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INFORMIX: Power Reference

By Art Taylor
Published Oct 26, 1998

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Copyright 1999
Edition: 1st

Book
ISBN-10: 0-13-080906-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-080906-3

8090f-1

The complete Informix-Dynamic Server reference for every DBA and developer!

Informix administrators and developers now have an authoritative single source for database architecture, development, administration, monitoring and tuning. Informix Power Reference brings together all the essential skills and knowledge every Informix database professional needs to maximize reliability and performance.

Understand shared memory, internal multi-threading, and other architectural elements that directly impact performance. Discover how to simplify administration through static database fragmentation; supercharge Informix-SQL for database access; work with stored procedures and database triggers; enhance data integrity through constraints; and more. Coverage includes:

A comprehensive overview of the Informix database engine.
High-performance Informix-Dynamic Server (IDS) installation and configuration.
Managing IDS physical and logical disk layouts.
Identifying resource bottlenecks, including CPU, memory, disk, LRU queues, and more.
Building and tuning queries for maximum effectiveness.

You'll find extensive practical guidance on database administration, including online engine modifications, DSS parameter changes, onmode commands, database security, managing logs, archiving and recovery. Expert tips and examples help you create better screen forms and reports and make the most of Informix-4GL. Complete, convenient, and up-to-date, Informix Power Reference is an invaluable resource for DBAs and developers alike.

CD-ROM included!

The accompanying CD-ROM brings together a comprehensive library of Informix-related tools, resources and white papers for both DBAs and developers.

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Sample Content

1. Informix Product Overview.

History of Informix Products. Informix Product Architecture. Parallel Database Operations. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

2. Informix Basic Concepts and Server.

IDS Basic Concepts. Chunks and dbspace. Informix Data Types. Smallfloat. System Reserved Pages. Root dbspace. System Catalog. The sysmaster Database. Informix Server Architecture. Tracing a Query Through the Engine. Parallel Data Query and PDQ Priority. IDS Options and Extensions. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

3. Installation and Configuration of the Informix Dynamic Server.

IDS Configuration. Installation Preparation. IDS Environment Variables. The onconfig File. Timeout. Summary. Next Chapter.

4. Managing the IDS Disk.

The IDS View of Disk. Creating Database Tables. Using Data Distributions. Monitoring Disk Usage. Summary. Next Chapter.

5. Monitoring and Tuning the IDS Engine.

Tuning Strategies for IDS. Monitoring IDS Using the onstat Utility. Using the onstat Utility to Identify Resource Bottlenecks. Using Operating System Resource Monitors. Addressing CPU Resource Problems. Monitoring IDS Memory Usage. Monitoring Disk Activity. Log Activity in the IDS Engine. Evaluating and Tuning Physical Log Activity. Evaluating and the LRU Queue. Evaluating and Tuning Checkpoints. Tuning Queries and Applications. Addressing System Resource Problems. Tuning a Query. The Query and the Query Plan. Tuning the Query. Using Table Fragmentation for Query Tuning. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

6. Database Administration in the Informix Dynamic Server.

Starting and Stopping the Database. Online Engine Modifications. Adding and Removing CPU Resources. DSS Parameter Changes. Using onmode to Alter Shared Memory Parameters. Miscellaneous onmode Commands. IDS Database Security. Managing IDS Logs. Archiving and Recovery. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

7. The Relational Database and Informix-SQL.

History of the Relational Database. Relational Database Concepts. The Structured Query Language in IDS. Creating Data Storage-The DDL Statements. Column Integrity and Referential Constraints. Accessing Data-DML Statements. The insert Statement. Miscellaneous SQL. Informix Stored Procedure Language. IDS Database Triggers. IDS String Manipulation Functions. New Version 7.3 Features. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

8.Introduction to INFORMIX-4GL.

The INFORMIX-4GL Language. Parts of a 4GL Application. Modular Programming with INFORMIX-4GL. Informix Data Types and Operators. Data Conversion in Assignments. Language Constants. Flow of Control Statements in INFORMIX-4GL. Conditional Expressions in INFORMIX-4GL. The Concatenation Operator. Using SQL in INFORMIX-4GL Applications. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

9.Screen Forms and Reports.

Managing Screen Size. Screen Form Programming. Database Binding in Screen Forms. formonly Screens. Manipulating the Screen Form in INFORMIX-4GL. Modularity and Screen Form Interaction. Managing Multiple Windows. display Statement. input Statement. Termcap Issues. INFORMIX-4GL Reports. The acct_totals Report. Table-Driven Dynamic Report. Chapter Summary. Next Chapter.

10.Functions and Error Handling in INFORMIX-4GL.

Error Handling and Help Messages in INFORMIX-4GL. Chapter Summary.

Index.

Preface

Preface

A database is the core, the center of an application, a very critical component of the application architecture. Vital application information flows in and out of this component. Failures or flaws in the database could have a severe impact on the entire application.

For this reason, because of this criticality, the correct administration of the database is of paramount importance. For an application to run without incident, the database used must operate correctly and efficiently. Smooth database operation requires not only proper administration, but a proper physical and logical design of the database, a design that should match the needs of the application using the database.

As an Informix database administrator, you must understand the full range of engine operations: from how the engine uses machine resources (CPU and disk), how data integrity is maintained through logging mechanisms, archive and recovery facilities, and most importantly, database monitoring and tuning. Starting with a discussion of basic terms and concepts and proceeding through a discussion of the engine architecture, this book covers each of these topics in turn.

As an Informix application developer, you must understand the operation of the database to correctly architect an application. Flexible data organization through static database fragmentation is a an important feature of the Informix database and if understood and used correctly, can improve performance for many applications. This book covers Informix fragmentation in detail, explaining how this important feature can be used to improve performance for data retrieval and ease data administration by placing portions of data in specific disk locations.

An Informix application developer or database administrator will interact with the Informix database using the Informix Structured Query Language (SQL). Understanding and using Informix-SQL wisely can save tremendous amounts of development and administration effort. The most commonly used Informix-SQL statements for both data manipulation and data definition are covered in this text complete with examples of usage.

One of the most enduring Fourth Generation Languages is Informix-4GL. This development language represents a well-conceived combination of procedural and non-procedural programming statements that allow a complete application to be developed with ease. This tool is excellent for the development of reports, database administration, and the transformation, conversion and filtering applications common in data warehouses and data marts. This language is covered in detail in this text.

Despite the common maxim, it is generally not the computer that fails but the human who programmed or administered it. Careful, knowledgeable design, programming and administration are the base upon which computer applications are built. These tasks require a solid knowledge foundation for the development tools being used. Using this book, you, the Informix developer or administrator, can develop that solid foundation of knowledge of the Informix product line for the products presented in this book.

Appreciation
Thanks to all those who helped in the development of this book. Thanks especially for the great home support: Carolyn, Hannah and Eric, and especially Carolyn. Their patience and understanding has been appreciated.

Thanks to all the technical editors including Harold Davis and Seth Grimes. Most significantly thanks to the technical editors Paul Gancz and Dave Kosenko who stayed with this effort to the end and whose keen technical expertise kept me on the straight and narrow.

Special thanks to the Informix Press member of this team, Judy Bowman whose help and efforts are greatly appreciated.

And finally, thanks to the production team at Prentice-Hall: Ralph Moore and Kerry Reardon who have helped make all this information clear, clean and presentable.

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