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Insider

IIUG Insider (Issue #168)
June 2014

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Highlights: My 100th Issue of the IIUG Insider

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:

 

Editorial Back to top

Dear friends,

On February 2005 the torch of the Insider editor was passed to me by JGP. In his last editorial JGP wrote:

Here is my wish list...

I wish for a new engine for DBAs, with plenty of new state-of-the-art features.

For developers, I wish for exciting new connectivity products and easier-to-use tools.

For all, I wish for more coverage, advertising, less videos with Stuart (hey I am certainly as cute as he is!), lots of help for business partners (no, seriously, no one specific in mind).

Since then we had Informix 10, 11, 11.5 and 12 with plenty of new state-of-the-art features, exciting new connectivity products and easier-to-use tools. More coverage, advertising and lots of help for business partners are still on our wish list.

After two years and 26 issues I passed it in my turn to David Fraser. My wish list before passing the Insider to David was not as ambitious as JGP's. It was for your help and participation submitting technical articles, success stories, requests or even complaints. It is still on my wish list as well.

On his first editorial David wrote:

I am not entirely sure of all the murky history of Informix, but I suspect that this is the first "Insider" to be edited south of the equator. Therefore, for all you northern hemisphereites, please print this edition, turn it around and read it upside down. Then it will make sense.

After a year in office David left the board, Informix and the Insider but remained an IIUG member an Informix fan and a friend. On his last editorial written from the first IIUG conference David, instead of making a wish, made a beautiful statement:

The International Informix Users Group is undoubtedly the finest IT focused User Community on this planet. It has been, and is, instrumental in driving the development of the Informix product and the commitment of IBM to Informix. You, the members of this great organization, are the real heroes.

Since May 2008 you are stuck with me. Those in the northern hemisphere, who followed David's advice and printed the Insider and read it upside down, returned to their normal routine. Well, maybe the southern hemisphere folks started reading it upside down instead.

Gary Ben-Israel


For my 100th issue I asked JGP and David to write editorials just to remind you what you are missing.

One hundred. One hundred Insiders edited by my dear friend Gary Ben-Israel. But the story did not start there. The first IIUG Insider was released on May 17th 2002. At that time, it was a simple newsletter, a collection of information we were getting and published by David Smith and Fred Hubbard. It was produced every 2 weeks.

My name appeared on issue #14 and we kept a bi-weekly pace until issue #45. Gary appeared on the masthead for the first time in issue #46, back in April 2004.

I introduced the editorial in the June 2004 issue of the Insider (#48). This was not yet an opinionated newsletter, but we really wanted to change the tone and start publishing news according to our opinions and ideas, not only aggregating and syndicating content seen everywhere.

My name was last seen on the masthead in March 2007, as Gary was handling the Insider for a brief period to David Fraser.

Today, in the tough times we are through, it is a great pleasure to see that Gary has the courage to keep doing this work and, I must admit, I am glad to read his editorial every month. I really hope that the project we have been working on with Gary will come to life in 2014.

Keep the good work Gary!

JGP


I was minding my own business the other day when Trev dropped in, opened a brown paper bag and started scoffing a sandwich. Tuna and tomato. I opened the window.

"Did you go to the Informix shindig they did up in Auckland?" he asked, knowing full well I wasn't there till near the end. "Place was packed." he said and took another bite "Standing room only." Silence for a moment. "Jerry was there... Stu too." I knew this of course as I had spoken to Jerry already and was picking up Stu for a couple of days of R&R. "You are an idiot of course..." I knew that too, "for dropping out of the IIUG Board." He gave me a hard stare as he paused. "They do the best conferences" and then he pondered "though it's not like they give away phones or tablets or any of that glitzy MS stuff." "But tell me...how did it go with Stu?" Trev stuffed his face again....it was my turn to talk.

Stuart Litel had invited me to invite him to stay for a few days after the Australian and New Zealand Informix User Update events. For me, it was a great time to catch up with all the IDS gossip and again to learn about how far this exciting dataserver had got to. Stu wasted no time telling me. Lots of juicy gossip. New features and continued focus. Sure, IBM could do more but that's old news. "And did Stu have a good time?" he asked. So I gave him the whole story of a Bostonian in Kiwiland. Chatting up bikies with stories as only Stu can tell... Shooting shop with NJ (the other expat)... and generally acting like the tourist.

Trev looked over to me. He had finished his sandwiches. He looked bored. "Nothing happening at work?" I asked. He smiled at me. "I'm an Informix DBA." he replied, "Nothing ever happens. Life is sweet".

David Frazer


Highlights Back to top

IIUG President's Note

On behalf of the entire IIUG family, I would like to thank two departing IIUG Board members: Kate Tomchik and Bruce Simms. Both have done this organization a tremendous amount of service. Kate who maintained the front page and many parts of the IIUG web site by keeping the content updated as best as she could and did one heck of a job at it. Bruce for his continued dealing with IIUG sponsors for both the conference team and the IIUG web site. Bruce, sorry to say you are still stuck with the job for the conference team. We took a vote last night and you won UNANIMOUSLY.

I would also like to welcome Tom Beebe and Eric Vercelletto to the Board. Tom has been around the IIUG for a long time and most of you don't know this but he is actually System Administrator for TWO IIUG servers and both of them have had ZERO unplanned downtime. In fact, the only downtime I can remember in the case of either server is when the ISP had some power issue. Eric is the man who stuck his neck on the line to produce the only real Informix benchmarks, on his own time a few years back. Welcome to both of you.

On a different note, people have asked me "Where and when is the 2015 IIUG Conference?"

To put it simply, I DON'T KNOW. We just started looking yesterday. I can only say the following for sure: the most likely date is the last week of April 2015 due to conflicts of other events. Also, it will definitely be in the USA and the most likely open candidates are the three previous hotel venues. Those are: JW Marriott Miami, FL, Mission Valley Marriott, San Diego, CA and Overland Park Marriott, Overland Park (Kansas City), KS. All of these venues have been tremendous hosts to us in the past so to make life easier for all of us (especially me) we look to hopefully reach an agreement with one of these hotels. The actual dates and location should be set in the next 30 - 45 days.

Finally, I am not sure we ever published these little secret links...

Did you miss the IIUG 2014 Conference? Get a copy of the Conference guide, now available to all as edited by our special editor and IIUG Board member Rhonda Hackenburg. You can download it at www.iiug2014.org/guide.pdf and it is only about 50 - 75 MB and guaranteed to be the best selling Informix publication of the 2014 calendar year :) OK so you missed the conference and you want to join us in 2015. So here is the second secret link to download the conference presentations: www.iiug2014.org/sessions.zip (special note: iiug2014.org MIGHT be down for a few hours this weekend as the ISP is doing a power upgrade!!)

Welcome to our new Board members!

IIUG Board of Directors 2015

The IIUG has elected its Board of Directors for 2015. The new Board started its term on July 1, 2014.

The Board members are:

  • Tom Beebe
  • Khaled Bentebal
  • Gary Ben-Israel
  • Miguel Carbone
  • Dennis Duckworth (IBM Representative)
  • Rhonda Hackenburg
  • Art Kagel
  • Cindy Lichtenauer
  • Stuart Litel (President)
  • Jean Georges Perrin
  • Eric Vercelletto

We are welcoming two new Board members, Tom Beebe and Eric Vercelletto.

What's new IBM Informix version 12.10.xC4

Migration

  • Server changes
  • Enterprise Replication conversion and reversion requirements
  • JSON compatibility conversion and reversion requirements
  • Easier to import tables with large rows

Installation

  • Easier installation of 32-bit programs on Windows 64-bit operating systems
  • Uninstall Informix programs on Windows from the Control Panel

Administration

  • Multitenancy in Informix
  • Enhancements to OAT
  • Easier removal of outstanding in-place alter operations
  • Limit the size of extendable storage spaces
  • Limit the number of locks for a session
  • New default mode for the VP_MEMORY_CACHE_VP configuration parameter

Replication

  • Enhancements to the Enterprise Replication apply process and memory pool allocation
  • Replicate hertz and compressed time series data
  • New event alarm for blocked replication transactions

Performance

  • Faster storage optimization
  • Faster queries with UNION ALL views

Application development

  • Customize the display widths of Unicode private-use characters
  • SQL compatibility: LIMIT clause allowed after the Projection clause

JSON compatibility

  • Enhanced JSON compatibility
  • Access Informix from REST API clients
  • Create a time series with the REST API or the MongoDB API
  • Basic text searching support for JSON and BSON data
  • Access BSON data from JDBC client applications
  • Quickly export relational tables to BSON or JSON documents

Time series

  • Include JSON documents in time series
  • Enhancements to the time series Java class library

Security

  • PAM password authentication for DRDA connections

Detailed information on each new feature is available at DeveloperWorks.


Conference corner Back to top

Register today for IBM Insight 2014, the Big Data conference and save $600

The name of the conference has changed for a reason: It's no longer just about information; it's what you can do with the information. Insight is the ideal forum to share your experiences and best practices in big data and analytics with more than 13,000 of your peers. Areas of interest will include Information Management, Business Analytics and Enterprise Content Management, plus dozens of business and industry tracks and roadmaps.

Register by July 31, 2014 to save $600.


Informix news Back to top

A Database Utility to the Rescue

IBM Data magazine: How to use the IBM Informix archecker utility to restore a single table and save the day


Developer corner Back to top

Informix Chat with the Lab

Topic:    IOT Demo - Making life better with IoT
 
Date:    Wednesday, July 31 2014
 
Time:    8:30 - 10:30 AM Pacific
10:30 AM Central
11:30 AM Eastern
4:30 PM London
5:30 PM Paris

Speaker: Darin Tracy

Whether it is about being smart in handling your daily chores, or managing the environment around you, IoT is revolutionizing and "awesomizing" how we go about doing this. With Informix as the Intelligent Database to manage data from sensor devices, you can see how smart and easy it is to build your solutions for IoT. This demo showcases Informix strengths in IoT including easy of embed (come see Informix running on ARM based devices and Shaspa Gateway), TimeSeries, Cloud capabilities (using Softlayer), building your analytics (with IWA) and the simplicity of developing your applications with Informix.

Watch for a registration announcement on the IIUG Website.

New in DeveloperWorks

Migrating 32-bit Informix ODBC applications to 64-bit
Informix 64-bit ODBC driver binaries have been available for many years, but the true 64-bit Informix ODBC driver was not introduced until Informix Client SDK v4.10 in early 2013. This article discusses the differences between the Informix 64-bit binaries of the Informix ODBC driver and the newer, true 64-bit driver. Also learn how to migrate your current 32-bit or 64-bit Informix ODBC applications to take advantage of the true 64-bit driver.

01 May 2014

System Administration Certification exam 919 for Informix 11.70 prep, Part 1: Informix installation and configuration
In this tutorial, you'll learn about IBM Informix database server installation, configuration and upgrade process and strategies, and about configure the different security options available in Informix. In addition, learn how to use different types of connections with database server. This tutorial prepares you for Part 1 of the System Administration Certification exam 919 for Informix v11.70.

24 Apr 2014

For more information go to DeveloperWorks — Informix.


Informix corner Back to top

Informix Internet of Things Brochure

The world we live in is transforming in ways we never dreamed of with the emergence of smart, connected devices such as smart phones, smart cars, smart homes, wearables and the list goes on...all with the intent to make our lives easier. This evolution is, of course, the "Internet of Things". The things we use every day have become more connected, and yes have databases inside. Not every database can go there and Informix is leading the way with innovations that are bridging the gap between new computing technologies designed for big data, cloud, and mobile computing with the enterprise world of relational data. Learn more here.

Webcast: Cash in on the Internet of Things: Bring intelligence to connected environments to enable real-time action

August 12
Driven by consumer demand for new services and convenience, the availability of low cost sensors and the establishment of universal internet access, the Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly transforming the way we live and do business. The IoT offers tremendous growth opportunities and new revenue sources. Unfortunately, it also offers plenty of data management challenges with reams of complex data spewing from devices and machines. The challenge is capture, analyze and act in the right business moment. During this webcast, we will explore an IT architecture to help you down the road to action. We will also explore several real world examples of this architecture in action, for example how smart buildings are driving down costs while improving efficiency and how manufacturing facilitates optimize performance, capability and resource utilization while also improving yield. What can the IoT do for you? Bring your questions and we will demonstrate the possibilities from predicative and descriptive analytics to technologies on the bleeding "edge" of the IoT. More details to come.

Webcast: Internet of Things - Choose an Intelligent Database The "Internet of Things" refers to the growing number of devices and sensors that communicate and interact via the Internet, offering businesses new customers and revenue opportunities. Harnessing data from billions of connected devices lies in the ability to store, access, and query SQL and NoSQL data together, seamlessly. Check out this upcoming eSeminar to learn how to bridge the gap between new computing technologies designed for big data, cloud, and mobile computing with the enterprise world of relational data in the "Internet of Things" era. Listen to the replay.


Calendar of events Back to top

July - 2014
Date Event Location Contact
3 Informix and Industry 4.0 / Internet of Things Infobahn Event IBM HQ, Ehningen, Germany Monika Schneider
7-8 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Toronto, Canada  
9-13 Data 2014, The Mastermind Conference InterAlpen Hotel, Tyrol, Germany data2014@leolo.de
15-16 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Montreal, Canada  
21-22 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Atlanta, Georgia  
24-25 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Washington DC  
30-31 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Costa Mesa, California  
August - 2014
Date Event Location Contact
6-7 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow New York City  
11-12 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Boston, Massachusetts  
14-15 IBM Informix Internet of Things/NoSQL Spring/Summer Roadshow Seattle, Washington  
October - 2014
Date Event Location Contact
26-30 IBM Insight 2014 Las Vegas, Nevada
 

Informix resources Back to top

IBM Informix home page

http://www.informix.com or directly at: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/informix/

Informix blogs and wikis

Blogs and Wikis that have been updated during the last month

More Blogs and Wikis

 
Forums, groups, videos, and magazines

There is now an Informix group on LinkedIn. The group is called "Informix Supporter", so anyone loving Informix can join, from current IBM employees, former Informix employees, to users. It will also be a good occasion to get in touch with others or long-time-no-seen friends. If you fancy showing the Informix logo on your profile, join.


Useful links Back to top

http://www.iiug.org/quicklinks.html


Closing and credits Back to top

The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization designed to enhance communications between its worldwide user community and IBM. The 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.
Editors:  Gary Ben-Israel
Rhonda Hackenburg

For comments, please send an email to gary@iiug.org.