Re: Q: Archive in version 6 ??!!

Juha Eklund writes: |> 1) Can version 6 use more than one tape device *serially* when |> backing up whole database. Because I have most of the data |> in one tablespace ( BLOBS ), its not so much help to |> backup more than one tablespace *concurrently* ( possible ?) |> to many backup devices ??!! The 6.0 onarchive facility will allow you to specify a list of devices to back up to, so that when one is used up, it will switch to the next. Is this what you are after? |> 2) Is it *true* online-backup ??!! Now in version 5 people cant |> scan documents to the database, because the archive locks |> the tablespace where the BLOBS should go ??!! 6.0 has not changed in this regard. Because blobspace blobs are not logged in either the logical or physical logs, it is not possible to handle changes to the blobspaces during the backup. For this reason, the blobspace is "locked" (I don't know why read access is not permitted, though). What 6.0 does provide that may allow you to work around this restriction is the ability to perform backups at the dbspace/blobspace level. In other words, you can just back up your dbspaces on-line then back up your blobspaces at another time, if that is an option. |> 3) Is there any limit for the size of the backup-media ??!! Can I |> have bigger than 2 Gigs DDS-tapes for example ?? ( *personally* |> I think that the idea of requiring the know the effective size |> of the media is pain in the *** , because you cant know the size |> because it depends of the compression the drive is using ??!!! |> And if the tape device can signal the end of the tape to the |> writing process its *insane* to define the size !!!!!! ) Sadly there is no uniform support in Unix for gracefully detecting an end of tape situation; most generate an i/o error. So there is little choice but to require the user to specify a tape capacity. You have always been able to specify up to 2Tb for a tape via editing the tbconfig file directly. It was tbmonitor that caused the limit of 2Gb as the field was not big enough for the digits for 2Tb. |> 4) Do anybody know when the Plexus stuff ( Optical storage system ) |> is available for version 6 of Informix ??!! As far as I know that is part of the standard servers and connectivity release, which means it should be available when the 6.0 server itself is available, at least from Informix's side (OnLine-Optical). If you are referring to Plexus DM (which Plexus makes), I have no idea if they are planning on doing any rewrites specifically for 6.0. Dave Kosenko Informix Advanced Services Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this message are not those of Informix Software, its partners or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight. **************************************************************************** "I look back with some satisfaction on what an idiot I was when I was 25, but when I do that, I'm assuming I'm no longer an idiot." - Andy Rooney