Re: User Limitation?

In article <Pine.SOL.3.95.961213161430.25269A-100000@sheldon>, Tim Simms <tsimms@intr.net> wrote: [snip] >Are there any limitations (expressed or implied) concerning the number of >users who can simultaneously be connected to the database? This, as you >can imagine, is an important issue for us, considering we use Informix for >CGI applications. > >-Tim What kind of limitations? Licenses, memory on the database server, memory on the Webserver, etc. can all be limitations. I don't think the limitations should impact you, unless you are starting a new database connection for each CGI process. In any case, you're probably better off using the CGI process to communicate with some other Informix client(s). Otherwise, you'll overload the database server with connections, and all the huge CGI processes (a database client can be large) will eat up resources on your webserver. Ideally, you can run your Web-server on one machine, your clients on another, and your database on a third, provided your network can handle it. This way, you're distributing the load across multiple machines. Of course, this is also harder to maintain ;-( If NewEra and Application Server work the way I've heard, you should be able to make an even more sophisticated distribution. I'd guess Informix has a special web license, where you can pay for a license and have an unlimited number of web users, as I think Oracle and Sybase use a similiar pricing model for the web. The whole Web/Database licensing logic is pretty screwed up. If ten people use one connection, most vendors want to charge for each user. The same problem exists with 3-tier applications, where even if you only have a small number of connections you will be charged for each user. If you print out a report on a PC, and ten people look at it, you get charged for 1 user. If you print out a report, and save it on the network, you get charged for 1 user. If you print out a report, save it on the network, then show that report on the web, suddenly the database vendors want to charge more. I'm not saying the database vendors shouldn't have some sort of web license. Its just that its difficult to come up with a good price model. I also think Informix is crazy for charging so much for a Universal Server license. They are going to stop their market share growth if they do this (of course, I'm a programmer, not a CEO , so what do I know ;-> ). Good luck Mark McNulty JYACC Consultant mmcnul@jyacc.com Note- These views are mine and not those of JP Morgan or JYACC. Note- these views are mine and not those of JP Morgan or JYACC.