Re: Connecting Informix / Oracle for data movement -- repost

In article <34D79CDD.5625@bellsouth.net>, W. H. SMITH <carlson1@bellsouth.net> writes >I didn't receive many replies, so I don't know if it is (relatively) >easily possible. Thought I'd repost just to make sure. > >.. begin repost .. > > I've perused the IIUG archives and dejanews also. Still have some > questions. > > We're in the midst of negotiations with a retail software company to > install a new POS system in our stores. Data will be polled from > the individual stores and reside in the Oracle data warehouse, here > in the home office. Here's the challenge. > > There will be pieces of data that would be polled that need to > migrate into our Informix financial systems. Likewise, certain > information would need to migrate to the Oracle system as it is > updated in the Informix financial system. We're looking for a > seamless solution for the data migration issues. > So we are basically talking data transfer in both directions. I assume since you talk about polling that this will not be in real-time. > We've heard the offerings from Oracle, but there's a certain > learning curve associated with that. > Yuk! The O** word! > > I've looked at the Informix Enterprise Gateway Manager. It looks > pretty good, especially being able to access Oracle through > DBAccess, 4GL, etc. Any other possibilities? While I have a good Sounds good although I have not used it. > feel for things of the Informix nature, these new concepts > (providing connections between two dissimiliar databases, ODBC, > etc.) are a bit boggling. Any help or direction will be greatly > appreciated. > >.. end repost .. > >Another question would be . . . > Is a straight ODBC connection between the two databases (different >boxes) be enough? Please remember that I'm new to this "database I doubt so if this is done using a PC. This would mean all the data is transfered into and out of the PC and would probably be too slow. I would have a process on one the servers running and doing the transfer. >connectivity". We're under a certain amount of pressure from our >warehousing software sales persons to use ASCII files to transfer >information between the systems. (Of course, they would be the ones to That is the normal way that transfers are done between systems. >write the Oracle piece. <G> ) Somehow, there must be a better way, even Of course, and they would support it. How can you write it when you don't know the database structure and how all the programs in the system update the database? What happens when the table structures change when the supplier upgrades the software? Or if extra validation is added to the software due to a big fix or change. Your knowledge of the database will always be out of sstep with the EPS system.How can you keep your software in sync with the system? Doing it yourself sounds would be an almost certain way to get data corruption.. The only safe way would be to only allow software upgrades if you know how they affect table strutures and what is valid data in the table. Which means.. a) Bug fixes take longer as your software has to be validated against the upgraded system b) Emergency bug fixes are no longer possible due to the delay introduced by this extra validation step c) If your own staff are unavailable for this validation step bug fixes/upgrades get delayed. d) The supplier has to spend otherwise productive time documenting the system and then fixing it when bugs in your software cause problems. e) Design decisions cannot take into account your software since the supplier will not have access to your source code and even if they do they cannot guarentee to get the latest version. Also they cannot change it when they change their design e.g. the supplier may deceide to radically redo a part of the system which affects your software. What happens then? What happens when extra database fields are added behind the scenes for another customer? >though it may be a bit more expensive. > >Thanks again! > >John Carlson >Informix DBA >WH Smith, Inc. > > > Thanks in advance, > > John Carlson > Informix DBA > WH Smith, Inc. -- David Williams Maintainer of the Informix FAQ Primary site (Beta Version) http://www.smooth1.demon.co.uk Official site http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html I see you standin', Standin' on your own, It's such a lonely place for you, For you to be If you need a shoulder, Or if you need a friend, I'll be here standing, Until the bitter end... So don't chastise me Or think I, I mean you harm... All I ever wanted Was for you To know that I care