RE: Deleting Chunk..

Alvin dares: >} By modifying the text file, I can rename my chunks and paths, and even >} drop chunks. tbcheck -cr and -ce goes thru fine, but tbcheck -pe still >} thinks that dropped chunk exists. I haven't figured that part yet. But >} anyone with the Informix know-how could take the programs and make it >} work. Anyone want to try? Scott warns of dire warnings: > [Scott] When I took the internal architecture class some >similar procedures came to mind (such as changing the next value on a >serial field). When I made the mistake of mentioning this to the >instructor I got a five or ten minute wrist slapping, and boo-hoo'ing. > Something along the lines of <I> am too stupid to do this >without totally destroying the database. Be prepared to get this from >Jonathan, Clem, and the others. I think Informix makes them sign >something saying they will discourage anyone from doing this. (And for >good reason I suppose) "When you speak of the devil, up he comes..." --Old Proverb Good call, Scott! I already gave him that lecture. I like to think I put a little different spin on it than "<you> are too stoopid", but the basic rant was the same. Let me paint a little more of the picture. You are welcome to make any changes you like in your data, anywhere on your disks. After all, it is *your* data. And if the truth were known, I did the same thing when I was a customer. I enjoy the challenge of unravelling the beauty of the data structures in memory and on disk. There is a considerable joy in running on the very edge, too. Like the unfettered freedom of the # prompt when you are logged on as root. Using dd and daring c routines can be like a drug. The trick here is that you alone take the full responsibility. In my role as a support engineer I like people to just color within the lines, to use the products in a conservative manner that gives a nice, stable, predictable result. If a customer called me and asked for help in patching up a chain of pages which he could no longer access due to a database inconsistency he intentionally introduced with dd, my cold-hearted response would probably be "Restore from archive." I would expect that customer to laugh along, give a little "oops" and learn from that lesson. This is something that we all experience. Many people in this forum are developers and consultants, and as such we all fear the consequences of our customers and users generating inconsistencies. How many times does the question "How can I keep users out of dbaccess?" arise? This is exactly the same question at a different level. >} PS. Don't forget LEVEL 0 ARCHIVE and save your tbconfigs before doing >} anything. Exactly. Just remember that those precautions are all that stand between you and that unemployment line. ;) Happy learning! ___________________________________________________________ Clem Akins (aka clem@informix.com) <- NEW ACCOUNT! Informix Software, Inc (Standard disclaimers apply) International Technical Support Last seen: Stonehenge...