Re: Informix in an IPX environment?

> tomrk@erols.com (Tom Krotchko) writes: > I've got a customer weighing the benefits of several DB vendors; Informix is > on the short list. > > The customer is not a Unix based customer, therefore TCP/IP is not an > option at this time. What is the relationship between TCP/IP and Unix that makes you/your customer believe this is not an option. You seem to run PC's and TCP/IP now comes for free from Microsoft for every version of MS Windows from 3.11 (WfW) and up (Win 95 and NT). It's reasonable easy to install and maintain and gives no problems with memory usage as in the old days. ODBC and other connectivity software works fine with this from Windows. (Should you run DOS on your PC's forget it. Start using Windows. There may be many things wrong with Windows, but DOS is much worse for use with server based databases. It wasn't ever designed for that, and is hardly supported by anyone any more.) > However, Informix advertises that they can support > Netware clients if the DB machine is running Portable Netware. You don't need Portable Netware, only support for the IPX/SPX protocol. This is said to be supported on SCO, although I have never tried to use it. As to other Unix alternatives you will have to check that both the OS and Informix supports IPX/SPX on the platform. You also need connectivity software on your PCs that support this (I-Net from Informix and/or ODBC from Informix or other vendors). > Clearly, this solution is non-optimal, but is it workable, at least in the short- > term? Whatever you do don't think of running any database on NetWare directly. Unix is generally the best alternative. It has been used for a long time, and is stable and used by a lot of users. But may be Windows NT is an option for your customer. Informix has SE and OnLine for Windows NT. This should make for an easy integration with PC's. However you say nothing about your application. That is important to decide on the right server. > If you have any experience or thoughts on this configuration, please > email or respond here. I appreciate any thought you might have on the > topic. Nils.Myklebust@ccmail.telemax.no NM-data, Aasesvei 71, 1300 Sandvika, Norway My opinions are those of my company