Re: Advice Needed

In article <6b9rhm$i6m@drn.zippo.com>, Neil Truby <?@?.?> writes >In article <34D83E51.72A9@proj-office.compulink.co.uk>, JohnH says... >> >>We have a system supplied by a software house which uses an Informix >>database. We've noticed that the overnight dump which secures all our >>client records runs in approx 14mins and we're a bit suspicious of this >>- the client data is approx 500mb and the dump is informix level 0 to >>digital tape(HP hardware). >> On a SUn Ultrasparc 2x170Mhz CPUs and a DLT 4000 drive we write 56Mb in 14 seconds or ~14.4Gb/hr. YOu are writing 2.1Gb/hr so that seems slow if anything!! >>The supplier thinks this is probably OK but tells us the only way to >>check is to restore from the dump!!. We instinctively feel something is >>not right but we don't have any Informix skills in-house to allow us to >>check it. >> >>I would welcome any advice on: >> > >>(a) are we right to be suspicious are are we being paranoid? Sounds a little paraniod. >> >>(b) is there any way of checking an informix dump other than restoring >>it - which presumably will destroy whats already there. >> Informix advanced support have a tool called archecker which you could use.. >>(c) at the risk of opening the floodgates - can anyone recommend a >>supplier of technical - dba - training in the UK. >> I have done several courses at Informix UK in Ashford and they were great.. Mananging and Optimizting Informix Databases (3 days) Online System Admin (5 days) Informix Performance Tuning (2 days) >>Thanks, >> >>John Hepburn > >I have a 6GByte (ie 6000MByte) database server that dumps in about an hour. >Therefore your times seem reasonable and, in the absence of other symptoms, do >not seem in themselves cause for concern. Informix dumps simply do a binary >copy of each occupied page, and should by nature be pretty quick, especially if >your disks and tape device are fast. > >You are right in saying that a restore would over-write your existing data, >unless you are able to do it on another server. Check your Online log >(specified by the MSGPATH parameter of your $TBCONFIG/$ONCONFIG file); if this >says level 0 archive started......level 0 archive completed then it's probably >OK. Only if an error is reported here should there br cause for concern. You >could try using the UNIX command "strings" on your archive; there should be an >intelliigible header that tells you time of archive, server layout at time of >archive etc. > >I don't think anyone should spend any money on training; far better to get an >expensive contractor such as myself in to advise you! However, two of my >permanent colleagues at Chase have been on Informix DBA training, one with >Informix in Ashford, the other with Skill Advance in Finchley, North London. >Both felt the training received was pretty good. These are just personal >opinions 'though. > >Neil Truby >Chase Manhattan Bank >Bournemouth, UK >neil.truby@chase.comv -- 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