Re: Is Informix Reliable?
In article <34C91680.F723F1AF@NOSPAM.KingofMyDomain.MAPSON.Segel.com>, Michael Segel <Mikey@NOSPAM.KingofMyDomain.MAPSON.Segel.com> writes > > >David Williams wrote: > >> In article <6a8n1h$k76$1@news.xmission.com>, Warren Zeigler >> <warren.zeigler@flyingj.com> writes >> >I am currently evaluating Informix -vs- Oracle, and would appreciate your >> >input. >> > >> >I have read on a few threads that people have had to unload and re-install >> >the database to fix corrupted system tables, indexes, etc.. How often does >> >this happen? >> > >> Not very often, usually only due to disk hardware failure. Run the >> latest version of Online 7 (7.24) and you should be ok. >> >> Lots of people are running old versions. Informix went through version >> server architectures >> > >SNIP. > >I promised a few people I would be nice, so all I will say is that your forgot >about >TURBO! Which is actually the precursor to Online 5.0. And Online 4.1. Even Online 4.1 on Netware!!! > >Online which uses *raw* disk, bypasses Unix I/O routines for faster access. > >SE is a tank. It is extremely stable, and well, I'd trust it for embedded >systems. What about UNIX disk caching? SE sits on top of the cache so SE writes only get flushed to disk every 30 seconds. Any time a UNIX machine crashes at work (With ~10 SE customers we've had ~5 crashes in the last 6 weeks!). Every time the database gets corrupted usually our 4 biggest tables which each have >100,000 rows in them. Bchecking each one takes >1hr and then we have to drop and create any corrupt indexes. Out 13 indexes on the largest table we usually have to rebuild at least 3 of them. About 1 of every 3 crashes results in a duplicate entry in a unique index. We have to drop the unique index, create a duplicate index on those columns, do a select rowid,.....group by...having count(*) > 1. delete the duplicate row, drop the duplicate index and build a unique index!!! ~6hrs to recover from one crash. I have tried rolling forward the database but it never works! I suspect because clearing down the transaction log and performing the backup are not a single operation and keeping the latest backup + contents of tranaction log in sync is virtually impossible. We run what are suppose to be 24x7 systems. it's great fun explaining to the customer that "the system will be down for the next 6-8 hours!!". I hate SE!!! > >6.0 was a major re-write from 5.0 due to the Viking Project. >(This is the precusor to 7.x or dynamic online.) > I admit I forgot to include 6.x. I don't think it was out for long, I never saw it and I think it was very unstable...Not surprising considering it was a full engine rewrite. It was done with Sequent and I believe Sequent did investment some money in it's development. Was 6.0 ever released to anybody apart from beta test sites and some of the bigger Informix sites who probably got a version to play with? What was the Viking Project?? >Damn, I think I have been around way too long. Started with SE 2.10!! I've been around way to long as well. > >BTW, we are still taking input on the survey at www.datad.com >Don't listen to Gary, if we wanted to spam you, we would have already gotten >your >e-mail addresses by now. :-) > >Seriously though, we have over 1000 valid responses, but it would be nice for >those > >who would like to see Informix on Linux to please stop by if they haven't done >so. >And if you have, tell a freind. (Hell, you can even say "Hi Mike" in the >additional > >comments section. :-) > >Yes, if you haven't guessed, Tim and I are behind the survey, and with the >number >of >responses, I guess it would be safe to say that we did not add any undue bias. > >Cheers! >Uncle Mikey, soon to be "Don" Mikey as I am grandfather to my latest Nephew, >Aaron. > Here's to the don of c.d.i!!! > > -- 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