Informix 64 bits versus 32 bits

Is it worth it upgrading Informix from a 32-bits platform to a 64-bits one? I am migrating my Informix version 7.31 to another server, which is 64 bits, and I was wondering if I would have any significant performance improvement on doing it. - Paty Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

The biggest advantage of the 64-bit engine is that 64bit supports a much larger memory addressability. This can be an advantage if you need to increase your memory footprint. There can be a performance advantage in doing that because you can increase the inmemory buffers and increase your dictionary cache to load all tables. (See previous thread) However, unless you are ready to increase the physical memory in you system, this will not be an advantage. It does little good to increase the addressable memory space if it resides on the swap/paging file. Another thing to understand. The 64-bit versions WILL require more memory to run even if you do not configure for an increase. Why? Well pointers in a 64-bit system are twice as large as in a 32-bit system. This is somthing that a lot of folks forget about and are suprised with. So if you plan on moving to a 64-bit system and are currently a bit tight on memory, be prepared to make a quick trip to Fry's (or your favorite computer supplier) for some more memory. To my way of thinking, this is a rather small price to pay for advantages of increased addressability. Of course, eventually everything will be 64-bit only. I suspect that the days of the 32-bit standard are starting to wane a bit, just as the 16-bit standard (and 8-bit) did a few years ago. (Anyone remember the 8086 days???) patricia_br@my-deja.com wrote: > Is it worth it upgrading Informix from a 32-bits platform to a 64-bits > one? I am migrating my Informix version 7.31 to another server, which is > 64 bits, and I was wondering if I would have any significant performance > improvement on doing it. > > - Paty > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy.

I suspect that simply by upgrading to new kit you will get a performance improvement! In article <39AF0F17.7A2BB5E7@home.com>, Madison Pruet <mpruet@home.com> writes >The biggest advantage of the 64-bit engine is that 64bit supports a much >larger memory addressability. This can be an advantage if you need to >increase your memory footprint. There can be a performance advantage in >doing that because you can increase the inmemory buffers and increase your >dictionary cache to load all tables. (See previous thread) > >However, unless you are ready to increase the physical memory in you system, >this will not be an advantage. It does little good to increase the >addressable memory space if it resides on the swap/paging file. > >Another thing to understand. The 64-bit versions WILL require more memory >to run even if you do not configure for an increase. Why? Well pointers in >a 64-bit system are twice as large as in a 32-bit system. This is somthing >that a lot of folks forget about and are suprised with. So if you plan on >moving to a 64-bit system and are currently a bit tight on memory, be >prepared to make a quick trip to Fry's (or your favorite computer supplier) >for some more memory. To my way of thinking, this is a rather small price >to pay for advantages of increased addressability. > >Of course, eventually everything will be 64-bit only. I suspect that the >days of the 32-bit standard are starting to wane a bit, just as the 16-bit >standard (and 8-bit) did a few years ago. (Anyone remember the 8086 >days???) > > > >patricia_br@my-deja.com wrote: > >> Is it worth it upgrading Informix from a 32-bits platform to a 64-bits >> one? I am migrating my Informix version 7.31 to another server, which is >> 64 bits, and I was wondering if I would have any significant performance >> improvement on doing it. >> >> - Paty >> >> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ >> Before you buy. > -- Surfer!

This is a late response: Thank you for your answer guys. I was out on a business trip but I found out that my application would not support a 64 bit platform, therefore, forget the 64-bit idea. I will keep your information for later on. Thanks again ! In article <0t0oRjAWo3r5EwxN@nevis-view.demon.co.uk>, Surfer! <nevis-view@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > I suspect that simply by upgrading to new kit you will get a performance > improvement! > > In article <39AF0F17.7A2BB5E7@home.com>, Madison Pruet <mpruet@home.com> > writes > >The biggest advantage of the 64-bit engine is that 64bit supports a much > >larger memory addressability. This can be an advantage if you need to > >increase your memory footprint. There can be a performance advantage in > >doing that because you can increase the inmemory buffers and increase your > >dictionary cache to load all tables. (See previous thread) > > > >However, unless you are ready to increase the physical memory in you system, > >this will not be an advantage. It does little good to increase the > >addressable memory space if it resides on the swap/paging file. > > > >Another thing to understand. The 64-bit versions WILL require more memory > >to run even if you do not configure for an increase. Why? Well pointers in > >a 64-bit system are twice as large as in a 32-bit system. This is somthing > >that a lot of folks forget about and are suprised with. So if you plan on > >moving to a 64-bit system and are currently a bit tight on memory, be > >prepared to make a quick trip to Fry's (or your favorite computer supplier) > >for some more memory. To my way of thinking, this is a rather small price > >to pay for advantages of increased addressability. > > > >Of course, eventually everything will be 64-bit only. I suspect that the > >days of the 32-bit standard are starting to wane a bit, just as the 16-bit > >standard (and 8-bit) did a few years ago. (Anyone remember the 8086 > >days???) > > > > > > > >patricia_br@my-deja.com wrote: > > > >> Is it worth it upgrading Informix from a 32-bits platform to a 64-bits > >> one? I am migrating my Informix version 7.31 to another server, which is > >> 64 bits, and I was wondering if I would have any significant performance > >> improvement on doing it. > >> > >> - Paty > >> > >> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > >> Before you buy. > > > > -- > Surfer! > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

Unless the application is running on the same box as the database server, the fact that the app does not support 64-bit for itself should not deter you from pursuing the 64-bit implementation of Informix. Even on a 64-bit platform, a 32-bit application can still communicate with 64-bit Informix using TCP rather than shared memory. Doug <patricia_br@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8p67d8$anj$1@nnrp1.deja.com... > This is a late response: > > Thank you for your answer guys. I was out on a business trip but I found > out that my application would not support a 64 bit platform, therefore, > forget the 64-bit idea. I will keep your information for later on. > Thanks again ! > > In article <0t0oRjAWo3r5EwxN@nevis-view.demon.co.uk>, > Surfer! <nevis-view@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > > > I suspect that simply by upgrading to new kit you will get a > performance > > improvement! > > > > In article <39AF0F17.7A2BB5E7@home.com>, Madison Pruet > <mpruet@home.com> > > writes > > >The biggest advantage of the 64-bit engine is that 64bit supports a > much > > >larger memory addressability. This can be an advantage if you need > to > > >increase your memory footprint. There can be a performance advantage > in > > >doing that because you can increase the inmemory buffers and increase > your > > >dictionary cache to load all tables. (See previous thread) > > > > > >However, unless you are ready to increase the physical memory in you > system, > > >this will not be an advantage. It does little good to increase the > > >addressable memory space if it resides on the swap/paging file. > > > > > >Another thing to understand. The 64-bit versions WILL require more > memory > > >to run even if you do not configure for an increase. Why? Well > pointers in > > >a 64-bit system are twice as large as in a 32-bit system. This is > somthing > > >that a lot of folks forget about and are suprised with. So if you > plan on > > >moving to a 64-bit system and are currently a bit tight on memory, be > > >prepared to make a quick trip to Fry's (or your favorite computer > supplier) > > >for some more memory. To my way of thinking, this is a rather small > price > > >to pay for advantages of increased addressability. > > > > > >Of course, eventually everything will be 64-bit only. I suspect that > the > > >days of the 32-bit standard are starting to wane a bit, just as the > 16-bit > > >standard (and 8-bit) did a few years ago. (Anyone remember the 8086 > > >days???) > > > > > > > > > > > >patricia_br@my-deja.com wrote: > > > > > >> Is it worth it upgrading Informix from a 32-bits platform to a > 64-bits > > >> one? I am migrating my Informix version 7.31 to another server, > which is > > >> 64 bits, and I was wondering if I would have any significant > performance > > >> improvement on doing it. > > >> > > >> - Paty > > >> > > >> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > > >> Before you buy. > > > > > > > -- > > Surfer! > > > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy.