ON-LINE Backup/Client Server Technologies

1)I am the self-proclaimed db administrator of an ON-LINE 5.0 system running on an NCR 3450. I have created a shell script run by root's cron that will do a "dbexport" every night and dump the files to one of seven directories named for the day of the week when the "dbexport" occurs. At this time I am running this process instead of an archive because I do not have control of the machine ( it is hundreds of miles away) I KNOW that the admin will do a file system backup. The script runs fine when I run it manually. The problem: our users log into the machine from another machine that presents them with a menu of machines or systems that they may access. The "menu" machine performs some type of security checks. Frequently, when they exit the application machine, they still have sql processes hanging around and my script fails because ON-LINE sees the existing sql processes. If there are no processes, the script runs clean, the files are exported and eventually backed up to tape by root's backup program. Informix tech support told me to run "tbmode -ky" to bring ON-LINE "off line", reinitialize and then run the dbexport. This doesn't work: the system is not brought off-line and when I attempt to run "tbinit" I get an error message that tells me that I can not initialize shared memory and that is because the system is still ON-LINE. Why the tbmode -ky doesn't work is the reason that this post exists. If you have any answers I'd be glad to hear them. Please e-mail. Thanks 2) I have inherited a SE application. There is a desire to move it to client-server with MS-Windows. How do Informix's apps compare with over vendors' apps for ease of use from a developer's point of view (learning curve), attractiveness and flexibility? Again, thanks for any and all help. -- Do unto others ... then split. --- Mary Ann Stasium