Duplicate databases

We've got a Sun 4/470 running SunOS 4.1.3 and an accounting/manufacturing/ order admin application that uses Informix/SE as its underlying RDBMS. The app requires SE; On-line is out of the question. The problem: At the end of the month, the orders are coming in fast and furious and the OA and production staffs are working full steam trying to get the orders out. Unfortunately, at the same time, the beancounters and salespeople run all sorts of CPU and I/O intensive reports trying to figure out where the sales are in relationship to the forecasts. This has the effect of bringing the app to its knees, making it more difficult for the OA and Prod folks to get the real work done. What we'd like to do is find some way of mirroring the main database in a timely fashion so that the reports can be run off of the DB copy, keeping the record locking to a minimum on the working database. I don't think that RAIDs are the answer here, just some sort of brilliant software solution. Has anyone faced and conquered this problem before? --- =============================================================================== Joe Hartley | jh@cadre.com - Whenever you find that you are on the Cadre Technologies | side of the majority, it is time to reform. - M. Twain 222 Richmond St. | -------------------------------------------------------- Providence, RI 02903 | Overman 1st Class - the Kilgore Trout Memorial Clench (401) 351-5950 x266 | of the Church of the SubGenius ===============================================================================