Data Protector and Informix

My customer hs made a big investment in HP's Data Protector Backup software. However, when we've come to order the Informix Agent for DP, we are told it's not available for Linux, only for various flavours of UNIX. Explantion from HP as follows: "Since Data Protector does not have an integration component for Informix on Linux, the only way to back it up safely is to stop Informix and perform a file system backup. You could create pre and post exec scripts to include in the backup specification to stop + start Informix. Chapter 6 and Appendix A in the Admin Guide has information on using pre-post exec scripts in Data Protector backups http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00664514/c00664514.pdf";. Obviously this is bollocks in a 24x7 operation, and in any case it presumes that Informix is housed on cooked files. It also creates a poor customer impression of the future viability of Informix in the minds of other vendors. My questions are twofold: a. Surely it would actually work? We already use Data Protector at another site to back up IDS on HP-UX: all this is done via tcp/ip and I really can't see why the OS should make any difference. Anyone have an opinion? b. Is there anyone within IBM who's responsibility it is to ensure that HP and the like continue to provide and support Informix integration? Thanks -- Neil Truby t:01932 724027 Director m:07798 811708 Ardenta Limited e:neil.truby@ardenta.com

Neil Truby wrote: > My customer hs made a big investment in HP's Data Protector Backup software. > However, when we've come to order the Informix Agent for DP, we are told > it's not available for Linux, only for various flavours of UNIX. Explantion > from HP as follows: > > "Since Data Protector does not have an integration component for Informix on > Linux, the only way to back it up safely is to stop Informix and perform a > file system backup. You could create pre and post exec scripts to include in > the backup specification to stop + start Informix. Chapter 6 and Appendix A > in the Admin Guide has information on using pre-post exec scripts in Data > Protector backups > http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00664514/c00664514.pdf";. > > Obviously this is bollocks in a 24x7 operation, and in any case it presumes > that Informix is housed on cooked files. It also creates a poor customer > impression of the future viability of Informix in the minds of other > vendors. > My questions are twofold: > > a. Surely it would actually work? We already use Data Protector at another > site to back up IDS on HP-UX: all this is done via tcp/ip and I really can't > see why the OS should make any difference. Anyone have an opinion? > b. Is there anyone within IBM who's responsibility it is to ensure that HP > and the like continue to provide and support Informix integration? > You'd need an XBSA library that accepts calls from onbar and talks with the storage manager. This needs serious testing... it uses other libraries and must be compiled with a specific OS compiler etc... Although, theoretically this shouldn't be OS dependent it wouldn't be the first time that someone encounter a problem while porting "portable" code... I had the idea that the storage manager support sheet had an IBM contact on it... Apparently it hasn't, but it as a contact on HP. I won't post it here due to spam bots, but you can easily see it by lokking at the sheet: http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/informix/pubs/porting.zip Notes: Although I understand your position, IBM will never be able to force someone to support a specific version of Informix (or any other product). Ultimately it's the 3rd parties decision whether to support it or not. So, pressure should be made on both sides. If your customer acquired the HP solution and Informix integration is a requirement, then someone committed an error... Maybe presenting HP with the situation can lead to a solution... Maybe someone from USA has more information about someone on IBM side that can make a difference...? Other (technical) approaches can be considered like using ontape or ISM to make backups to file system, but this would depend on the instances size... -- Fernando Nunes Portugal http://informix-technology.blogspot.com My email works... but I don't check it frequently...

Hi Neil, please send e-mail regarding your question/request to Gary Proctor ( gproctor@us.ibm.com ). Regards, Martin -- Martin Fuerderer IBM Informix Development Munich, Germany Information Management IBM Deutschland GmbH Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Hans Ulrich Märki Board of Management: Martin Jetter (Chairman), Rudolf Bauer, Christian Diedrich, Christoph Grandpierre, Matthias Hartmann, Thomas Fell, Michael Diemer Corporate Seat: Stuttgart, Germany; Reg.-Gericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB-Nr.: 14 562 WEEE-Reg.-Nr. DE 99369940 informix-list-bounces@iiug.org wrote on 13.07.2007 03:09:33: > Neil Truby wrote: > > My customer hs made a big investment in HP's Data Protector Backup software. > > However, when we've come to order the Informix Agent for DP, we are told > > it's not available for Linux, only for various flavours of UNIX. Explantion > > from HP as follows: > > > > "Since Data Protector does not have an integration component for Informix on > > Linux, the only way to back it up safely is to stop Informix and perform a > > file system backup. You could create pre and post exec scripts to include in > > the backup specification to stop + start Informix. Chapter 6 and Appendix A > > in the Admin Guide has information on using pre-post exec scripts in Data > > Protector backups > > http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00664514/c00664514.pdf";. > > > > Obviously this is bollocks in a 24x7 operation, and in any case it presumes > > that Informix is housed on cooked files. It also creates a poor customer > > impression of the future viability of Informix in the minds of other > > vendors. > > My questions are twofold: > > > > a. Surely it would actually work? We already use Data Protector at another > > site to back up IDS on HP-UX: all this is done via tcp/ip and I really can't > > see why the OS should make any difference. Anyone have an opinion? > > b. Is there anyone within IBM who's responsibility it is to ensure that HP > > and the like continue to provide and support Informix integration? > > > > You'd need an XBSA library that accepts calls from onbar and talks with the > storage manager. This needs serious testing... it uses other libraries and must > be compiled with a specific OS compiler etc... Although, theoretically this > shouldn't be OS dependent it wouldn't be the first time that someone encounter > a problem while porting "portable" code... > > I had the idea that the storage manager support sheet had an IBM contact on > it... Apparently it hasn't, but it as a contact on HP. > > I won't post it here due to spam bots, but you can easily see it by lokking at > the sheet: > > http://www-306.ibm.com/software/data/informix/pubs/porting.zip > > Notes: Although I understand your position, IBM will never be able to force > someone to support a specific version of Informix (or any other product). > Ultimately it's the 3rd parties decision whether to support it or not. So, > pressure should be made on both sides. If your customer acquired the HP > solution and Informix integration is a requirement, then someone committed an > error... Maybe presenting HP with the situation can lead to a solution... > > Maybe someone from USA has more information about someone on IBM side that can > make a difference...? > > Other (technical) approaches can be considered like using ontape or ISM to make > backups to file system, but this would depend on the instances size... > > -- > Fernando Nunes > Portugal > > http://informix-technology.blogspot.com > My email works... but I don't check it frequently... > _______________________________________________ > Informix-list mailing list > Informix-list@iiug.org > http://www.iiug.org/mailman/listinfo/informix-list