Re: SE vs. Workgroup Server

In article <34d628d9.1229919968@news.bitstream.net>, Aaron Propes <alpropes@bitstream.net> writes >My office is switching, by recommendation of our accounting/oe vendor, >from SE to Informix Workgroup Server. I've been following the >discussion on SE quite a bit (I'm new to this field), but haven't >heard anything on Workgroup - there isn't anything in the Informix >Education Catalog, either. > >Could anyone tell me the advantages/disadvanteages of Workgroup Server >and how they might compare to SE? > Advantages 1. Mutlithreaded hence scales better. 2. Allows uses of asyncronous I/O hence server does not stall waiting for I/O to complete. 3. Only a few server processes rather than one sqlexec per client hence less memory used. Also less context switching between processes. 4. Includes buffer cache optimized with intelligence. Hence write to a normal table does not get queued behind a write to a temp table. 5. Allows online CONSISTENT backups whilst users are updating the data. 6. With continuous transaction logging to tape you are sure that you have ALL the logs on tape starting at the last full backup up to now. Hence you can be sure that you can rollforward. 7. Feature 'fat recovery'. If the power fails or a server process gets killed, when you restart the server it will AUTOMATICALLY rollback uncomitted transactions and get you back to a consistent state. No need to restore the database from backup and rollforward the days work just because someone killed the wrong process. 8. Also since the server can be configured to startup and shutdown at the same time as UNIX you don't have to do anything after a power failure!!! 9. Version 7.x includes much more internal consistency checks for database corruption. Standard Engine can run for some time with a corrupt database. Workgroup Server will not, it will log the error and abort. 10. Workgroup Server supports database replication to another machine. 11. Workgroup Server can use raw disk partitions for better performance and better reliability. 12. Workgroup Server includes read ahead ability to improve performance of data and indexes scans. 13. WGS can mirror data onto a second disk for you. 14. Workgroup Server is more tunable. >Thanks, >Aaron Propes -- David Williams Maintainer of the Informix FAQ Primary site (Beta Version) http://www.smooth1.demon.co.uk Official site http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html I see you standin', Standin' on your own, It's such a lonely place for you, For you to be If you need a shoulder, Or if you need a friend, I'll be here standing, Until the bitter end... So don't chastise me Or think I, I mean you harm... All I ever wanted Was for you To know that I care