Re: Which PC Unix for Informix?

> Davorin Rusevljan <Davorin.Rusevljan@zse.com.hr> writes: > > Hello, > > I would like to hear various expiriences, about running Informix > on pc unixes. i.e. what dou you think, which pc unix (sco, unixware, > solaris, ..) is best for platform for informix, or do you think they > equaly suited for the task. > >>>> In my opinion the only real choice you have right now is SCO: 1. Informix has been relasing on this platform for a long time, and have experience with it. 2. They have a porting agreament with SCO to do the ports. 3. There are many users of Informix on SCO, very few on Unixware, and as far as I know non on Solaris for Intel (I don't think they have ported yet). 4. SCO has by far the largest number of users of any Unix on Intel. (Somwhere between 1 and 2 million i think.) (They claim to have sold more licenses than any other version of Unix also, but I think they are counting both Xenix and SCO Unix.) AND the others have a very low number of users. I am not affiliated with SCO in any way. I also do not like SCO particularly. At least here in Norway we experience support problems, and no known way to get support directly from SCO even though we want pay for it. Their kernel is old, and requires too much tuning. The installation procedure is beyond comprehention. It is not that it is so difficult to install, with standard supported hardware you will get it to work. It's the fact that they still use shell scripts a lot, where you have to answer one question after another. Even in Interactive Unix (no longer a viable product) from 1990 used forms to fill inn with lots of help text available. Thuning and system administration is also to a large extent shell script based. For kernel paramter tuning you need professional help. (The info we got from Informix with Online 6.0 and 7.1 was both wrong and lacking, so you *need* to *know* what you are doing). You will als have to make your own modifications without any help from the manual on how to do it to add new users in an intelligent way. (If you do that properly you can add users wia a form, but it is no good form, you still have to go through many options that you shouldn't have to.) This script must of course add the users into the Informix database as well. To be fair SCO has reasently annouced a new release of their operating system that may adress some of these problems. I haven't been able to study that yet. Why do I write all this here in the Informix news group? Because it is a problem for Informix! It may not currently be any easier for users of Oracle, Sybase or any other engine, but the current trend towards ease of installation and maintenance is an important one. I think the vendors with the easiest products to use in this respect will gain a tremendous advantage in the marketplace. Millions of DBA's can't be thought as much as has traditionally been needed. Informix traditionally (particularly with the SE engine) has been relatively easy to handle. But we must remember that is compared to other alternatives up until now. What we need is a thight integration between OS, network and data- base administration with security, space and all other aspects handled. Microsoft with their SQL Server on Windows NT seems to be leading this trend at least in the minds of many users (assuming you use Windows NT exclusively). Informix needs to adress this area actively. It is actually long overdue to do so. Nils.Myklebust@ccmail.telemax.no NM-data, Dalsbergstien 7, N-0170 Oslo, Norway My opinions are those of my company