IIUG Insider (Issue #218) August-September 2018

Highlights: Promoting the vnext Early Access Program

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:

1) Editorial

September was the month of Jewish holidays.

Now that it is over I’m back on track. We hope to see Informix 14.1 in a few months.

Yes there are plans for a major new version. Like hotels and other vendors Informix will go from version 12 to version 14.

Hope to meet you at the IIUG World in Washington DC October 28 to November 1.

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

2) Highlights

2.1 Promoting the vnext Early Access Program

Informix is looking for clients that want to directly influence our innovation. In early November we are kicking off our Vnext Early Access Program (EAP) where you can explore the new features in our next major release and provide input on those features including performance, security, and IoT enhancements. In addition, we are looking for Design Partners who will work closely with us in the design and development phases of our key innovation items. Please contact us if you want to hear more of how you can help us help you!

Milind Tamaskar
Senior Offering Manager – IBM Informix
Hybrid Data Management, IBM Analytics
mail: tamaskar@us.ibm.com

Karen Qualley
Product Manager, Informix
HCL Products and Platforms
email: karen.qualley@hcl.com

3) Conference Corner

3.1 IIUG World 2018 – Session scheduled is complete and on the website


IUG World 2018 will be held October 28, 2018 – November 1, 2018 at the beautiful Renaissance Marriott Arlington Capital View (Washington, DC, USA area).

This is the Premier Informix event to attend.  Your paid registration includes 3 full days of technical content, all the evening events, breakfast, lunch and the Thursday in-depth tutorials. You can save a $100 by using your IIUG membership when you register.

The conference is less than two week away. The session schedule is complete and is AVAILABLE NOW with the full session grid at www.iiug.org/mobile.  Please note: as always, the schedule is subject to change.

The IIUG World 2018 Guide will be available shortly for download.

Please note: a “what you need to know” email will be sent shortly to give registrants additional information about this event.

You still have time to register and everything you need to register and book your room can be found at www.iiug.org/iiugworld.

We look forward to seeing you at IIUG World 2018.

The IIUG World Planning Committee
email us at: conference@iiug.org

4) 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 65 0
Backup from RSS or HDR Secondaries using ontape, onunload, onbar, dbexport Under Consideration 63      +3
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 50 +1
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 40 +4
Informix should be able to change owner on tables and any other objects Submitted 39 +6
Implement CREATE OR REPLACE option for stored procedures Under Consideration 32 0
ALTER owner of database objects after creation Submitted 29 0
New feature to have FORCE_DDL_EXEC functionality for all DDL changes Submitted 26 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 20 +1
SQL interface to obtain the temporary space usage (tables, hash, sorts…) Declined 19 0
allow repack of TBLSpace extents Under Consideration 19 +1

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

5) Informix Corner

5.1 Where is InformixHQ


Rumors are InformixHQ will be back soon. So, keep following the Insider we will give you the info as soon as we get it.

Gary Ben-Israel

5.2 An Embedded Database for the Edge and Beyond

Discover what customers are saying about how IBM Informix stacks up against other open source or proprietary databases.

https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=40019740USEN&

Rajesh Govindan

5.3 IBM Champion Nominations are Open!

Do you know an IBM Champion? IBM Champions are non-IBMers who are experts in and advocates for IBM
products and technology. Each year, we ask YOU to nominate the best, brightest, and most supportive leaders to become IBM Champions. Learn more about the program from some current IBM Champions on a webinar recording (http://ibm.biz/ChampNom) then start your nominations at http://ibm.com/champion. Nominations are extended through 1 November.
IBM Champion Nominations now open!

Libby N. Ingrassia
Sr. WW Program Manager | IBM Champions
IBM Digital Business Group
E-mail: lingras@us.ibm.com | Social: @IBMChampions @notesgirl

6) Works for me

In this section I will write about things that help me in my day to day work. Most DBAs probably have their own ways to perform these tasks which may be different than the way I do them. So, if you find an error or can think of a better way, please let me know. If not feel, free to use these tips as is or modify them to fit your needs.

We write SPL routines for many purposes. The problem is to keep track.

This SPL routine searches for stored procedures to find out if they are called form views, triggers or other stored procedures.


drop function if exists find_string(varchar(255), lvarchar(32000));

create function find_string(str1 varchar(255), str2 lvarchar(32000))
returning smallint

define j1, j2, j3 smallint;

let j1 = length(str1);

if j1 = 0 then
return 0;
end if

let j2 = length(str2);

if j2 < j1 then
return 0;
end if

if j1 = j2 then
if str1 = str2 then
return 1;
else
return 0;
end if
end if

let j2 = (j2 – j1) + 1;

for j3 = 1 to j2

if substr(str2, j3, j1) = str1 then
exit for;
end if

end for

if j3 > j2 then
return 0;
else
return j3;
end if

end function;

drop procedure if exists find_sp_use(char(1));

create procedure find_sp_use(tp char(1))

define p_name, p_name1, p_match, p_match1, p_match2 varchar(100);
define d_str lvarchar(256);
define c_str varchar(10);
define a_str lvarchar(32000);
define p_id integer;
define j1, j2 smallint;

–set debug file to “/tmp/find_sp_use.trace”;

–trace on;

if tp != “P” and tp != “V” and tp != “T” then
return;
end if

delete from sp_use where use_type = tp;

foreach
select procname, procid
into  p_name, p_id
from  sysprocedures
where owner = “dbown”

if tp = “P” then

let a_str = “$”;

foreach

select seqno, data
into  j1, d_str
from  sysprocbody
where procid = p_id
and datakey = “T”
order by seqno

let a_str = a_str||d_str;

end foreach

foreach
select procname
into  p_name1
from  sysprocedures
where owner = “dbown”
and procname != p_name

let j1 = find_string(p_name1, a_str);

if j1 > 1 then

if substr(a_str, j1 – 1, 1) != ” ” and

substr(a_str, j1 – 1, 1) != “=” then

continue foreach;

end if

let j2 = length(p_name1);
let c_str = substr(a_str, j1 + j2, 10);
let c_str = trim(c_str);

if c_str[1] != “(” then

continue foreach;

end if

if (select count(*)
from  sp_use
where proc_name = p_name1
and use_type = “P”) = 0 then

insert into sp_use (proc_name, use_type) values (p_name1, “P”);

end if

end if

end foreach

end if

if tp = “V” then

let p_match = “* “||p_name||”(*”;
let p_match1 = “*,”||p_name||”(*”;
let p_match2 = “*.”||p_name||”(*”;

if (select count(*)
from  sysviews
where viewtext matches p_match or
viewtext matches p_match1 or
viewtext matches p_match2) > 0 then

if (select count(*)
from  sp_use
where proc_name = p_name
and use_type = “V”) = 0 then

insert into sp_use(proc_name, use_type) values (p_name, “V”);
end if
end if
end if

if tp = “T” then
let p_match = “*.”||p_name||”(*”;

if (select count(*)
from  systrigbody s
where s.datakey = “A”
and s.data matches p_match) > 0 then

if (select count(*)
from  sp_use
where proc_name = p_name and use_type = “T”) = 0 then

insert into sp_use(proc_name, use_type) values (p_name, “T”);
end if
end if
end if
end foreach

end procedure;

7) Informix Resources

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

7.1 Informix Blogs and Wikis

Blogs and Wikis that have been updated during the last month

More Blogs and Wikis

7.2 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

7.3 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.