Highlights: End of support for Informix server v11.70
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:
2.1 End of support for Informix server v11.70
5.1 Congratulations to Lester Knutsen
5.2 Another Technical Resource for Informix Information
5.3 IBM Informix is Included in the Modernization Upgrade Campaign
WAIUG Virtual Meeting October 1st 2020
7.4 Forums, Groups, Videos, and Magazines
Table of Contents
1) Editorial
The world is becoming virtual. Virtual meetings and conferences, virtual offices.
We are working from home but technology keeps going. And Informix is going forward as well.
We are looking for a successful fourth quarter and a great 2021.
The IIUG is preparing for board elections.
Stay tuned.
Gary Ben-Israel
IIUG Insider Editor
IIUG Board of Directors
2) Highlights
2.1 End of support for Informix server v11.70
Informix Server v11.70 and related components will go end of support on September 30, 2020 as announced in April 2019.
For clients who need to continue running v11.70 for a period of time after Sept 30, 2020, there are two support options:
- Continuing support available with active support entitlement. This does not include new defect patching as described in this document https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/564937
- Extended Support available at a premium to normal S&S. Please ask your IBM representative to get a quote.
3) IBM Informix Forum Corner
Join and visit the IBM Informix community forum at http://www.iiug.org/community
Recent posts
Upgrade or remove obsolete datablade
Alter fragment attach performance
Dropping temp table throws -242/-106
Gary Ben-Israel
4) RFE Corner
IBM’s RFE (Request For Enhancements website)
https://ibm-data-and-ai.ideas.aha.io/?project=INFX
Please visit this site to vote for your favorite enhancements and place new requests.
It is friendly and has a nice look and feel.
Recent
Don’t create new Timer threads for each query in the JDBC driver when query timeout is enabled
Votes: 1
Created August 17, 2020
Status: Needs review
Improvement in the check for high serial values
Votes: 8
Created August 17, 2020
Status: Needs review
Popular (Over 50 votes)
Backup from RSS or HDR Secondaries using ontape, onunload, onbar, dbexport
In HDR environments, being able to backup or export databases from and HDR, HDR read-only, or an RSS secondary server is critical. Programs like ontape, onunload, dbexport, and onbar generate locks on tables during backups and data-exports. This creates problems while applications and users using Informix try to use the system during backups in 24 x 7 x 365 production environments. Being able to backup or export data on secondary systems is critical for compliance and backup integrity.
Votes: 103
Created: December 24, 2018
Status: Future consideration
Obtain the query plan of a running query
Many times a DBA is called to check upon a slow process. Most of the times those processes are running a slow query.
Sometimes it’s hard to know if the query is using the best query plan or not. A DBA can reproduce the query, but it it was prepared without values or if the statistics were changed after it started there is no guarantee that the query plan seen by the DBA is the same as the running query.
We have “onstat -g pqs” which sometimes can give us a clue, but it’s mostly cryptic and undocumented. If a user has X-Windows he can try xtree, but it’s a bit strange for todays standards.
We also have SQLTRACE, but if it was not set when the query was launched it will not capture the info (and besides, due to the circular nature of the buffer it may not be there at the time we need it).
A simple pseudo-table in sysmaster could probably implement this with ease.
It could also be extended to support the “last” query plan making it easy to get the query plan in any tool
Votes: 86
Created: December 24, 2018
Status: Future consideration
Informix should be able to change owner on tables and any other objects
If user=informix creates all database and all tables, then programmer creates table but user=informix cannot change it. Only drop it.
Votes: 74
Created: December 24, 2018
Status: Future consideration
Backup Individual database, not entire instance
Need a mechanism, similar to ontape, to backup a live database (as opposed to entire instance), without locking it.
Votes: 71
Created: December 24, 2018
Status: Future consideration
Gary Ben-Israel
5) Informix Corner
5.1 Congratulations to Lester Knutsen
Lester became one of the newest IBM Lifetime Champions.
Most of us already know Lester and how much he does for Informix community.
For those of you who are not familiar with Lester and all of his accomplishments:
Lester Knutsen has been developing database applications with Informix databases since 1983. He is widely known in the Informix community for his extensive experience and teaching skills.
Lester founded Advanced DataTools in 1993, an IBM Informix Consulting, Training, Support and Tools Partner specializing in data warehouse development, database design, and performance tuning, where serves as President and Principal Consultant. He specializes in Informix performance tuning, advanced Informix training and developing very fast database systems.
He is founder and past president of the Washington D.C. Area Informix Users Group (WAIUG), and is one of the five founding members of the International Informix Users Group (IIUG).
In 2002, he was one of the first to receive the IIUG Directors award and is a member of the IBM Gold Consultant program. Lester is one of the inaugural IBM Champions, awarded in October 2008 and has maintained his IBM Champion status every year since.
Of course, in 2020, he became an IBM Lifetime Champion, which consists of the top 1/2 of 1% of IBM customers and one of only 23 individuals (three Informix uses) in the world from IBM to receive this honor.
Congratulations Lester! Well deserved!
Rhonda Hackenburg
IIUG Board of Directors
5.2 Another Technical Resource for Informix Information
Oninit group based out of the UK. has a great selection of technical articles on Informix!
https://www.oninitgroup.com/technical-articles/
The latest article talks about the new security features in IDS 14.10, and explores cloud backup integration.
https://www.oninitgroup.com/faq-items/cloud-backups-with-informix-14-10/
5.3 IBM Informix is Included in the Modernization Upgrade Campaign
IBM Informix is included in the Modernization Upgrade campaign and new parts announced by IBM in July.
https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/5/899/ENUSLP20-0405/index.html&request_locale=en
This is designed for existing IBM Informix clients to help modernize their Informix based solutions with the IBM Cloud Pak for Data interoperable set of services. IBM Cloud Pak for Data is based on Red Hat OpenShift enterprise container platform that promises simplicity, adaptability, unified experience, governance and security. This unified platform has been shown to improve productivity, reduce risks and increase agility of data management. In the coming quarter, a certified Informix container running on the Cloud Pak for Data platform is planned to be available.
IBM Informix has been available in container form factor for several years as discussed in past IIUG events. This new offering integrates with the strategic IBM Cloud Pak for Data deployments that will bring the value of formal certification, security assessments and modern interoperable services including Watson Knowledge Catalog, Data Virtualization and AI/ML to existing Informix clients.
Milind Tamaskar
Senior Offering Manager
Hybrid Data Management, IBM Data & AI
Informix focal
6) Events
WAIUG Virtual Meeting October 1st 2020
We have missed you all, with everything that has been going on and with most of us working full time from home these days we have decided to make the next meeting virtual for the first time.
It will be held October 1st from 9am-1pm using a web conference format. We will have some great speakers from IBM and HCL, more details coming soon.
7) Informix Resources
IIUG website
www.iiug.org
IBM Informix community
http://www.iiug.org/community
7.1 Informix Blogs and Wikis
Blogs and Wikis
- IBM Informix community https://community.ibm.com/community/user/hybriddatamanagement/communities/community-home/recent-community-blogs?communitykey=cf5a1f39-c21f-4bc4-9ec2-7ca108f0a365&tab=recentcommunityblogsdashboard
- Art Kagel http://informix-myview.blogspot.co.il/
- Andrés Repossi https://andreserepossi.wixsite.com/hablemosinformix (In Spanish)
7.2 Technical articles
https://www.oninitgroup.com/technical-articles/
https://www.oninitgroup.com/faq-items/cloud-backups-with-informix-14-10/
7.3 Social Media
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25049
Twitter : https://twitter.com/iiug
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/IIUG.Informix
7.4 Forums, Groups, Videos, and Magazines
- The IIUG old forums at http://www.iiug.org/forums/technical.php *** NO LONGER ACTIVE ***
- Informix Marketing channel on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/informixmarketing?feature=results_main
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
