SMI joins, etc.

This comment/question has to do with versions 6 & 7 of Informix Online. One new feature in these versions is the system monitoring interface (SMI) tables - the sysmaster data base. It should be quite useful but certain things are puzzling or simply don't report information as accurate as an onstat command would. For example, joining syslocks and syssessions using owner from syslocks and sid (session id) from syssessions would enable one to get a list of which users had which locks. Unfortunately, the join condition doesn't work. Why is that? Another example of ostensible usefulness is the state column of the syssessions table. You'll note that when informix is doing an archive, it is very easy to determine by inspection of onstat -u output that an archive is occurring ("A-X..."). However, the state flags will never reflect an ongoing archive. One could create a much longer list that this, but you get the general idea. Shell scripts and onstat continue to be the more powerful method of getting useful info. Too bad, cause SMI was such a terrific idea.. What do you say, Informix? -- Scott F. Ford, DBA / Unix SA | sford@wvus.org bps (Benefit Panel Services) | elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!wvus!sford 888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1400 | Voice: (213) 489-2694 Los Angeles, CA. 90017 | FAX: (213) 489-7973 "...The bozone layer: shielding the rest of the solar system from the earth's harmful effects...."