New to group ... lots of questions???

Hello, I've been having a problem with my Informix database for sometime now. I have consulted others and read the Informix manuals and I haven't quite figured out the problem. I was hopeing to tap this great resource to get some answers. Brief desc of database: Informix database(version 5.00) used to store images of scanned documents. Scanning and retrieving done at PC running Win 3.1 with Novell TCP/IP software. Database on Compaq 486 33mhz with a 10 gig RAID. (Note: RAID, 10 gig raw, was pieced together with no one company support...I didn't do this) Problem: Once the BLOB Space (4 chunks) gets up to 2 gig (est.) inserting images into the Image_tb takes 5+ minutes. (note: images can be inserted by scanning new documents or copying the image from the optical platters Images_op tb to the Image_tb) Possible problem determination I got from Informix: Well the BLOB space is 2 gig. Inserting a new item will take sometime. Possible problem determinations I am getting from other Informix users: - The RAID controller is not efficient. - Old version of Informix - RAID level 5 - Older version of SCO UNIX - Get a new server Possible Solutions: - I am not really buying in on informix's answer. I do realize that with table growth, system performance is effected. But there are databases in the industry alot larger then mine and why 2 gig everytime? - The RAID controller - the development Engineers who put this system together used the most advance hardware they could utilize at the time the system was developed (3 years ago). Redundancy wasn't widely used/available (so they tell me) and I would accept this answer to a point. - Old version of informix - $%^& I thought the lastest version was 5.05. Just goes to show, I should have hit this news group alot sooner. Ok so version 7.0 is the current version? (note: we do not have support though Informix. Our support comes from a 3rd party vendor ... name withheld) - RAID level 5 - This is an interesting point. I met a guy today with 10 years of Informix programming experience. He said my problem (besides being on an old version of informix) is that Informix has a problem with stripeing data across a RAID using RAID level 5. I should use mirroring (level 1). Hum??? - Old version of SCO UNIX - Once again I thought I was on the lastest version of SCO ... 5.0? (Note: the same 3rd party verdor) - Upgrade server - A faster processer could search a table index much quicker ... for starters. But once again why at 2 gig? If you can email me with other possible hot spots and solutions I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance -BJ Kea "No one can tell the intelligence or ignorance of a man until he opens his mouth"