Other Issues

Highlights: IDS 10.0, IIUG Conference & More...

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.

Contents:

1. Editorial...
2. IIUG - Key Largo Board meeting
3. IBM announces IDS 10.0
4. IIUG Conference - First look at top class presentations
5. IDS 10.0 Beta testimonial
6. IBM Informix Client SDK 2.9, Server Administrator 1.6 and Java DB connectivity 3.0
7. IIUG - IIUG Informix Yellow Pages and IIUG Sponsorship Program Update
8. IIUG Board member David Fraser profiled
9. New Informix Video
10. Informix Chat with the Lab: IDS v10.0 - Security and Data Encryption
11. UG meeting schedule
12. IBM's webcast - Developing with Informix or U2?
13. Advanced Informix IDS Performance Tuning and Optimization Course
14. DB2 Information Management Skills Opportunity Development and Awareness
15. Developer corner
16. The Linux corner
17. Service Offerings - Database Trends and Applications
18. Useful Links
19. Closing and Credits

Editorial...

2005 is going to be an exciting year to me. I hope it will be exciting to us all. For IBM and the Informix user community the major release of IDS 10.0 is more than a state-of-the-art software product, it is a statement that Informix is here to stay and flourish. As a beta tester I could not hope for more. Curious? You can find out more about it in the IDS 10.0 Beta testimonial. IIUG is launching 3 new projects this year. The most exciting is our IIUG/IDUG conference in Denver May 22-26 2005. For the first time in many years we are in charge of the Informix content which will include 3 tracks with 42 sessions and 4 half day educational seminars. We will have our All-Star team presenting exciting first time topics. In addition, we are launching our Sponsor and Yellow Pages programs and, last but not least, we are reaching out to our users with the "Mark Scranton Road Show". The IIUG Insider is our main vehicle of communication between us. Please send your ideas, comments, requests and stories to enews@iiug.org to make the Insider a better representative of our user community.

Gary Ben-Israel
IIUG Insider Editor
IIUG Board of Directors

IIUG - Key Largo Board meeting

A board meeting in Key Largo Florida in January sounds cool. It was. Great location, fine company and warm weather, while most of USA is under heavy snow. But instead of enjoying the beaches, we spent our days in a small meeting room trying to make 2005 even more exciting to the Informix users. Our main goals are:

• Continue with our ongoing activities. The IIUG insider, special interest group forums, local user groups and communicating between IBM and IIUG.
• Establishing our relationship with IDUG to participate in their world wide conference program offering state of the art Informix content in the US, Europe and South Pacific.
• Endorsing companies working with Informix offering them new channels of communication via webcasts, advertisements and articles. In return receiving sponsorship money.
• Revamping our web site. For the better we hope :)
• Proactively reaching to our users.

Will we succeed? Let you be the judge of that.

IBM announces IDS 10.0

IBM Informix Dynamic Server V10.0 delivers a powerful, robust, easy-to-administer, enterprise database for on demand business

Please find it at http://tinyurl.com/5xwbj

IDS Version 10 Announcement

As members of the Informix International Users Group, we are all accustomed to working with the best database technology available in the industry. We continue that tradition with IBM Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) v10.0, the most reliable, scalable, and extensible IDS database ever.

On February 22, 2004, IBM announced IDS v10.0. A new release of system management tools is shipping with IBM Informix^® Dynamic Server v10.0. Server Studio^TM JE and Sentinel^TM together provide powerful multi-platform suite of integrated, intuitive tools that help both seasoned database professionals and novices alike improve productivity and ensure that critical IBM Informix^® databases remain up and perform at peak levels, manage change and assure availability of vital business information. The wide-ranging functionality these tools provide supports your organization's vital databases from initial design, development and testing, all the way through to production deployment and operational service.

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/informix/ssje/.

Concurrent with this announcement, IBM is also targeting mid-2005 for availability of IDS V10.0 Express Edition (IDS Express). IDS Express is designed to provide the performance, reliability and ease of management small and med-sized businesses require at the right price, and to provide application development flexibility and support in working with business partner applications, IDS Express is currently planned to be available on both Linux^® and Windows^® platforms. This announcement ensures that IDS is well-positioned as IBM's flagship database for industrial-strength embedded computing. We have been talking to the press and analysts regarding IDS v10.0 and the responses have been very positive. Watch for press coverage regarding IDS v10.0 in the near future.

Using IBM Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) v10.0 with Enterprise Replication (ER), you can keep your systems up and running even during application upgrades. IDS v10.0 is the industry's first database software that allows rolling application upgrades for applications built on IDS and ER. This breakthrough new feature ensures you get near continuous uptime, even when your applications require maintenance. Now there is no reason your business can't be running every second of every day.

Breakthrough features in this release are unmatched in the industry, and can reduce much of the downtime associated with maintaining databases and database applications. Informix Dynamic Server is a core offering within IBM's database portfolio. It is IBM's lead offering for industrial strength embedded solution opportunities that require databases with the highest levels of scalability, performance, availability, and security with minimal administrative requirements.

IDS is also a world leading extensible database for customers requiring high-performance ORDBMS solutions. IDS v10.0 includes extensibility features that are well suited to demanding applications that require the ability to execute complex software components in the database. IDS uniquely offers built in enterprise replication & advanced object relational capabilities.

Customers and Business Partners a like can purchase or upgrade to IDS V10 and obtain tangible benefits! Please go out to the IBM website to the announcement letter for additional details.

IIUG Conference - First look at top class presentations

Informix is back! Along side with the rest of IBM Data Management products, not hidden in small side rooms. Note: When you register you will be requested to enter a "source code" the IIUG code is: NA110 Make sure you enter it to receive your special gift at the conference form the IIUG.

It will be a great conference. Don't take my word for it. Look at our programs and see for yourselves. Hope to see you all at our IIUG Annual General Meeting in Denver on May 25.

IDS 10.0 Beta testimonial

IDS 10.0 - Every thing you could ask for and more.

Taking part in IBM's Beta program for IDS 10.0 was a gratifying experience. Much of it due to the outstanding work by Sue Cofer and the IDS Beta team. I would like to pick, from the long list of new features, the features that are most important to my organization. So important as a matter of fact they will drive me to upgrade the moment it becomes Generally Available (GA).

After thoroughly testing with my legacy software I am confident it will be a smooth upgrade.

1. Performing Point-In-Time restore of tables
   This feature has been high on the request list of Informix users for a long time. It enables a restore of a single table or a fragment of a table. The restore is controlled by SQL statements and is powerful and easy to manage. The table may be restored to a different location and name avoiding potential problems with referential integrity. It is tremendously helpful in cases of damage to a single table.
    
2. Obtaining Information from Trigger Execution
   Implementing business logic in User-Defined Routines usually depends on the state the UDR was called from. Although it can be worked around using a different parameter for different triggers obtaining this information within the UDR produces a better code.
    
3. The ontape utility can use Standard I/O
   During a backup, ontape writes the data to stdout. During a restore, ontape reads the data from stdin. Specifying stdout or stdin allows ontape to use pipes for archive and restores. This huge enhancement to ontape opens a whole new world of opportunities.
    
4. Creating and dropping indexes without locking tables
   The SQL syntax of CREATE INDEX and DROP INDEX now supports DDL operations that apply none exclusive lock to the table on which the specified index is defined. This feature enables the DBA to manage indexes during the day without interfering with normal operation.
    
5. Recovering quickly with Fuzzy Checkpoints
   Reduces the time required for database recovery.
    
6. Determining Version Information
   You can now use the new -version option with all server utilities to provide detailed information on the build operating system, build number and build date.
    
7. Specifying which Events trigger the Alarm program
   Specify whether the event alarm program for all events logged in the MSGOATH or only specified noteworthy events.
    
8. Renaming Dbspaces
   The DBA can rename a previously defined standard dbspace.
    
9. Single user mode
   This new mode permits only user "informix" to connect to the database. This is a valuable feature for testing the database online while preventing unaware users connecting to it.
    
10. Managing the tablespace tablespace
    You can use the onspaces utility to move or drop the chunk contaning the tablespace tablespace. You can also set configuration parameters to specify the size the first extent and of subsequent extents when dbspaces are created. This feature allows you to reduce the number of tablespace tablespace extents and reduce the frequency of cases where those extents are placed in non-primary chunks.
     
11. Configuring page size
    You can now have dbspaces with different page sizes increasing the maximum key size to 32K.
    The advantages are:
    Less storage space, improved access time and support of longer keys especially useful if you use UNICODE.
     
12. Column level encryption
    Allows you to encrypt data at the column level. The encryption uses AES or TDES encryption algorithms. This feature can secure sensitive data.
     
13. A new easy installer assisting you through the installation process.

To sum it all up, this new version is your DBA dreams come true!

Gary Ben-Israel
CIO
National Institute for Testing and Evaluation
Jerusalem
Israel

IBM Informix Client SDK 2.9, Server Administrator 1.6 and Java DB connectivity 3.0

IBM Informix Client SDK V2.9, IBM Informix Connect RT V2.9, IBM Informix Server Administrator V1.6, and IBM Informix Java Database Connectivity V3.0

Please find it at http://www.ibm.com/isource/cgi-bin/goto?it=usa_annred&on=205-038

IIUG - IIUG Informix Yellow Pages and IIUG Sponsorship Program Update

Our sponsorship program has recently started and we already have seven Gold Sponsors out of twelve available slots. We are inviting you to join our Gold Sponsors: Advanced Data Tools, CopperEye, Gillani, FourJ's, Kazer, M Systems and Rocket Software. For more information about the sponsorship program or to submit an application, please see: http://www.iiug.org/sponsor. Our Yellow Pages are also a valuable source of Informix related companies. For more information about the Yellow Pages please see: http://www.iiug.org/iiug/iiyp_program.html. For those of you just seeking information please see: http://www.iiug.org/yellowpages/search.cgi

IIUG Board member David Fraser profiled

Here it is again -- time for a new board and new profiles... Let's discover together board member David Fraser.

New Informix Video

Watch the new Informix video, IBM Informix Software: Database Technology in Everything You Touch, at http://www.watchit.com/informix. The 16-minute video positions IBM Informix Dynamic Server for business leaders and decision makers as a flagship product in IBM's Information Management database portfolio.

The video is moderated by Stuart Litel, IIUG president and features commentary by Philip Howard of industry analyst firm Bloor Research together with a number of Informix partners and end users. These IBM customers describe their history with Informix products, how they use Informix products in their businesses and why Informix products are the best choice for what they do.

This is the second video in a three-part series and is available for download or online viewing at http://www.watchit.com/informix. Share it with your management or even show it to your customers to demonstrate to them the outstanding business benefits of Informix technology.

Informix Chat with the Lab: IDS v10.0 - Security and Data Encryption

IDS v10.0 comprises the most significant changes to the IDS base since the introduction of IDS v9.0 in 1996. With IDS v10.0, IBM has continued to focus on performance, reliability and scalability by providing the fastest, most reliable and highest scaling IDS engine ever. This month's Chat will cover the new security enhancements like data encryption, which make this release the perfect database platform for clients who need to comply with new regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, Basel II and HIPAA.

Our speakers are:

• Jerry Keesee, Director of the Informix lab
• Jonathan Leffler, Senior Technical Staff Member, Informix R&D

Business Partners, Customers and IBMers RSVP for this conference call via the Web:

https://ww4.premconf.com/webrsvp/register?conf_id=2420383

Save the date!

• Our next Chat will be Wednesday, April 6, 2005. We will be covering more on IDS version 10.0

Replays of previous Chats may be found at:

http://www-1.ibm.com/partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/weblook/eac_index_biz.html

Your comments and suggestions for this series are always welcome at: lspina@us.ibm.com

UG meeting schedule

IBM's webcast - Developing with Informix or U2?

You are invited to join IBM on Tuesday, March 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time for our webcast, "Developing with Informix or U2? Leverage the PartnerWorld Industry Networks". Jonathan Prial, Vice President, Marketing, IBM Information Management and Scott Hebner, Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, IBM ISV and Developer Relations will be the speakers. There will be a replay of this webcast available for people located in time zones that make live participation impractical.

IBM Business Partners sell Informix and U2 based solutions into every industry segment and to customers of all sizes. PartnerWorld Industry Networks is designed to help industry focussed Business Partners to sell even more. Over 2,000 firms have taken advantage of this new program since it was launched last year. They are already enjoying the unique marketing, sales and technical support benefits available to them.

Find out how the PartnerWorld Industry Networks can help you tap into new markets by leveraging your existing Informix and U2 solutions. You'll be among the first to learn about new offerings in 2005 - including key benefits to help you close business. If you haven't joined yet - getting started is easy. And if you are a member - learn how you can qualify for even more benefits.

You can register today at http://www-1.ibm.com/partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/weblook/eac_webcasts_biz08mar.html

Advanced Informix IDS Performance Tuning and Optimization Course

Advanced Informix IDS Performance Tuning and Optimization Course July 11-14, 2005 in Annandale, VA USA

This course is for experienced Informix database administrators and application developers who will be responsible for managing, optimizing, and tuning IDS database servers. The focus is on practical skills, procedures, and scripts for improving the performance of your database server. In addition to new skills, the course will provide a toolkit of scripts and utilities to start monitoring and optimizing your Informix IDS database server.

The course is taught by Lester Knutsen, Database Consultant and President, Advanced DataTools. Lester has been developing databases with Informix software since 1983. He specializes in data warehouse development, database design, performance tuning, and Informix training and support, and is an IBM Gold Consultant.

For more information about this course please visit our web site at:

http://www.advancedatatools.com/Training/InformixCourseSchedule.html

For pricing and registration call Linda Knutsen at 703-256-0267 x101 or email linda@advancedatatools.com

DB2 Information Management Skills Opportunity Development and Awareness

New Role-Based Skills Roadmaps for DB2 Information Management Software
Just released, these new roadmaps provide you with a direct path to acquiring the skills you need. Base technology prerequisites are documented, enabling you to embark on a route with a solid grounding. Courses or other applicable learning options are also identified and since the roadmaps are based on the skills for job roles such as developer, administrator and architect, IBM is able to better identify opportunities that are most relevant to your actual job requirements For more information or to download, please visit:

http://www.ibm.com/software/data/education/roadmaps.html

Free IDS Tutorial: Performance Problem Determination
Now available, this is tutorial #7 in the IDS Problem Determination Mastery Series. The objective of this tutorial is to teach you how to identify and debug IDS performance issues. The tutorial is divided into modules that examine the major factors that influence performance. The tutorial will cover ways to exploit IDS's monitoring facilities and various diagnostics for isolating potential performance areas. To download this tutorial or the entire series, please visit:

http://www.ibm.com/software/data/support/pdm/idstutorials.html

Oracle Professionals Upgrade your Skills Now!
Are you an experienced Oracle system administrator or developer? If so, you already have an edge on becoming a DB2 Universal Database or an Informix Dynamic Server system administrator. IBM has put together an array of valuable resources, many of which are complimentary, to help professionals like you upgrade your Skills Now! For more information or to download a resource today, please visit:

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/education/skills_migration.html

Become an IBM Certified Solutions Expert for Informix Dynamic Server
If you are knowledgeable with Informix Dynamic Server Version 9 or 7 and are capable of performing the intermediate to advanced skills required in the day-to-day administration of Informix databases, you may benefit from this certification role. There are even many complimentary resources available to help you prepare. Validate your skills today! For more information visit the DB2 Information Management Certification site to view the available resources, offers, preparation materials and more:

http://www.ibm.com/software/data/education/cert/

Let me know if you have any questions,

Nicole Silvia Hayes
DB2 Information Management Skills Opportunity Development and Awareness
nsilvia@us.ibm.com

Developer corner

Please visit our site for new, refreshed content: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2

Feature article: Connecting to Apache Derby databases using Jython
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0502gibson/
Programming in Jython allows you to take advantage of the elegance of the Python programming language while maintaining access to Java packages and features. Learn how easy it is to use Jython to access and manipulate Apache Derby relational databases.
(cloudscape/derby)

Other new content:

DB2 tools for Visual Studio .NET: The big picture
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0502alazzawe/
Want an overview of the DB2 UDB V8.2 Development Add-In and managed provider for the Microsoft .NET platform? Learn about the key new RAD features, DB2 database project, the rich scripting wizards, and the CLR stored procedures support that are tightly integrated into the Visual Studio .NET IDE and see how they will simplify your application development tasks.
(db2udb for linux, unix and windows)

Implement DB2 UDB and SAP in a Microsoft cluster environment
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0502nesiem/
Understand how to implement SAP and DB2 Universal Database in a Microsoft Cluster Server environment for maximum availability and fault tolerance on Windows. The author explains the architecture, walks you through the processes of planning, installing, and configuring these products together, and includes a wealth of detail on security, troubleshooting, and more. Handy checklists and FAQs are included.
(db2udb for linux, unix and windows)

An introduction to backup, restore and rollforward recovery in Cloudscape
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/dm-0502thalamati/
Ensure the recoverability of your Cloudscape data. Learn how the backup, restore and rollforward recovery features work in IBM Cloudscape and Apache Derby. The author includes examples of how to perform backup and restore.
(cloudscape/derby)

The Linux corner

IBM releases Rational Application Developer v6.0 for Linux - OSNews.com
The IBM Rational Application Developer for Linux trial download enables developers with diverse technical backgrounds, and even those unfamiliar with Java, to quickly build rich, data-driven applications

Like Linux, Databases Going Open Source
IBM and Oracle -- two of Linux's biggest patrons -- have relished the effect the free software has had on Microsoft and other foes.

Gillani Connects Informix-4GL with DB2 Database on Linux
"Informix-4GL users can now run their applications on DB2 in addition to Informix database via Gillani Database Independence (DBI) technology, which will be part of the FourGen CASE Tools. This offers a new level of flexibility for Informix-4GL application users by extending choice in selection of databases offered by IBM. The same 4GL application can be compiled to run on either IDS or DB2. With the introduction of Gillani DBI technology, proven Rapid Application Davelopment tools - FourGen CASE Tools and Informix-4GL are now available for the DB2 development community to create sophisticated database applications.

For more information, visit Gillani website at: http://www.gillani.com

Service Offerings - Database Trends and Applications

Database Trends and Applications is the leading publication providing corporate information projects teams with the timeliest coverage of the technology, intelligence and insight needed to conceptualize, plan, initiate, implement and manage large-scale, integrated information-rich projects. Database Trends and Applications enables enterprises to realize the full value of their information assets. For a free subscription go to http://www.dbta.com. Subscriptions delivered outside the United States are fulfilled on a paid basis at $125 annually.

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 25,000 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 IBM Corp. Advanced Data Tools Awoma Gillani Database Trends and Applications
Editors:	Gary Ben-Israel Jean Georges Perrin Stuart Litel
For comments, please send an email to enews@iiug.org.