how can I be sure which instance I am restoring to

I'm puzzled on how I can be confident that I am restoring to the right instance, in a 2 instance installation of IDS. The onload command doesn't allow me to specify which instance I'm installing to, so how can I be sure that I am not overwriting the wrong database? On one UNIX box that I inherited, I've got the Production instance, and a Test instance... On both instances, the dbspace is called the same thing apparently "ourdatadbs" So I'm copying the production database to the other instance, for a test copy. FROM instance: PROD dbspace: "ourdatadbs" database: ABC TO instance: TEST dbspace: "ourdatadbs" database: TESTABC so I log in as informix, which is set up with a script which makes me choose the instance. So I choose PROD.... and run the unload. #onunload -t totape ABC ....great so far. So I exit user informix, log in again, this time choosing TEST instance.. is that all I have to do, is be logged into the TEST instance? then run: #onload -t totape -d ourdatadbs TESTABC ? is that it? really? (it is this part that scares me, that I'm having to tell it to restore to a dbspace with the same name as production) I've read all the posts, and the books, and I just can't find anything that addresses my situation clear enough to make me comforatable. Peter A.R. Johnson Federal Way Public Schools

Every tool uses INFORMIXSERVER and the $INFORMIXDIR/etc/sqlhosts file (or the file pointed to by INFORMIXSQLHOSTS) to connect to the server except those most intimate with the server. Those intimate tools use the ONCONFIG variable to open the $INFORMIXDIR/etc/$ONCONFIG file and read the server's SERVERNUM and use that to connect directly to shared memory. So, just make certain that INFORMIXDIR, INFORMIXSERVER, ONCONFIG, and optionally INFORMIXSQLHOSTS are correctly set to the instance you want onload to restore to and you'll be fine. Art Art S. Kagel Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com) Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/ Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any other organization with which I am associated either explicitly, implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor those of the entities themselves. On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 4:28 PM, CHRIS NELSON <cnelson@fwps.org> wrote: > I'm puzzled on how I can be confident that I am restoring to the right > instance, in a 2 instance installation of IDS. > > The onload command doesn't allow me to specify which instance I'm > installing > to, so how can I be sure that I am not overwriting the wrong database? > > On one UNIX box that I inherited, I've got the Production instance, and a > Test > instance... > On both instances, the dbspace is called the same thing apparently > "ourdatadbs" > > So I'm copying the production database to the other instance, for a test > copy. > FROM > instance: PROD dbspace: "ourdatadbs" database: ABC > TO > instance: TEST dbspace: "ourdatadbs" database: TESTABC > > so I log in as informix, which is set up with a script which makes me > choose > the instance. So I choose PROD.... and run the unload. > > #onunload -t totape ABC > .....great so far. > > So I exit user informix, log in again, this time choosing TEST instance.. > is that all I have to do, is be logged into the TEST instance? > > then run: > #onload -t totape -d ourdatadbs TESTABC > ? is that it? really? > (it is this part that scares me, that I'm having to tell it to restore to a > dbspace with the same name as production) > > I've read all the posts, and the books, and I just can't find anything that > addresses my situation clear enough to make me comforatable. > > Peter A.R. Johnson > Federal Way Public Schools > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > --089e013c6760b9108404e106794d

Thanks Art! appreciate the response. So it is not that uncommon then I take it. I guess I'll make sure that I've got my backups, check what you recommended and just go for it. still nervous in Seattle, Peter