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IIUG Insider (Issue #31)
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| Q: | How do you use Informix in your "real" job (DBA, Consultant, Developer, etc.)? |
| A: | I am an IDS DBA in an EMC, HP-UX, SAP shop. We have several VLDB's in the Terabyte range. I am responsible for disk allocation, database mapping, metric reporting, capacity planning, and I/O monitoring on the storage, host and database levels. Like any DBA I do reorganizations, user requests, and back fill for our other DBAs. |
| Q: | How long have you been using Informix products? |
| A: | Three years. |
| Q: | What is your role on the IIUG Board? |
| A: | I am working on user advocacy. The best way for me to advocate for the Informix user community is to create mechanisms to exchange our front line experiences. As we work to retain our existing Informix implementations we should learn what we can of what the other database solutions offer, how they run, and what their pain points are. We could use a database features matrix for a cross database technology comparison. We could also use a SIG for sharing our experiences with other database solutions, and how the vendors handled themselves. Knowledge is power. Learning about the competition enables us to discuss why one database is a better choice than another to our decision makers. Discussing among us how the vendors treat us keeps them in check. |
| Q: | Why did you volunteer to be on the Board? |
| A: | I have been a member of the Informix Advisory Council for a year and a half. I care deeply about preserving the right of Informix users to keep their jobs. Let's face it... IBM is preserving the Informix product line, but the other database vendors are taking every opportunity to convince our corporate decision makers to move to their products. Our fellow Informix users deserve every opportunity to continue to work with the database we all enjoy. |
| Q: | What do you want to accomplish this year on the Board? |
| A: | I want to setup a SIG to serve as a discussion forum to post our observations and experiences with other database solutions, and their vendors. I also want to recognize application vendors who support Informix products. I want to create a vendor directory, of the Independent Software Providers out there who are certifying their products on Informix. It is important to recognize the ISV's who are porting on Informix, and thank them for their support, while discovering possible applications of value to us which run on Informix. |
| Q: | Where are you from? |
| A: | North Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA |
| Q: | Best Informix story? |
| A: | Mapping out 60,000 rows of data from EMC's work load analyzer, and corresponding that data with HP-UX I/O metrics and Informix onstat data to create an I/O mapping report that details all levels of I/O activity from the storage disk to the IDS buffer. I enjoy database mapping & I/O monitoring. |
| Q: | Worst Informix nightmare. |
| A: | We purchase Informix support through our ERP provider. A reorg went bad at 2 AM one Sunday morning, and our SAP support contact in Singapore stated that they couldn't help me until Germany came online at 6 AM. There wasn't any Informix support available until then. After a rather vocal challenge to that statement I got SAP to open up a support case directly to Informix in Melbourne. My issue was promptly resolved. |
| Q: | Can you tell us about your family and hobbies outside of the IIUG? |
| A: | My wife Amy and I have been married for 14 years this month. We have two sons, Ethan 3 years, and Owen 6 months. I treasure my time with them. My hobbies include gardening, fencing, creative writing, and home remodeling. I am planning a 42' x 30' two-story house addition this fall. |
16 July: IIUG/IBM Webcast: U2 Overview & Roadmap New Features
IIUG, in collaboration with IBM, is pleased to announce a webcast covering the UniVerse and UniData (U2) roadmap and new features on 16 July 2003 starting at 12 Noon US Eastern Time.
The webcast will be hosted by Hal Maner, IIUG Board of Directors, and will feature the following presenters:
Janet Oswald
Manager, Worldwide IBM U2 Marketing Programs
Susie Siegesmund
Director, IBM U2
Jackie Burhans
Product Manager
The topics to be covered will include:
- U2 in the first half of 2003
- U2 product strategy
- U2 roadmap
For more details, including registration information for this webcast, please visit: http://www.iiug.org/resources/webcasts/webcast_16jul03.html
Based on feedback from its members, IIUG is committed to serving the needs of the U2 community. We hope that you will find this webcast useful.
Informix Local User Group Update
The Informix Local User Groups (LUGs) continue to meet in all corners of the globe. The first half of 2003, many US locations took part in the "Mark Scranton tour". Mark is an Informix trainer from Denver, Colorado, who has presented at several user group meetings this year, and last, on the IDS engine internals and performance tuning. One of his stops participated in the newly "re"-formed Seattle, Washington (USA) group on 12 May, where the location had to me changed at the last minute because it was not large enough to hold the anticipated 60 plus attendees from all over the American Pacific Northwest.
Also, at the end of June, the German Informix user group held one of their regularly scheduled workshops.
This month, the "Carlton Doe tour" stops in Tampa, Florida and Washington DC where the topic will be the new 9.4 version of IDS. Many of you know Carlton from his Informix books and IIUG leadership.
The schedule of Informix LUG meetings for the next 3 months is currently:
- 15 July: Central Florida Informix Users Group, Celebration, Florida
- 16 July: Washington Area Informix Users Group (WAIUG), Washington, D.C.
- 24 July: North Texas Informix Users Group (NTIUG), Dallas, Texas
- 1 August: Kansas City Informix User Group, Kansas City, Missouri
- 7 August: Utah Informix User Group, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 6 August: Informix User Group of Northern California (IUGNC), SF Bay Area, California
- 17 September: Arizona Informix User Group, Phoenix, Arizona
- 26 September: Carolinas Informix User Group, location pending
Please visit the IIUG events calendar, http://www.iiug.org/calendar, to obtain contact information for the above meetings, and check for updates.
Other web page resources of interest:
- List of Informix LUGs: http://www.iiug.org/community/lug.html
- Resources for Informix LUGs: http://www.iiug.org/iiug/lug_resources.html
For more information about Informix Local User Groups, please contact James Edmiston, james@iiug.org or Jean Georges Perrin, jgp@iiug.org
IBM Redbook: Using Informix Dynamic Server with WebSphere
There is a new IBM Redbook available for IDS and WebSphere. For those unfamiliar with the IBM Redbooks, they are very detailed, in-depth papers that cover a particular topic. IIUG ENews highly recommends them.
Using Informix Dynamic Server with WebSphere (http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg246948.html)
This IBM Redbook is intended primarily for Informix customers and business partners. It presents information that will help with the installation, configuration, use, and management of an Informix Dynamic Server and WebSphere environment.
It provides a brief overview of Informix Dynamic Server, WebSphere Application Server, and WebSphere Studio Application Developer, all in one place, for a better understanding of the products. Then it shows how these products can be integrated together, thus enabling you to begin receiving the benefits of a powerful e-business application development environment as quickly as possible.
Informix Dynamic Server is supported by WebSphere, an open application development platform that can reduce e-business application development timeframes by providing a common toolset that can enhance developer productivity.
IIUG/IBM Webcast Replay: WebSphere/IDS & 4GL
This 27 June webcast riveted a record audience and you can now replay it to your heart's content at the time and place of your choice.
This event demonstrates the integration of Informix Dynamic Server and the WebSphere family of products. The objective is to enable Informix customers to more easily implement a dynamic and flexible e-business environment. The webcast discusses various techniques used in a recent Informix - WebSphere Redbook project to create sample applications. The webcast also highlights how Informix 4GL applications will transition to the WebSphere - Enterprise Generation Language framework in the future.
To play back, please visit http://www.placewareforum.com/eseminars/page.cfm?p=event&subcatid=16086&eventid=21133.
IBM Informix Evaluation Site Up & Running
The Informix Evaluation site is up and running and Informix software continues to be added to allow customers access for trials, betas and testing.
The evaluation site is located at the link "Informix Trial Offers" on the following web page http://www.ibm.com/software/data/informix/howtobuy/.
Registration is required for downloading evaluation software - registration is not required to download free software which is also available on that site.
For customers interested in the latest version of Informix Dynamic Server (IDS), Version 9.4 - a Linux and Windows limited use version is available at that site or point specifically to https://www6.software.ibm.com/dl/ifxdl/ifxdl-p.
IBM Informix - Consulting & Certification News
New IBM Informix Dynamic Server Services Offerings To complement the launch of IBM Informix Dynamic Server 9.4, IBM Software Services for Data Management offers worldwide services to accelerate product upgrades or product installations. For more information on "faststart" or upgrade services please visit: http://www.ibm.com/software/data/informix/ids94/upgrade.html
Get IBM Informix Certified for Free at the Data Management Technical Conference Take advantage of the free IBM DB2 information management professional certification testing offered at DMTC October 27-31, 2003 in Las Vegas, NV. Become IBM certified and validate your skills! For more information or to register please visit: http://www.ibm.com/services/learning/conf/us/dm/certification.html
Useful Links
In response to your input, we have created a new page on the IIUG web site containing all the links we used to include. Please find it at:
http://www.iiug.org/quicklinks.html
Closing and Credits
The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization designed to enhance communications between its worldwide user community and IBM. IIUG's membership database now exceeds 18,000 entries and enjoys the support and commitment of IBM's Data 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 |
| Editors: | David Smith, IIUG Board of Directors Jean Georges Perrin, IIUG Board of Directors, and Fred Hubbard, IIUG Board of Directors |
| For comments, please send an email to ug@iiug.org. | |