Re: IDS clients on 7.31??
Fernando Nunes <spam@domus.online.pt> wrote: > John Ballentine wrote: >> mark.scranton@gmail.com <mark.scranton@gmail.com> wrote: >>> Just want to take a quick survey...how many of you are still running >>> IDS 7.31? I know that clients on 7.31 are running into a number of >>> "challenges" as the engine size(s) continue to grow, including extents >>> reduction, index bloating, etc... Building scripts to help one client >>> currently with those types of issues, and am wondering how many >>> clients have or will have the same needs. >> >>> Thanks - >>> Mark. >> >> I'm running multiple instances of 7.31.x on HP-UX 11.00 to 11.23, with one >> DB above ~30GB. >> >> Looking at 10, probably won't hit 11 for a few years... >> >> JOhn >> > "years"? Because you don't want to, or why? > I would not jump into production with Cheetah today, but "years" seem too much! We go through a 3-4 year cycle on hardware replacement, but only replace versions of Informix when we stumble across an issue... My last line was a little misleading - we actually have one production server on 10, but I don't see any need to rush into converting the rest of my databases - especially since IBM is still putting out patches for 7.31. Another holdup is that so far, they haven't had a beta for HPUX on PA-RISC, as far as I can find. JOhn
John Ballentine wrote: >> "years"? Because you don't want to, or why? >> I would not jump into production with Cheetah today, but "years" seem too much! > > We go through a 3-4 year cycle on hardware replacement, but only replace > versions of Informix when we stumble across an issue... Tipical :) If it works don't touch it... I really understand that when IT departments are under staffed and overloaded with work. But it has a hidden price/cost: You're missing important features that would lower your workload and improve the "environment" > My last line was a little misleading - we actually have one production > server on 10, but I don't see any need to rush into converting the rest of > my databases - especially since IBM is still putting out patches for 7.31. "Rush" isn't a thing I would advocate in this situations, but a step by step approach I would. It's true that IDS 7.31 is still being patched, and IBM will make a specific patch if you hit a bug and it's necessary for you... But each new feature put in IDS 10/11 tends to be a great lag increaser... There are REALLY do many improvements, even in smaller releases when compared to 7.31... Don't take me wrong... I work in an environment where most of the instances are 7.31, and I keep telling them about the improvements... Currently they seem to agree that the gap is too big and it's a waste not to take advantage of the new features, but they are still moved essentially by inertia... The result is that each and every they they bump into problems that are specific to 7.31 (problems != bugs). This has costs... currently I believe these costs are bigger than the cost of migration... > Another holdup is that so far, they haven't had a beta for HPUX on > PA-RISC, as far as I can find. Well, currently it's available (GA version) in Passport Advantage... So no need to worry about Beta version... And again, I'm not saying "let's put production server into 11 today!"... Even though this is probably the most tested version ever... You can be sure there are many customers doing just like you, but IMHO it's a mistake, that gets bigger and bigger in each new release... Regards -- Fernando Nunes Portugal http://informix-technology.blogspot.com My email works... but I don't check it frequently...
Fernando Nunes wrote: > But each > new feature put in IDS 10/11 tends to be a great lag increaser... Hmnm, I hope you meant decreaser. -- Aleksander Kamenik system administrator +372 6659 649 aleksander@krediidiinfo.ee Krediidiinfo AS http://www.krediidiinfo.ee/
Aleksander Kamenik wrote: > Fernando Nunes wrote: > >> But each new feature put in IDS 10/11 tends to be a great lag >> increaser... > > Hmnm, I hope you meant decreaser. > Maybe bad English, but what I meant was that each new feature (even in minor releases) increases the gap between this new release and the 7.31 version (that tends to not receive any new features). So, in each release there are more and more reasons to upgrade. Regards. -- Fernando Nunes Portugal http://informix-technology.blogspot.com My email works... but I don't check it frequently...
> Don't take me wrong... I work in an environment where most of the > instances are 7.31, and I keep telling them about the improvements... > Currently they seem to agree that the gap is too big and it's a waste not > to take advantage of the new features, but they are still moved > essentially by inertia... The result is that each and every they they bump > into problems that are specific to 7.31 (problems != bugs). This has > costs... currently I believe these costs are bigger than the cost of > migration... Bear in mind also that IBM still charges for a v7 -> v9/10/11 licence upgrade. Support ends for IDS v7 in September 2009, so it will interesting to see whether this policy will be maintained. As the end-of-support deadline approaches, and customers are forced to migrate to stay supported, will they look at the upgrade cost and conclude that, if they are going to have to pay for new licences to move to Informix 10/11 anyway, they may as well look at non-Informix alternatives too?