Reading locked rows

Hey folks, We're running online & istar 5.0 on a Sequent 2000 with ptx 2.0.4. We talk to it using inet-pc 4.10 and powerbuilder running on windows. Today's question #1 is about reading locked records. Here's the scenario: buffered logging data base "foo" with table "bozo". table bozo has two columns "col1" (primary key) & "col2". table foo also has row lock mode. user 1 -> begin work; update bozo set col2 = 10 where col1 = 'a'; let's say that the previous value for col2 was 5. note that we HAVE NOT yet done a commit work. user 2 -> set isolation to dirty read; select * from bozo; user 2 sees the row where col1 = a and shows col2 = 10 user 3 -> set isolation to committed read; select * from bozo; user 3 errors (probably -244 or -246) due to locked record. Ok, sure, we could set lock mode to wait 30 and hope that user 1 commits by that time. Or we could write some program to trap the error and skip the row. But suppose even 10 minutes is not enough and we want to see that row with the current committed value of col2 = 5. How can we do it? Sure, we'll probably see some discussion about shortening the time between update & commit, but that's not the issue. The issue is that we want to see committed records even if they are locked. Is this possible with Informix? Apparently it is with Oracle - it will show you the before image of a record. And this would seem possible under Informix since the archive does put all the before images on a tape based upon the start time (or is it waiting for a row lock to release before continuing)? Thank you for your patience in reading the example and for any thoughts you might have on the subject.... -- Scott F. Ford, Data Base Administrator | 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...."