IIUG Alert (Issue #8)
Oct 5, 2001

Other Issues

Welcome to the IIUG Alert! The IIUG Alert contains time-sensitive material for the IBM Informix community. Please provide feedback via e-mail to ug@iiug.org.

CONTENTS

1. IBM Informix Conference Still a Go - Register Now!
2. IUGGY Award Nominations
3. IIC: Submit ATE & IRM questions via http://www.iiug.org
4. Server Studio JE v2.30 - Generally Available
5. IDS v9.3 Release
6. New Look for http://www.IIUG.org
7. Upcoming Local Informix User Group Meetings
8. Useful Links

IBM Informix Conference Still a Go - Register Now!

2001 IBM Informix Conference
October 21-25, 2001
www.thenextstep.net

Many corporate events throughout the world have been canceled or postponed following the terrible events of September 11th. The IBM Informix Conference quite naturally came under scrutiny as well - should IBM continue with the conference during this sad time and with the knowledge that some who were planning to attend cannot travel now? Or should it hold the event so as to deliver important information to those who have registered and are planning to make it?

Your IIUG representatives sat down with IBM management to discuss this decision, and a difficult decision it was. But we finally determined to go on with plans for the IIC, and we hope you'll support that decision and plan to attend if possible.

For those who can make it, you can still register by October 5th to take advantage of the special International Informix Users Group Member Discount.

The 2001 IBM Informix Conference is packed with the information you want and need as a user of Informix branded products.

Join us as the Informix product family takes the Next Step in our progression and take advantage of the following opportunities:

• Hear first-hand from Janet Perna, General Manager of IBM Data Management Solutions
• Meet the Executives: Participate in a panel discussion with the executives behind IBM Data Management Solutions and the Informix product family
• On-Site Professional Certification Preparation and Testing (Informix Certified Professional Program)
• Speak with the developers of the IBM Informix branded products at the Meet the Developers Reception
• Attend Interactive Product Roadmap sessions for IDS, Red Brick, XPS, and more!

IUGGY Award Nominations

As mentioned in our last IIUG Alert, the IIUG Board has created the IUGGY, an award that recognizes individuals who have long contributed, beyond the call of duty, to the success of the Informix user community. Three such individuals will be presented with IUGGYs at the upcoming IIUG Annual General Meeting, to take place during the 2001 IBM Informix Conference (IIC), Oct. 21-25, 2001.

The following people are among the first IUGGY nominees, and we'd like to thank all of them for their tireless contributions.

• Carlton Doe: Co-founder and former president of IIUG and Informix author extraordinaire, Carlton is now with IBM Data Management.
• Walt Hultgren: Co-founder and former president of IIUG, Walt is currently the key overseer of the IIUG Software Repository.
• Art Kagel: Art is one of the most constant contributors to CDI, all on his own time and over nights and weekends.
• Lester Knutsen: Lester co-founded both the IIUG and the Washington, D.C. Users Group. The latter is arguably the largest and most successful local Informix users group in the world.
• Jonathan Leffler: Jonathan is a multifaceted expert in many Informix products and a consistent and reliable technical adviser to the IIUG and the Informix community at large, via CDI.
• Jack Parker: A technically distinguished member of the Informix community, Jack is also a tireless contributor on CDI.
• Mark Scranton: Mark is a principal technical trainer and consultant for Informix. Mark has presented many tutorials and track sessions at the annual Informix conferences.
• Christine Shannon: During her tenure at Informix Software, Christine worked tirelessly, opening doors for IIUG and obtaining support for local user groups worldwide.

If you have anecdotes that depict how vital these heroes of the Informix community have been to us, please send them to me (FredH@IIUG.org) prior to Oct. 10th.

IIC: Submit ATE & IRM questions via www.iiug.org

The upcoming IIC will include Ask the Expert (ATE) sessions to answer questions about current products and features, and Interactive Roadmap (IRM) sessions to discuss future product releases and enhancements. If you'd like to submit questions in advance to one or both of these sessions, please click on Submit Your Questions and enter your questions. To ease our task of routing the questions to the appropriate forum please type ATE or IRM at the beginning of each question.

Server Studio JE v2.30 - Generally Available

Server Studio Java Edition, by AGS, is an enterprise-level, Integrated Development and Management Environment (IDME), tools deployment platform. Server Studio is a foundation for the integration of database development and operational, diagnostic, and recovery administration activities into a single, seamless application that works across the entire family of IBM Informix database servers. Featuring an intuitive, easy-to-use, graphical user interface, Server Studio sets a new standard for productivity in development, debugging, analysis, optimization, deployment, and administration of database applications.

For more information and for a downloadable PDF of the 2.30 Tech Brief visit www-4.ibm.com/software/data/informix/tools/serverstudio/.

IDS v9.3 Release

IBM has long said that it is committed to supporting Informix customers and business partners into the future by maintaining and supporting Informix products. The company has demonstrated that commitment with its release of the latest version of Informix Dynamic Server (IDS).

New features of IDS 9.3 include advanced spatial analysis capabilities, bundled tools for increased ease of use, and enhanced enterprise replication. With these new features, IDS customers can increase database efficiency and reduce administration costs.

For more information concerning the release of IDS version 9.20 visit www-4.ibm.com/software/data/informix/ids/announce/pr092801.html.

New Look for www.IIUG.org

The new IIUG.org web site was officially launched on October 1. Representing the most recent of many upgrades to the IIUG server, the new site not only sports a new look but also represents a much needed reorganization of the huge volume of valuable data accumulated over the years. Features of the new site include:

• Three Layouts From Which to Choose
   
  IIUG members work in all corners of the globe and work with every possible combination of browser, monitor, and operating system. Accordingly, the new IIUG site provides three alternative viewing formats:
   
  
  • Version 1 - Version 1 is the default format and offers two ways to navigate - a drop-down menu bar written in cross-browser Dynamic HTML (DHTML), and a side menu of simple links with mouseovers. The drop-down menu works with Windows machines running either Netscape 4 and 5 or Internet Explorer 4 and 5, and provides a complete view of the entire web site structure.
     
    For browsers which do not support DHTML, the menu bar will display top-level menu links only. The side menu provides one-click navigation to various menu items.
     
    
  • Version 2 - Version 2, a wide-format layout, is the same as Version 1, but without the side menu. The entire width of the screen displays content. Because there is no side menu, Version 2 requires a DHTML capable browser.
     
    
  • Version 3 - A narrow format with no JavaScript, Version 3 is written in good old reliable standard HTML. It is ideal for low-resolution monitors, laptops, and Macintosh computers.
  
  All versions were created to display well on 800x600 pixel screens. All versions display the same content - none has more information than the others do. Users can loop through the different versions by clicking on the "Version+" graphic at the top of the screen, then bookmark the one they prefer. Or, if cookies are enabled on the browser, the site will remember the last version selected and present it when the user returns to the site.
   
  
• Better and Faster Maintenance
   
  The new IIUG.org web site is built for ease of maintenance as well. All HTML files are pure content, sandwiched between calls to a header script and a footer script. A single text file contains the entire menu structure so all three versions can be updated with a change to this one file. This will help us keep the site clean and up to date.

We welcome your comments, ideas and bug reports on the new site. Address your email to webmaster@iiug.org.

Upcoming Local Informix User Group Meetings

Useful Links

• IBM Informix
• IBM Informix Conference
• IBM Informix Training
• IBM Informix Certification
• IBM/INFORMIX Script To Survey & Improve DB Performance
• New Features of IDS 9.3 - Technical Web Cast Replay
• Informix Product Family - Informix Portfolio: Future Directions, Updated Version
• IBM Developer Works - Tools, Code and Tutorials for Open-Standards Based Development

Closing and Credits

The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an international Organization designed to enhance communications between Informix and its worldwide user community. The IIUG now has over 13,000 members and enjoys major support from IBM Data Management division. We also help local user groups get started and promoted.

Sources: IIUG Board of Directors
Editor: Rob Vorbroker and Martha Schraer, IIUG Board of Directors

For comments, please e-mail to ug@iiug.org