Highlights: IBM Informix 14.10 Badge
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.
Table of Contents
Editorial
The IIUG board will meet in Madrid, July 22-23. It is our first in-person meeting since February 2020. I will update you in the next Insider. There is a lot going on so stay tuned.
It is worth mentioning that in the last month there were 14 new RFEs (Request For Enhancements). This is a new record. It shows that our users are still interested in Informix.
I hope HCL accepts these requests and will include many new and exciting features in our next release.
Gary Ben-Israel
IIUG Insider Editor
IIUG Board of Directors
Highlights
IBM Informix 14.10 Badge
We would like to thank IBM for working with the IIUG to develop this exam. This will replace the previous certification you are familiar with. We would also like to thank you for your patience through this process.
We are ready to begin scheduling Badge exams. There are two methods to schedule your exam:
- We will honor our one complementary exam to IIUG World 2021 paid attendees. To schedule your exam, you will need to provide your IIUG World confirmation number or the email you used to register for IIUG World 2021. You will have until September 30, 2022 to schedule and complete your exam.
- You can purchase the exam for $150. You will have to provide proof of payment and will have 90-days from purchase date to schedule and complete your exam. To pay you for your exam: https://www.iiug.org/event/informix-14-10-badge-exam-purchase/
Thank you for your patience, we are ready to begin scheduling Badge exams.
Specifications for Scheduling and Completing the IIUG/IBM Informix Badge Exam
To start the process you need to contact Stuart Litel.
Prior the exam:
- Three emails will be sent to you using the email you used to register for IIUG World 2021 or the email you used to make your payment.
- The first email will be a WebEx meeting invite containing your exam time. Please accept the invite.
- The second email contains a link to a form allowing you to register for your exam. Complete the form by entering your name, email address, and create a login and a password. Save/Submit this information.
- The third email is a registration confirmation. You will have to accept the email invitation, but DO NOT enter the exam.
- You will need access to two computers or mobile devices.
- This is a proctored exam. One computer MUST have a working camera and microphone with internet access. You may use a mobile phone or tablet but it must have a camera and microphone with a Wi-Fi connection. Since this is a virtual exam, the proctor will use this computer to verify you are completing the exam and following the rules in section 3 below.
- The second computer simply requires internet access to a web page. At this time, you can use most browsers to complete the exam.
At the time of the exam:
- At your scheduled exam time, use the computer with a working microphone and camera to log on using the WebEx exam link.
- On the second computer, use the link from email 2 above, where you registered using your name and created a login and password, to access the exam. PLEASE DO NOT START the exam until you are instructed by the proctor.
- Taking the exam:
- You will have roughly 90 minutes to complete the exam (a good suggestion is to setup your cell phone in a place with a timer).
- During the exam, you may use any books, notes, web searches, google, etc. to complete the exam.
- You MAY NOT contact another individual.
- Please note, the exam is only available in English. You may use an online translation language application. We have had a few individuals, not fluent in English, who have completed and passed the exam using Google Translate. We are confident 90 minutes is sufficient.
- IMPORTANT: Once you “SAVE”, “CONTINUE”, “NEXT” a question, you will not be able to revisit the question. Make sure you complete a question before moving on.
- The exam will end after 90 minutes. There will be NO warning. So watch your time!
A proctor is a person who monitors students during an examination.
Rhonda Hackenburg
IIUG Board
Informix Corner
Informix Training
Free Informix 4GL for Developers Trial Course
I am testing a new online training platform for 4GL Class and would like your feedback on how this works for you. This is a free Online Informix 4GL Training class available through August 2022. (You have 90 days to complete the course once you start.) If the platform works I may move all my training to this format. Please check it out and let me know what you think.
More information at: https://advancedatatools.com/article/informix-4gl-free-training-course/
Free Informix Tutorials Videos – a step by step approach to using Informix Database Servers – available at https://advancedatatools.com/tech-info/informix-tutorials/
Informix Tech Talks on YouTube
Upcoming Informix Tech Talks
Title: Washington Area Informix Users Group (WAIUG) Virtual Meeting
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022
Time: 9:30 am to 1:00 pm EDT
The WAIUG is back and excited to bring you a new and exciting set of Informix technical talks on July 14th, 2022 from 9:30 am-1:00 pm. This free virtual meeting is open to anyone in the Informix community who wants to pick up some new skills and learn some new things around Informix.
We are finalizing the class lineup but we will have excellent talks from Paul Watson (Oninit) and Mike Walker (xDB Systems). Stuart Litel will discuss the IBM Informix 14.10 Exam and how to register. Shri Sonavnay will share the Informix Roadmap.
Sign up below to make sure to reserve your spot. Once you RSVP we will have your information and will send out an invite to the virtual meeting before the event.
Visit the WAIUG website for more information – https://www.waiug.org.
Please register – WAIUG Meeting
4Js Presentation
Title: Part 1: Transforming Your System from Informix-4gl to Genero – The Many Options and First Steps.
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
Time: 2:00 PM EDT
Abstract: When transforming from Informix-4gl to Genero there are many options available to you. Over 20 years of development effort has gone into the Genero toolbox and it can be tempting to use all these new features at your disposal at once. In this presentation Reuben makes you aware of the many tools in the Genero toolbox. He demonstrates the first steps in the different directions you can take with these various tools to make sure that you successfully add value as you transform from Informix-4gl to Genero.
Title: Part 2: Wordle 4 Genero
Abstract: Wordle is a web-based word game created and developed by a software engineer Josh Wardle who originally created a game for himself and his partner to play. It became a viral phenomenon with millions of players playing every day. In this presentation Reuben answers the question, “What if Josh had been a Genero developer and written Wordle using Genero? ” Reuben will demonstrate features and syntax that Four Js has added to Genero that show this would have been possible.
Speaker Bio: Reuben Barclay
Rest of World Principal Support Engineer
Worldwide Developer Relations Manager
Auckland, New Zealand
Reuben has been helping Four Js customers in the Asia Pacific area use Genero since 2008. Prior to that he was lead developer at one of the first sites in the Asia Pacific region to transform to Genero. He has two roles within the Four Js organisation and you will also see him communicating with developers worldwide as the author of https://4js.com/ask-reuben/ , coordinating the Worldwide Developer Conference (https://4js.com/wwdc/) , posting in our developer forums, and during Early Access Programs introducing the Feature of the Day.
He lives in Auckland, New Zealand and in his spare time is an unpaid Uber driver / football match official to his 3 teenage children.
Please register – 4Js Presentation
Informix Tech Talk YouTube Channel
Our channel on YouTube for Informix Users has over 71 Informix Technical Videos, with over 273 subscribers and more the 1.00 views last month! This YouTube Channel will be a place for Informix how-to videos.
Informix Tech Talk YouTube Channel Videos
Past Informix Tech Talks Replays
The latest updates include:
Replay: Updated Informix SQL Performance Tuning Trips for Informix Developers by Jeff Filippi
From: Thursday, June 16, 2022, Time: 2:00 PM EDT
Description: Learn how to improve your Informix SQL statements to optimize performance on your Informix Database system.
Speaker: Jeff Filippi, Integrated Data Consulting, LLC
Bio: Jeff has worked with Informix products for 30 years and specialize in Informix. Jeff has his own company for 20 years working with customers on Informix.
YouTube: at https://youtu.be/vuVq0CK5YpU
Lester Knutsen
In Search of Tech Talks Speakers
There is no presentation for our April Tech Talks. Instead, the IIUG World 2021 Conference Session Replays were published for your review.
We are looking for additional speakers and especially any new speakers to share your Informix knowledge with our user Community via the IIUG Tech Talks. We will assist you in preparing for your Tech Talks presentation by prerecording your session. This will allow you to be available to answer any questions that come up in the chat during you presentation.
If you are interested in producing a 15 – 45 minute presentation, please contact either Lester Knutsen or Rhonda Hackenburg for additional information.
Rhonda Hackenburg
Informix Service for Cloud Pak for Data (CP4D) 4.5 is now GA and is the best ever
The Informix Service supporting CP4D 4.5 and it is the most stable and production ready delivery to date. We have focused on not only delivering additional functionality but also increasing usability while reducing TCO and with an unerring focus on quality and documentation.
Informix continues to be aligned with the overall Cloud Pak for Data backup strategy and added full pod backup/restore for enhanced disruption free online backups with this release.
Security Improvements include:
- Attributes based access control (ABAC) support
- Support of OCP 4.10
- Created default network policies and include them with the offering for clients to leverage as C&CS requires that container based offerings provide a default network policy which follows least-privilege/deny-all by default practices wherever feasible.
- Added the ability to store secrets via the Common Connectivity API with vault support.
Storage Enhancements include:
- Support of Spectrum Storage (Fusion/Scale) x86
- Cloud Storage for AWS EFS/EBS
- Added support for CP4D customer storage classes naming conventions for tighter integration
Simplicity, Usability and Reducing TCO:
- Informix has a simpler installation and upgrade process
- Added integration with the License Service which gives customers the ability to generate an audit snapshot of their usage.
- Enhanced integration with the Serviceability (must-gather) Service to include the output of ifxcollect in your diagnostic jobs.
Here is the link to the what’s new section for CP4D 4.5 -> https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/cloud-paks/cp-data/4.5.x?topic=overview-whats-new
RFE Corner
IBM has an 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
SELinux policies for Informix on RHEL version 7 and upwards
Add columnar indexes to Informix
For RSS and HDR nodes partition the apply work by transaction id instead of partnum
Enhancement to DROP PROCEDURE / DROP FUNCTION syntax
On restore or chunk addition allow automatic creation of files in certain folders
More efficient unique indexes for monotonically increasing keys and constraints
Identify/log slow queries on a busy system
Certify informix 12.10 on RHEL8
Limit open partitions to avoid very large rsam pool
ADMIN_USER_MODE_WITH_DBSA and ADMIN_MODE_USERS shall be changeable values via onmode -wf/-wm
Different message when transaction time limit reached
Allow SPL variables to be used to define index directives
Popular (Over 50 votes)
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: 102 (+2)
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: 96 (+2)
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: 86 (+0)
Created: December 24, 2018
Status: Future consideration
Gary Ben-Israel
IBM Informix Forum Corner
Join and visit the IBM Informix community forum at http://www.iiug.org/community
Recent posts
PSORT_DBTEMP not working after upgrade to 14.10
Gary Ben-Israel
Informix Resources
Not a member, become an IIUG member and keep updated on all things Informix. It’s free.
Not a member, join The IBM Informix community and connect with other Informix data experts.
Informix Requests for Enhancements.
Informix Blogs and Wikis
Starting with the next Insider this section will be removed.
Blogs are no longer a source of valuable information.
If you disagree please email me and tell me which blogs you follow.
Gary Ben-Israel
Technical Articles
https://www.oninitgroup.com/technical-articles/
https://www.oninitgroup.com/faq-items/cloud-backups-with-informix-14-10/
Over 10 Years of Informix Webcast Replays
Over 30 Years of Informix Blog Posts
Social Media
YouTube
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
Forums, Groups, Videos, and Magazines
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The IIUG old forums at http://www.iiug.org/forums/technical.php *** NO LONGER ACTIVE ***
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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.
Editors: Gary Ben-Israel, Rhonda Hackenburg
For comments, please send an email to gary@iiug.org or rhonda@iiug.org