Re: Suggestions for improving the 7.x OnLine Engine installation and configuration

<marcog@linux.ctonline.it> writes >Hi guys! > >My impression is that Tim, Nils and David are partly right: > >- yes, something has to be done about the installation process and >configuration tools > David Williams wrote: Yes. > ... marco writes: > >However, given that the guru has already configured partitions and rebuilt > >the kernel with appropriate (or at least approximate) semaphores and shared > >memory parameters, I don't see it as impossible to have an installation / > >(don't get me wrong! char based) configuration wizard (You know those dialog > >boxes with a nice 'next' button on it? Bill is not always wrong :-) that > >creates everithing the right way and puts everything in the right place based > >on user responses. After that, of course the guru could always resort to > >ONCONFIG, if only to feel a better professional than the next guy. > > david writes: > Well at the moment you just run ./installonline then onmonitor select > initialise and it takes you through the screens using 4GL forms. > Not that hard and quick since you have >50 parmeters to enter. Also > the screens that you go through (apart from the first one) are the > same when you change the configuration at a later date...consistency > of ionterface.. > > Also with forms I cna easily and quickly cursor to the field I want > I do not have to press enter on >10 dialog boxes to get the one I > want.. > > <Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>, > <Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>,<Enter>, > <Enter>,<Enter> Damn missing it back,back,back ah there it is... > > a much easier to use interface when you have many parameters > (there are >100 in Online) to configure. > > > > David Williams tim writes: David, Thanks for the laugh! :-) I'm still chuckling over that one. I understand how to install OnLine. The actual part of running ./installonline, functionally is no big deal. It's minimalistic, and gets the first part of installation done quite well. I think this is not the emphasis of the problem with OnLine, however the TEN business remains unacceptable. It's one component of a glaring need to improve the process. If I've come across rather hostile about this, please forgive. And the same to Informix. I think highly of the product, and the people who've done an excellent job of building the best database product on the market. I also think highly of the people in this group and appreciate what you, Nils, and Marco have also said up to this point. It's this admiration and respect for the people and the product that gives me the pause and concern about the configuration and installation, and ongoing tuning. Was the 7.x product rolled out to market without a lot of thought as to the install and configuration? We need to see some sort of pkgadd or ini set-up interface. ( The PERL installation/compile I went through was a work of art. ) OWGS has a very nice interface, and installation was adequate. But it's not just installation, it's the ongoing tuning that is also in need of an improvement, for all the platforms. And for small shops, the maintenance overhead is even greater with a smaller number of people available, so a better management interface is even more critical. Why not enhance Dbcockpit with configuration built in? Another great reason to have a config GUI is so that I can change parameters based on what I'm trying to do with the data base, dynamically, without having to bounce the engine. For index builds I might tune the engine one way, for loading data another, and so forth. We do this now, only manually. And it requires starting and stopping OnLine. The engine needs more tuning control for the DBA, and the ability to change tuning without stopping/starting on-line. The release notes are part of the install, why not just put together an install checklist and integrate it into the install? Yes, training, training, training. But balance that with a responsible software product that does not create more problems than it solves. The real world doesn't have the patience for bad software. Other software companies know the value of a good install, and a good configuration & maintenance interface. I don't think it's asking too much. Who knows, this may be more science than the engine itself. -- Tim Schaefer \\\\|// tschaefe@mindspring.com (6 6) ------------------------oOOo---( )---o00o---------