The Informix Zone - iiug

Reminder: Two important Informix Events in Europe

eherber — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:16:06 +0100

Reminder: Two important Informix Events in Europe

Next week there will be two interesting and important Informix Events in Europe:

The 1st one takes place on Wednesday the 12th here in Germany and is organized by the local German Informix User Group and Cursor AG.

Germany: 49. Workshop of the German Informix User Group

The 2nd one takes place on Thursday the 13th in the United Kingdom and is organized by the UK Informix User Group and Bell Micro:

United Kingdom: Informix Community Event
Spokey's Blog: UK Informix User Group meeting 13 November 2008

If you are located in Germany or the United Kingdom, take part in those events. Beside all the technical information you get, this is an excellent platform to build new business contacts. Hear from other community members, how they use the Informix technology in their business environment and exchange experiences.

If you are an ISV (Independent Software Vendor), learn why Informix is the best platform to build your application on.

Thank you.

2008 IBM Informix vNext Survey

eherber — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:33:27 +0200

2008 IBM Informix vNext Survey

Don't miss this great opportunity. Vote for the features that you want to see in IDS vNext:

http://www.iiug.org/2008_survey

This is a great chance to prioritize your favorite IDS feature wishes and perhaps formulating new ones.

Please vote now !

IIUG 2008 - Presentation Download

eherber — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:02:34 +0200

IIUG 2008 - Presentation Download

The Int. Informix User Group has provided all presentations from this years IIUG conference in their member area for download. Remember that membership in the IIUG is free ! If you aren't already a member - join the IIUG !

Here is a list of all the great presentations from the Informix Experts available for download at the IIUG website. Become a member and access the member area to download them (Note for existing members: You might need to update your profile in order to be allowed to download the presentations):

Bingjie Miao - Data and Index Fragmentation
Hyun-Ju Vega - Using Point in Time Table-Level Restore
John Miller, III - Cheetah's Administration Enhancements
Jack Parker - Real Time Fragmentation
Marty Lurie, Aron Lurie - Real Time Data Acquisition: Connecting Your Exercise Bike to Informix and WebSphere
Dave Desautels, Jonathan Leffler - Alternative Authentication for IDS
Eric Herber - Deep Dive Into IDS Locking Mechanisms
Hal Maner - Beginner's Guide To HDR In IDS 11
Robert Jane - Security With IDS
John Miller, III - Utilizing the Database Scheduler to Reduce DBA's Repetitive Work
Mahmoud Kassem - Application Renovation to Java-based Web/SOA Platform
Jeff Filippi - Informix SQL Performance Tuning Tips
Lester Knutsen - Exploring the Informix IDS Sysmaster Database - What's New In IDS 11
Tom Girsch - IDS Performance and Troubleshooting: Tips and Tricks
Bingjie Miao - Improving SQL Query Performance - Optimizer Directives
Rick Rabe - Using the Informix Dynamic Server Auditing Subsystem
Zachi Klopman - The use of Multi-threaded Java, JDBC and On-the-fly Java-Generated SPL code for Automatic Application Develop
Jacques Roy - Using the New IBM Data Studio 1.1 to Write IDS Web Services
Brent Gross - Best Practices in .NET development with Cheetah
Shawn Moe - Enable Your Applications To Run With IDS!
Manas Dadarkar - PHP and Zend Core
Balakrishnan Ravishankar - Let The Cheetah Out By Using FourGen Case Tools To Create Your 4GL Applications
Nicholas Geib - Ruby on RaIDS - Ruby on Rails for IDS
Vinayak Shenoi - IDS Cheetah: Derived Table and View Processing Techniques
Vinayak Shenoi - IDS Cheetah: Derived Table and View Processing Techniques
Paul Watson - Advanced SPL
Darryl Priest - Cool SQL aka SQL Lightning Talks
Shesh Agrawal - Improved CSDK and Connectivity APIs for Cheetah and beyond...
Jacques Roy - Using the IBM Common Client API for IDS Web Applications
Guy Bowerman - What's New in Informix Application Development
Sérgio Ferreira - Java Database Programming with JPA
Thomas Beebe - Application security on the web
Satheesh Bandaram - New trends in Java Development for IDS (JCC 3.5 and 4.0 and Pure Query)
Paul-John To - Lightweight Redistribution of IDS
Paul Watson - Bet on IDS
Venkatesh Gopal - Web 2.0 and IDS - Overview of Web 2.0 Technologies
Alexander Koerner - Embedding and Deep Embedding of IDS 11
Spokey Wheeler - Improving the Auditability of Your Informix Databases
Curt Cotner - IBM Data Studio -- Next-Generation Application Development and Admin For IDS
Daniel Farrell - IDS Heterogeneous Replication: How to Replicate Data Out of Non-IDS Systems Into IDS
Kevin Brown - The TimeSeries and Real-Time Loader: Leveraging Power of Informix
Eric Offenberg, Jim Sinisgalli - Understanding Data Governance: Protecting Your Data Assets, Your Company and Your Customers
Mark Jamison - Moving to Unicode - Tips and Tricks
Robert Beal - Informix High Performance Loader - You Got It. Use It !
Ron Flannery - Data Visualization with Informix Dynamic Server
Kevin Brown - Using Extensibility in Everyday Applications
- Location Based Services + RFID Using Web Feature Services Alan Caldera
Gary Ben-Israel - From 4GL to JEE - Taking a Bold Step
Alexey Sonkin - Optimizing Linux for Informix
Marco Greco - The impossible while you wait, miracles take slightly longer
Ronald Privett - The Care and Feeding of Perpetual Roll Forward Systems
Hyun-Ju Vega - Understanding the new onstat options in IDS 11.10 (Cheetah)
Elisabeth Bach - Top Tips learned from Performance PMRs
Anatole Vishon, Gary Ginzburg - Solving Complex IDS Management and Performance Optimization Challenges
Suma Vinod - Using onstats for Performance Tuning and Troubleshooting
Ravi Kota - Harnessing the Power of Solaris 10 for Informix IDS v11
Ronald Privett - Engine Hangs, Debugging Methods, and Diagnostic Tools - A Starter's Guide
Randy House - System Catalogs: How to Clean Up a Database When a Problem Has Occurred
Ronald Privett - Backup and Restore Strategy For Sites Without A DBA
Vijay Lolabattu - In-depth view of IDS 11 feature SQLTRACE
Hyun-Ju Vega - Understanding Optimizer Statistics in Cheetah
David Jay - Sensor & Task Functions in IDS 11: Performance and Administration Tips & Tricks
Mark Jamison - Making Your Engine Hum With ALICE, and Other BTSCANNER Tips
Mike Lowe - Using SQLIDEBUG To Help Streamline Your Application
Randy House - Informix Support, My Engine Is Not Responding
Joseph Baric, Jr. - Reading Assertion Failure Files for Fun and Profit

IDS is EveryWhere - Join the Revolution !

eherber — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:27:33 +0200

IDS is Everywhere - Join the Revolution !

Do you remember when you received the last poster, sticker, cup, briefcase or other material with INFORMIX advertising on it ?

I guess it is a long long time ago back in the nineties.

But hang on - 'Hastes makes waste' - there is new nice stuff produced by the IIUG and IBM. Those of you who took part in the the IIUG 2008 conference might have already received the new IBM Informix poster IDS is Everywhere. 24/7:

The IIUG now produced a lovely new sticker with the traditional INFORMIX logo:

The sticker should find it's place on every desktop, door, notebook-backside, briefcase, car .... of the large bulk of Informix fans. Show the world that something very positive is happening regarding INFORMIX, a revolution inside and outside of IBM.

How will you get your hands on those nice pieces ?

Well, one possibility is to write a kindly email to Stuart Litel ('Mr. President' of IIUG), promising him a free meal or drink at the next Informix conference -:) However I think that Stuart is quite busy enough, so I would recommend that you contact your IBM sales person. I'm sure they are happy to send you the new advertising material along with a DVD containig the IDS 11.5 developer edition and Carlton Doe's IDS 11.5 booklet. Another opportunity to receive those items is probably by visiting the next Informix event in your local area !

Please take also a look at two new analyst reports regarding IDS that proof the revised database strategy of IBM:

Guy Bowerman: IDS 11.5 Analyst reports available

Show the world your commitment to INFORMIX - Join the Revolution !

Free Instructor Led Online Training

eherber — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:01:51 +0100

A special offer from the IIUG for all members:

Free Instructor Led Online Training covering IDS Text Datablade and Node Datablade:

Details
- Date: February 19, 2008
- Instructor: Mike Lowe
- Duration: 1.5h
- Beginning: 11:00am Eastern, 04:00pm London, 05:pm Paris/Berlin
http://www.iiug.org/news/announcements/ibm_ilo.php

Don't miss this innovative and costfree opportunity to learn more about IDS !!

IIUG Conference 2008

eherber — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:16:38 +0200

Update 2008-03-25 - IIUG Conference Circular

IIUG Organisation Committee:
We are almost sold out of booth space (only one slot left). 15 booths including IBM!
About 70 more slots left for registration and then we hit the fire code limit and have to turn off registration!

We have people coming from as far away as South Africa, Croatia and all over Europe, Mexico and S. America!

Conference Circular: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/IIUG_Conf_Circular.pdf
Conference Home Page: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/index.php"
Tutorials: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/tutorials.php
Sessions: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/tech_sessions.php
Hotel Information: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/hotel.php
To Register: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/register.php
AGS FREE tutorial: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/tutorial_ags.php
Four Js FREE tutorial: http://iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/tutorial_4js.php
Link for the hotel rate: http://marriott.com/MCIOP?groupCode=iiuiiua&app=resvlink

Note: The hotel rate is $129 for Sunday night thru Wed night. Saturday night is only $89. If you register online, the Saturday night rate might come up as $129. It will be changed at checkin to $89 for Saturday night only if you are in the hotel on that evening.

Update 2008-02-01 - Interview with Stuart Litel

If you are still unassured regarding your participance in the IIUG 2008 conference, please read what my friend Stuart Litel - the president of the IIUG - has to say about it. The interesting interview has been published on Guy Bowerman's popular Informix blog:

IIUG 2008 - an Interview with Stuart Litel

Update 2008-01-24 - Conference Pages

Several webpages of the IIUG 2008 Informix Conference have been refreshed. You will find more information about the greatest and most exciting Informix Event in 2008 here:

Informix is back and there is no other event worldwide that will demonstrate this better as the IIUG 2008 Conference. Don't miss the opportunity to celebrate the great Informix comeback in Kansas City at the IIUG Conference !!

Update 2007-11-25 - Registration is now open !!

The registration form for the conference is now online at the IIUG website:

http://www.iiug.org/conf/2008/iiug/register.php/

Mark your calendars for probably the greatest Informix event in 2008. The IIUG is organizing a fantastic INFORMIX conference. There are plenty of interesting technical sessions planned that offer a deep dive into the exciting Informix technology.

For a very fair price of about 500 USD you will get three days of solid, technical Informix content and some fantastic evening parties on top -:)

Discover what my friend - the president of the IIUG Stuart Litel - has to tell you about this new INFORMIX conference:

IIUG User View: The New Informix Conference

You can find more information about the conference here:

IIUG 2008 - Submit your own Presentation Proposals

Reserve your seat - Looking forward to meet you there !!

IIUG - Vote for your favorite candidates

eherber — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:24:26 +0100

IIUG Board of Directors Election

As an IIUG member you can now vote for your favorite candidates for the IIUG board of directors 2007. The election started yesterday (Dec 1th) and is open for two weeks (Dec 15 th):

2007 IIUG Board of Directors Election

Read the candidate statements intently before voting.

IDS 10 - Free Download from the IIUG

eherber — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:20:01 +0200

IBM/IIUG offer

You might already heard about it. The IIUG (International Informix User Group) does now offer the download of an IDS 10 version without time bomb. It is for non-commercial use only and has a hard limit of five concurrent user sessions.

Platform Support

The free version is based on the latest IDS release 10.00.[UF]C5 and it is available for the following platforms:

64-Bit
- AIX
- HP
- SOLARIS
32-Bit
- LINUX
- WINDOWS

IIUG Membership

There is no registration necessary, however you need to be an IIUG member in order to download the software. Membership in the IIUG is free of charge, so become a part of the worldwide Informix user community:

Join the IIUG here

After login as an IIUG member, you will find the free IDS 10 download under the Software Downloads button and in the next screen click the IDS-10 button.
If you are already an IIUG member, you must have updated your IIUG profile after 2006-07-01 in order to download the software. Updating your profile could be done by clicking the Profile button in the first screen after the login.
A redesign of the IIUG website would be desirable -:)

Test Installation

I downloaded the free IDS version (the tar-file is approx. 136 MB) and installed it on my SUSE powered notebook. After installation the software takes approx. 214 MB of diskspace which is a really small footprint compared with DB2 or Oracle -:)

Couldn't find any feature restrictions until yet. The important Informix features like ER, HDR, HPL and Fragmentation seem to be all included.

After having already five user connections opened to my test IDS instance, the next attempt to connect threw error 25571:

-25571 Cannot create a user thread.

The message log (onstat -m) contained this message:

22:35:37 You already have 5 connections at this time. Any further attempts will be rejected by IDS DEMO Server.

Useful Resources

Don't hesitate to download the free IDS version and get familiar with the outstanding Informix technology. The following IBM developerWorks article is a good start if you work on the Linux platform:

IDS and Linux -- Up and running

You should also bookmark the IDS 10 online documentation:

IDS 10 Information Center