Re: Licensing

Disclaimer: this is not an official statement from Informix. Actually, you need to distinguish between the configured number of users and the legal number of users. Configured users is the number of users you configure in your OnLine system. Depending on which version you are using, you might have to account for OnLine processes like tbundo, etc. This number controls how many physical connections you can have concurrently to the OnLine database. The legal number of users is the number you by the licence for, and it bears only a passing resemblance to the configured users. For instance, you can by an unlimited user licence, but you can't buy an unlimited user machine -- if you get to a million users, every machine grinds to a halt. You need to speak to someone on the sales or legal side at Informix for exact information of the current rules. My understanding as of 2-3 years ago was that Informix considers one person using an I4GL application with a menu program and a second program being run as a menu option as a single legal user, even though it would be two configured users. And, in fact, there was a number (5, maybe), of connections which a single user could have open concurrently and still be regarded as a single legal user. The exact details are complex, because you need to account for multiple windows on a workstation, etc. But the concept is the number of people (as distinct from Unix login IDs) doing work concurrently, so having everyone login under a single login is not a way of extending the user population, etc. Do not try quoting this as a legal statement -- it is an out-of-date recollection of a touchy issue, and if you are concerned about the legality of your setup, you should contact Informix and find out what the rules really are. Yours treading on thin ice, Jonathan Leffler (johnl@informix.com) #include <disclaimer.h> }From: serg@rcenter.kiev.ua }Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 20:09:00 GMT }X-Informix-List-Id: <news.20243> } }Johnnyc said... }>1. Each sqlturbo process is considered one user. So, if I start 32 }> background processes on my HP terminal that access }> the database, I am now 32 users. } }This is also my understanding, that each connection counts as a user. It }is also correct that Informix does not enforce a Maximum number of }users (threads) except as a tunable parameter in DSA. }Lucky for them as a lot of proprietary software has been written on the }basis of using 4gl menus to shell out to other 4gl programs. There would }be I suspect a huge backlash from vars if a user limit was ever }programmatically enforced; with the result that all purchasers of the var }software would have to at least double their license requirements }overnight or move to other non-4gl menuing systems. } }My personal opinion is that the level of licensing should be set honestly }at the level of the number of users that actually access the database. }Informix make plenty of money on their licensing, which is good, so they }can continue to develop the technology. If a rigid limit was ever enforced }it is not difficult (in client/server anyway) to route every single user }connection through a driver such as openlink which can re-use the same }connection for every connection request if you want it to (A one-user }license?). I am sure there are lots of other tricks. } }Bottom line. Buy the number of licenses for the number of users. }Informix will grin and bear it, they know which side their bread is }buttered on, and they don't do too badly mate. }rgds }-- }Peter Tashkoff <tashkop@kiwi.co.nz> }Project Consultant/DBA }NZ Kiwifruit Marketing Board Usual Disclaimers Apply }--------------------------------------------------------------------------- }ALL RIGHTS RESERVED }This posting is copyright and may be used only for the purposes }of professional study. Use of this posting in any commercial }environment is explicitly prohibited. This posting may only be }reproduced for personal archival purposes. }----------------------------------------------------------------------------