get you started, explain the concepts, and link you to many resources on this topic.

Free Download

Now Available: Free Download of ThinStructure 3.1 and DB Studio 3.1

Awoma invites IIUG members to experience the newly expanded ThinStructure Tool Suite. ThinStructure is focused on companies with Informix/ IBM professionals who want to simplify their complex development and data management tasks.

Also, if you are interested in investigating or adopting Eclipse technology, Awoma offers a free distribution along with a complete accompaniment of tools.

Awoma ThinStructure DevWorkshop: (download free)

Free distribution of Eclipse
JSDK
Application and web server
Instant Connectivity to Informix 7x-9x -10x and IBM DB2
CVS
50+ add on modules

Awoma DB Studio (included in the package)

Connect to Informix and IBM databases via wizard, in under 30 seconds
View structure of database elements such as structures, tables, view, system tables, columns, indexes, primary and foreign keys constraints, and more
Create batches of SQL statements
Query your database utilizing sophisticated but easy SQL editor
Add, delete, modify data efficiently
Export to CVS, HTML, text or unload directly to Informix!

Visit Awoma for more information and downloads

http://www.awoma.com

To download your free copy of ThinStructure 3.1 (with DB Studio)

http://www.awoma.com/eclipse

Useful Links

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

Closing and Credits

The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization designed to enhance communications between its worldwide user community and IBM. 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.

Sources:	IIUG Board of Directors IBM Corp. Awoma
Editors:	Gary Ben-Israel Jean Georges Perrin Stuart Litel
For comments, please send an email to enews@iiug.org.