IIUG Insider (Issue #216) June 2018

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

For quite a while we have been waiting for HCL to pick up Informix Developing, Support and Marketing.

We have experienced ups and downs especially downs but it seems we have reached the lowest point ever.

The main problem is that HCL completely ignores the existing Informix users. The result is cuts in support and developing new features. As an example, look at the new InformixHQ which was intended to be “a modern web console for visualizing, monitoring, and managing your Informix server instances”. It has vanished. All links to it end in a 404 – page not found error. HCL did not even have the decency to put a proper page explaining why it no longer exist only a month after it was announced or if there are any future plans.
This is not a mistake, it is a proof of HCL’s attitude to existing Informix customers. According to HCL we are not their customers so for them we don’t exist.

Since the beginning Informix existed not just for its great technology but because of its loyal user community.
Informix Cooperation understood it and formed the IIUG. IBM understood it and supported the IIUG. IBM still supports the IIUG.

HCL decided to reinvent the wheel. Why work with an existing 20K user community? Let’s create a new one.
The problem is the wheel HCL invented is square. For exiting Informix customers there are two alternatives: leave Informix before it is too late or fight HCL’s attitude and save the product.
I recommend the second. We are all IBM customers. I urge every one of you to contact IBM and ask them to force HCL to change their attitude towards us.

Do it now before it is too late.
Gary Ben-Israel
IIUG Insider Editor
IIUG Board of Directors
gary@iiug.org

Highlights

Informix is on IBM Knowledge Center

Get updated on Informix related issues at:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSGU8G/welcomeIfxServers.html
This is the place to start looking. There is room for improvement but it is the best place outside the IIUG website.
Gary Ben-Israel

Conference Corner

IIUG World 2018 Early Bird Registration Deadline Ends July 15, 2018

IIUG World 2018 will be hosted by the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, Washington D.C. and will be held October 28th – November 1st, 2018.
Don’t miss the opportunity to save $275 on this Premier Informix event. Register by July 15, 2018 to take advantage of the Early Bird registration price of $1075. Your paid registration will include 3 full days of technical content, all the evening events, breakfast, lunch and the Thursday in-depth tutorials. Did you say you want to save more? Register by using your IIUG membership number to save an additional $100 off the registration cost.

Please note: we have been told there may be an issue with logging into the IIUG member area and we are attempting to correct it. If you are unable to log in to the member area to receive your $100 IIUG member discount, please register at the NON member price. Then send a copy of your IIUG World Registration confirmation and either your IIUG email OR your IIUG number to conference@iiug.org within 14 days of your registration and we will refund the IIUG member discount amount of the $100.

A certain number of hotel rooms are available at the Renaissance Marriott Arlington Capital View with the special event rate of $189 per night. So, don’t forget to book your hotel room, even if you are not ready to register. This will ensure a room is available for you at IIUG World 2018 at the special event price.

The Call for Presentations is still open. Do you think you have something our attendees would be interested in learning? I bet you do. So, submit your proposal today. Your initial submission does not have to be the full presentation; you only need to submit a brief summary of your presentation. You still have until July 12, 2018 to submit your speaker proposal. Your knowledge and tips of the trade could help many users.

Everything you need to register, book your room or submit your presentation proposal can be found at www.iiug.org/iiugworld.

We look forward to seeing you at IIUG World 2018.

The IIUG World Planning Committee
conference@iiug.org
IIUG World 2018 Official Web Site: www.iiug.org/iiugworld

RFE Corner

IBM created a public website to collect the requests for new features directly from users. The RFE (Requests For Enhancements) website is included in developerWorks. You can access it here.
Once you logged in with your usual IBM ID, choose “Information Management” in the Brand dropdown box and “Informix Servers” or “Client Products” in the Products dropdown box.
The idea of the RFE corner is to provide a digest on new Informix RFEs and make those RFEs more visible and accessible to the community, so you can vote on those that are also important to you. By actively participating in this website, IBM will have solid and useful elements from the customer base to introduce new functionality to Informix product.
Also in the area of IBM website, a new functionality has been released: MyNotifications. You will want to register this webpage in order to receive the notifications of your choice (new product defects, new patch release, new versions etc…, on the frequency of your choice (daily, weekly). I have registered and will definitely remain registered, due to the value of the information delivered.
Check at this place.
TOP 15 RFE’s

Abstract Status Votes

Progr.

In-Place Alter for varchar, lvarchar and boolean Under Consideration 64 0
Backup from RSS or HDR Secondaries using ontape, onunload, onbar, dbexport Under Consideration 59 0
SQL interface to obtain the temporary space usage (tables, hash, sorts…) Under Consideration 50 0
Obtain the query plan of a running query Under Consideration 49 0
Request to track and save a time stamp for last time an index was used. Nee… Delivered 40 0
Backup Individual database, not entire instance Submitted 35 0
Informix should be able to change owner on tables and any other objects Submitted 31 0
Implement CREATE OR REPLACE option for stored procedures Under Consideration 30 0
ALTER owner of database objects after creation Submitted 29 0
New feature to have FORCE_DDL_EXEC functionality for all DDL changes Submitted 24 0
Implementation of regular expressions (adding to LIKE/MATCHES functions) Under consideration 23 0
Ability to re-create views and procedures without dependent objects being dropped (34762 Under consideration 20 0
Need an onmode option to terminate orphaned, tightly coupled global transac… Under Consideration 19 0
SQL interface to obtain the temporary space usage (tables, hash, sorts…) Declined 19 0
allow repack of TBLSpace extents Under Consideration 18 0

You can access each RFE by clicking on the above links. At the bottom of each RFE page you will find a hyperlink to vote for it. You will see the Request stats, including number of votes for this request, on the right side of the request page. The more votes, the greater the chance an enhancement will be addressed by the Development Team.
Gary Ben-Israel

Informix Corner

The 2018 Informix Roadshow

Informix 12.1 is Simply Powerful
Coming to a Location near you
What is the Informix Roadshow?
The 2017 Informix Roadshow is a one or two-day, deep-dive technical event that gives you hands-on experience with the latest IBM® Informix® release features, and Informix Warehousing technology. This roadshow is designed to help you gain fresh, innovative ideas for optimizing your business performance and creative competitive advantage – and it’s absolutely free to attend these events.

The Roadshow topics include:

  • Latest features of IDS 12
  • Encryption at Rest
  • Informix on Cloud
  • Replication Technologies
  • Compression
  • Storage Manager
  • Time Series – Smart Metering
  • Informix Warehouse Accelerator
  • Embed and Autonomics
  • NoSql
  • Internet of Things
  • Roadmap
  • GDPR

The current Informix Roadshow presentations and agenda, both of which are subject to change, and the last four years Informix Roadshow presentations are available here.

The current Informix Roadshow Agenda is here subject to change.
If you would like to try Informix for free, links to various software downloads are here.

Register for the 2018 Informix Roadshow near you, stay tuned for more details.
Date Location September 18, 2018 Munich, Germany @Informix Germany User Group September 24-25, 2018 Paris, France @IBM Bois-Colombe September 27-28, 2018 Zagreb, Croatia @ Alfatec October 1-2, 2018 Zagreb, Croatia @ Alfatec

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/wikis/home?lang=en-us#/wiki/Informix%20Roadshow%20-%20Informix%20is%20Everywhere

Informix Resources

IBM Informix home page
www.informix.com or directly at: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/informix/

Informix Blogs and Wikis

Blogs and Wikis that have been updated during the last month

More Blogs and Wikis

Social Media

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25049
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iiug

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IIUG.Informix
Informix IoT Channel: https://ibm.biz/BdH2nm

Forums, Groups, Videos, and Magazines

  • The IIUG forums at /forums/technical.php
  • Informix Marketing channel on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/informixmarketing?feature=results_main

  • IBM DATABASE MAGAZINE at http://www.ibmdatabasemag.com
  • Credentials, the IBM Certification Newsletter at http://www-03.ibm.com/certify/email/201307credentials.shtml
  • There is now 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

Closing and Credits

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 Information 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.
Editor: Gary Ben-Israel
For comments, please send an email to gary@iiug.org

Published
Categorized as Insider

By Vicente Salvador

Board member since 2014, a user since 1989 and Informix fan. I'am software architect which allow me to combine technical and business skills.