unload / reload blues

To: gwr@metronet.com who wrote: GR> I can't seem to find the magical incantation to back out my data from > one Informix server and load it into another server. Any help would be > appreciated. I can only offer some observations, nothing concrete I'm afraid. GR> I am running Informix OnLine 5.02.UC1 on two machines: a runtime version > on my production machine "server01" (a Sun 4/280 running SunOS 4.1.3), We also run a Sun, but with Solaris 2.1. Maybe my comments can give you a pointer, though. GR> Strike 1: (dbexport -> dbimport) - dbimport blows up about halfway > through, complaining that a column value in table R1 has exceeded > integer precision. But both the SQL "load" command, and dbload with a > proper command file, load the table with no complaints. Also, if I edit > down the .sql file produced by dbexport to include only R1, dbimport > finishes with no complaint. Are you using transaction logging? If so, try only switching it on *after* you have loaded. No guarantees though. Does this table have a lot of records. I've had this problem on an HP9000, and what I did was to dbimport the rest of the DB and manually dbload the one offensive table. (Rename the unload file, make an empty one with the original name and set number of records in database.sql to 0) GR> Strike 2: (dbexport -> Perl script to make dbload command files -> Blank looks here, I'm afraid. I wouldn't know a perl from a pearl. GR> Strike 3: (tbunload -> tbload) - This should be it, right? BZZZT! GR> Questions: > 1) How can I get a "duplicate key" error if I just wiped my dbspace? > Is there any way to kill off whatever other key is duplicated? We run a SparcClassic in-house, and we've noticed that if you tbinit -i and recreate in the same place, you recover all your data! (Talk about fault tolerance! :) ) What you might do is to write a very simple C program to put a character, (say Robin Williams or Mel Brooks :) ) all over that 400MB chunk. *Then* do your tbinit -i. > 2) Did I miss something obvious in the tbunload/tbload sequence of > commands? Does remote access even work? (The tape appears to > spin, but not for very long.) I don't know. The DATs on the HP seem to be pretty quick. We backup about 1.5 GB in about an hour. > 3) Is there a better way to do this? Yes, but not in any reasonable time! :) (C programs to ftp the stuff across and write your own ESQL/C loader while you're about it!) GR> Thanks in advance for any assistance. Hope this helps! billy.wheeler@digitec.co.za --- . SPEED 1.40 [NR] . . <-- Grain of Salt. Take as needed with above advice ---- Digitec Online - 20 Nodes * Johannesburg, South Africa +27-11-476-2008 * Best BBS * Best Sysop * @digitec.co.za * RsaNET User Choice Awards 1993 *