Restore Informix 9.4 via unix cp / mv commands?

Hi everyone. I know this is probably a basic question. I am going to be upgrading from IDS 9.4 FCX21 to IDS 10 FC9. I do not have the original IDS 9.4 tar files. My question is...is it a solid backout strategy to simply do... cp -rp /informix/IDS9.4 /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup and then should I need to restore the 9.4 software mv -rp /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup /informix/IDS9.4 ? Of course I would also need to make full level0 backups too. But has anyone actually ever done this and seen that it works? I do know that unklike in older versions (IE: 7.3) /usr/lib is no longer impacted so I do not need to worry about that. Thanks, Will

On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 4:23 PM, WILL LANDSTROM <willlandstrom@yahoo.com> wrote: > Hi everyone. I know this is probably a basic question. I am going to be > upgrading from IDS 9.4 FCX21 to IDS 10 FC9. I do not have the original IDS 9.4 > tar files. My question is...is it a solid backout strategy to simply do... > > cp -rp /informix/IDS9.4 /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup > > and then should I need to restore the 9.4 software > > mv -rp /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup /informix/IDS9.4 ? > > Of course I would also need to make full level0 backups too. > > But has anyone actually ever done this and seen that it works? I do know that > unlike in older versions (IE: 7.3) /usr/lib is no longer impacted so I do not > need to worry about that. It is a reasonable strategy. Were it up to me, I would install the new software in a new directory, then copy the configuration files I know I need from the old to the new. Then, when I'm ready to go, I'd move the old directory out of the way, and either move the new directory to the official location or make the official location a symlink that points to the new directory. That way, I can switch back by changing the symlink. However, what you're advocating achieves more or less the same result, except that any accumulated debris will continue to be present in the new directory. Your choice - but what you plan to do will work fine. -- Jonathan Leffler #include <disclaimer.h> Email: jleffler@earthlink.net, jleffler@us.ibm.com Guardian of DBD::Informix v2008.0513 -- http://dbi.perl.org/ "Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused." NB: Please do not use this email for correspondence. I don't necessarily read it every week, even.

I would make a symbolic link to the 9.4 version: cd /informix shutdown informix ln -s IDS9.4 ids Edit your onconfig file to point to /informix/ids start informix and make sure everything still works Then install version 10 in its own directory cd /informix mkdir IDS10 cd IDS10 install IDS10 in this directory After the install Do a level 0 backup shutdown informix rm ids (removes the link) ln -s IDS10 ids start informix If something does not work, all you have to do now is remove the ids link and recreate it as IDS9.4. Lennie On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 6:23 PM, WILL LANDSTROM <willlandstrom@yahoo.com>wrote: > Hi everyone. I know this is probably a basic question. I am going to be > upgrading from IDS 9.4 FCX21 to IDS 10 FC9. I do not have the original IDS > 9.4 > tar files. My question is...is it a solid backout strategy to simply do... > > cp -rp /informix/IDS9.4 /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup > > and then should I need to restore the 9.4 software > > mv -rp /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup /informix/IDS9.4 ? > > Of course I would also need to make full level0 backups too. > > But has anyone actually ever done this and seen that it works? I do know > that > unklike in older versions (IE: 7.3) /usr/lib is no longer impacted so I do > not > need to worry about that. > > Thanks, Will > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > >

No, better, leave the 9.4 installation untouched. Install the IDS 10.00FC9 in a new separate INFORMIXDIR. Reinstall the CSDK/iConnect, ISQL, C4GL/R4GL as needed (all but CSDK if version 3.00 or later MUST be installed BEFORE installing IDS - versions of CSDK/iConnect at least as new as the engine instance may/should be installed after IDS). Once the new IDS etc are installed, copy the ONCONFIG and sqlhosts files from the 9.40 INFORMIXDIR/etc to the IDS 10.00 INFORMIXDIR/etc. All of this can be done safely in advance of the actual upgrade downtime date. Then when you are to upgrade the instance: - Shut down all applications - Modify all environment and login/profile files to reflect the new INFORMIXDIR (including in PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH) - or better: - Create a link to the new INFORMIXDIR that is generic, say "/var/informixdir", that links to the new INFORMIXDIR and use that as INFORMIXDIR in all scripts and environments. Then if you have to revert or upgrade again later, it will be simpler. No scripts to change, just relink to the old (or newer) install directory and poof! - Shutdown the instance - Point the current login shell to the new INFORMIXDIR and adjust the PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH appropriately (better login clean to make sure that the login scripting is working) - Run 'onstat -' and verify that the correct version is in the PATH and run 'ldd oninit' to verify that all shared libraries are being linked from the new install directory correctly. - Start the engine - Restart applications (users should logout to get the new INFORMIXDIR correctly set up - a reboot is a good idea). Then reversion is simply: - Run 'onmode -b 9.40' to revert disk structures - (Haven't had to do a reversion since 1994 so you may have to shutdown the engine manually.) - Change the INFORMIXDIR link to point to the old install directory containing IDS 9.40 (or go change all those scripts again). - Login clean - Verify the version as above - Restart IDS 9.40 - Restart applications Art On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 7:23 PM, WILL LANDSTROM <willlandstrom@yahoo.com>wrote: > Hi everyone. I know this is probably a basic question. I am going to be > upgrading from IDS 9.4 FCX21 to IDS 10 FC9. I do not have the original IDS > 9.4 > tar files. My question is...is it a solid backout strategy to simply do... > > cp -rp /informix/IDS9.4 /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup > > and then should I need to restore the 9.4 software > > mv -rp /tmp/informixIDS9.4_backup /informix/IDS9.4 ? > > Of course I would also need to make full level0 backups too. > > But has anyone actually ever done this and seen that it works? I do know > that > unklike in older versions (IE: 7.3) /usr/lib is no longer impacted so I do > not > need to worry about that. > > Thanks, Will > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > -- Art S. Kagel Oninit (www.oninit.com) IIUG Board of Directors (art@iiug.org) Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions and do not reflect on my employer, Oninit, the IIUG, nor any other organization with which I am associated either explicitly or implicitly. Neither do those opinions reflect those of other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor those of the entities themselves.