RE: server studio

Being a GUI centric person and a former user/dba of SQL Server, I relied on the SQL Server management console to 'admin/monitor' my databases. When I changed to my current position, Informix was already here and I needed a way to 'figure it out' since I was not (and still am not) a true DBA, Informix or otherwise. I primarily wanted to see the data structure I had to deal with (both tables/views/procedures in database and data storage on server since I had never heard of raw partitions, chunks, or dbspaces before Informix) and have been using server studio installed on my Windows workstation to admin/monitor my Informix servers running on HPUX (9.21, 9.4, and soon to be 10.0, 7 years total). I initially used the now defunct windows only version because I wanted the SPL debugger, but that now use the Java version as it has the debugging functionality. We have the 'suite' version minus the sentinel and have been very happy with the product (have used it since version 4.x I believe). If I were to nitpick, there would probably be some things I would like to see changed (based more on preference than functionality), but it does everything I NEED it to do and much more that I haven't yet explored/tried/read the documentation about. There is a cost to using it beyond it's 'lite' feature set that Art stated, but for me it has been worth it since I don't have to deal with dbaccess, onstat, or onmode command lines for 99% of my needs. I do wish I could trace SQL statements from time to time and did try out Sentinel during the trial period, but it still didn't give me EVERY statement that was executed do to its polling times and couldn't justify the cost of Sentinel to trace the limited items I was looking to use it for. I can justify the cost of the "Suite" version just from the SPL debugger alone for my needs. I have also submitted several bugs (at least to me)/ideas/wishes and many have made it to the subsequent versions. Hope that gives you some insight into the product (at least from a NON-dba that has to be a dba and developer and architect and ...:) Guess it says more about Informix than me, but that's a different thread:) Randy ________________________________ From: informix-list-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:informix-list-bounces@iiug.org] On Behalf Of Art Kagel Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 5:08 PM To: Campbell, John (GE Money) Cc: informix-list@iiug.org Subject: Re: server studio At Oninit we use Server Studio and Sentinel to monitor nearly all of our clients' servers. Sentinel collects data for us to review periodically and notifies the clients' DBAs and our own support people when unusual conditions appear. The values monitored and alert levels and responses are fully configurable. Like any software we run into bugs from time to time and AGS is very responsive with fixes and upgrades. Over all, though, it just works. Functionally the products do what they say they will do and that's pretty much everything one needs them to do to completely monitor your server and system functioning and performance and to discover and analyze problems early. Server Studio also includes what you need to design and maintain your database schema, SQL, and stored procedures including the only SPL debugger out there. I like the products very much. BTW, you received both Server Studio and Sentinel fully functional versions with your IDS 9.40 installation. All you have to do is install them and you will have a 30 (or 60? forget) trial of the full feature set of both tools. At the end of the trial you can pay AGS their fee for the full feature license, or continue to use Server Studio's 'lite' feature set for free. Art S. Kagel Oninit On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 3:58 PM, Campbell, John (GE Money) <John.Campbell2@ge.com> wrote: We're on Solaris 9, IDS 9.4.FC5. Anyone have any info about studio and sentinel? I've been on the IBM site and read the marketing propaganda. Does anyone have any real experience with the products? thx John Campbell _______________________________________________ Informix-list mailing list Informix-list@iiug.org http://www.iiug.org/mailman/listinfo/informix-list