Informix

INFORMIX-SE
V e r s i o n 7 . 2 F o r U N I X ®
a n d L i n u x

INFORMIX-SE is an SQL-based database engine for small- to medium-range applications. It is the

ideal solution for businesses that want the power of SQL without complex database administration
requirements. With over a decade of proven reliability, INFORMIX-SE has a strong track record among
UNIX database servers.
Organizations don’t always have the MIS resources or extensive database expertise required to
administer complex database systems. However, they still need powerful information management
systems—and for them INFORMIX-SE is the low-maintenance, high-reliability database solution.

INFORMIX-SE Technical Overview from one to eight fields from the record, Data Consistency
INFORMIX-SE provides excellent and each field can be a different datatype. INFORMIX-SE maintains data consis-
performance, data consistency, client/server INFORMIX-SE supports different tency via audit trails and transaction
capabilities, and standards adherence with B+ tree indexing options that include logging, and by establishing and enforcing
only minimal need for database adminis- unique and clustered indexes. In a unique locking procedures, isolation levels, and
trator (DBA) expertise, making it the ideal index, every record must have a different business rules.
multiuser database system for small corpo- key value—preventing duplicate entries.
Audit Trails and Transaction Logs
rations or self-contained departments. A clustered index organizes the table
in the physical order of the index, In the event of a system failure, audit
Performance improving performance. trail facilities can be used to restore a
table and all of the completed transactions
Database performance is essential for
from a backup copy of the table and the
maintaining maximum throughput.
audit trail. Similarly, the entire database
INFORMIX-SE maintains excellent I N F O RM I X - S E A r c h i t e c t u r e
can be restored from a backup of the
performance levels through cost-based Da t a b a s e
A dminis t ra t or
C lient s
database and the transaction log file.
optimization and flexible indexing options. When an operation is unable to
complete itself, the partially completed
Cost-Based Optimizer with Data Distributions
transaction must be removed from the
INFORMIX-SE’s cost-based optimizer OS Shell
database to maintain data consistency. To
will automatically determine the fastest End - U s er remove any partially completed trans-
Ap p lica t ions
way to retrieve data from a database table Host action, INFORMIX-SE maintains a
M ac h ine
based on detailed information about the Da t a b a s e historical record of all transactions in
S er vers
distribution of that data within the table’s the transaction log and automatically uses
columns. The optimizer can collect and these transaction records as a reference
calculate statistics about specific data .dat Data File to restore the database to the state prior
Files
distributions during non-peak processing Da t a b a s e For Each .idx Index File
010
100
10
to the transaction.
Table
hours to avoid any potential bottlenecks. Table .lok Lock File
(if needed)
It can then pick a return path that has Locking and Process Isolation
the least impact on system resources. Other important features for maintaining
data consistency are locking procedures
Flexible Indexing Options Figure 1: INFORMIX-SE uses the native OS and process isolation. These security
INFORMIX-SE provides a variety of file system for data storage and retrieval. measures prevent other users from
indexing options to achieve the best changing data that is currently being
possible performance. Indexes can include read or modified.
 Locks Business rules must be enforced
Clien t Dat abase S e r ve r
The database server prevents errors by by all applications that access or manip-
imposing a system of locks. A lock is a ulate data. However, INFORMIX-SE
claim or reservation that a program can does not depend on the application to
place on a piece of data. The database implement these business rules. Instead,
server guarantees that, as long as the data INFORMIX-SE enforces these rules S elect
select Resu lts O p t i m i ze a n d
is locked, no other database server process independent of the user application. u pdate
S tatu s
U pdate
P a r s e Ea c h
delete Delete St a t e m e n t
can modify it. When another program This centralization of responsibilities S tatu s

requests the data being modified, the removes the burden from the user appli- Tr a ns a c tio n Witho u t Sto r e d P r o c e d ure s

database server either makes the program cations and guarantees adherence to Clien t Dat abase S e r ve r
wait or turns it back with an error. business rules.
The throughput of transactions INFORMIX-SE supports integrity
for a specific table can be affected by constraints, stored procedures, and triggers
the locking strategy used for the table. to enforce business rules.
Applications that use strategies of exclusive ex ecu te
E x ecu te
procedure foo()
Integrity Constraints pro cedu re
Resu lts
select
access to data might find that other data- f o o () update
delete
base server processes are spending time Informix’s implementation of ANSI SQL-
Tr a ns a c tio n With Sto r e d P r o c e d ure s
waiting for access to the data. For this compliant integrity constraints ensures that
reason INFORMIX-SE provides several information is not improperly deleted and
that inserted data meets column speci- Figure 2: Stored procedures reduce the amount
locking levels. The database server can
fications. INFORMIX-SE provides two of communication between the client and the
place a lock on a single row, table, or
types of integrity constraints: referential database server.
database. Row-level locking is the default
applied when the table is created. Table- integrity and entity integrity.
Stored procedures reduce the
and database-level locking are specified
Referential Integrity amount of network traffic for database
in the user’s application.
Referential integrity allows users to define operations because stored procedures
Isolation Levels and enforce relationships between columns. can handle multiple tasks-such as insert,
The isolation level is the degree to For example, INFORMIX-SE’s referential update, and delete-with a single command.
which your read operation is isolated integrity guarantees that information about After processing the request, the stored
from concurrent actions of other database an entry in a master table is not deleted procedure returns only the results of the
server processes—what modifications when the corresponding information still request rather than the numerous result
other processes can make to the records exists in the detail table. This prevents sets for the individual queries.
you are reading, and what records you users from deleting a customer record
if an order still exists for that customer Triggers
can read while other processes are
reading or modifying them. in an order table. A trigger is an alternate method for
INFORMIX-SE supports different invoking a stored procedure. Rather than
Entity Integrity the application program calling a stored
levels of readonly isolation control.
Entity integrity enforces acceptable data procedure to enforce a business rule, a
For example, a SQL SELECT request
values for particular columns. This check trigger can be defined, which will cause the
does not lock any records in the data-
allows the DBA to specify a range of database server to automatically execute
base, allowing full access to the data.
permissible values. Default values allow a stored procedure (or SQL statement)
This is true except when executing a
users to specify a default of any value when any attempt is made to INSERT,
SELECT FOR UPDATE request. While
that is compatible with the column DELETE, or UPDATE a field in the
this type of request allows you to continue
datatype. table. Since triggers are stored in the
to access records, it does not allow other
SELECT FOR UPDATE transactions system catalogs, the need for application
Stored Procedures programs to maintain redundant code
to lock records already involved in
Stored procedures are SQL commands has been removed. Likewise, consistent
update transactions.
and program statements that are stored integrity constraint enforcement across
Business Rules in the database as a named procedure all transactions is guaranteed since triggers
to ensure consistent implementation cannot be bypassed.
Business rules enforce data consistency at
of commonly used operations. Stored
the column level. They specify permissible
procedures maintain common, optimized Security
data values, column defaults, and column-
application routines in the database rather INFORMIX-SE provides two levels
to-column relationships.
than in the application program. of access privileges to ensure database
security. Database privileges control

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access to the database and the privileges Informix’s high-performance, parallel Database Migration
for creating tables and indexes in the processing database server for the If your information management
database. Table privileges specify the UNIX operating system. requirements change in the future,
operations that a user is allowed to Another important aspect of database INFORMIX-SE applications for
perform against a specified table. administration is index verification. Should UNIX can be easily migrated to
INFORMIX-SE supports alter, INFORMIX-SE ever indicate that an Informix Dynamic Server.
insert, and delete security at the table index on a table has been corrupted by Informix Dynamic Server is Informix’s
level while enforcing select and update a system failure, the bcheck utility can powerful, multithreaded database server
security at the column level. Separate quickly verify the integrity of the index designed to exploit the capabilities of both
privilege statements are used to grant and file and rebuild those indexes that have symmetric multiprocessor and uniprocessor
revoke the appropriate access level to users. been damaged by the failure. architectures to deliver breakthrough
No separate database login is required database scalability, manageability, and
since INFORMIX-SE applies security performance. Informix Dynamic Server
Cl i en t/ Ser ver Capabi l i ty
at the user’s login level. INFORMIX-4GL 5.0 provides superior transaction processing,
INFORMIX-SE 6.0 INFORMIX-4GL 5.0
Stored procedures provide an addi- INFORMIX-NET high availability, data integrity, mainframe-
ESQL/C Runtime INFORMIX-ESQL 7.2
tional security mechanism by establishing caliber administration, and multimedia
their own permissions, different from the capabilities—all within a single,
data permissions. The owner of a stored client/server-ready package.
procedure grants users the right to execute
the stored procedure—which allows the INFORMIX-4GL 6.0 X/Open Native Language Support
INFORMIX-SQL 6.0
INFORMIX-SE 7.1
user to perform all the SQL operations Informix’s implementation of native
in the procedure—but restricts other language support (NLS) is based
access against the database. By using upon the X/Open® XPG3 specification.
stored procedures to prohibit users from INFORMIX-SE 7.2 NLS capability
performing operations against the data- Figure 3: Informix tools and servers are built supports single-byte, eight-bit NLS
base, except through authorized stored with connectivity libraries and require no platforms. This allows INFORMIX-SE
procedures, DBAs can elevate security additional networking products—although to collate character strings, print dates,
to the procedure level. Informix 5.0 tools in a remote client/server and accept currency input in the rules
mode require INFORMIX-NET to establish and formats required by the country
Client/Server Ready connection. where the products are being used.
With INFORMIX-SE, client/server X/Open-compliant NLS also provides
connectivity is automatically built in— worldwide support of database applica-
ensuring that any Informix application Standards Compliance tions, so applications can be migrated
using connectivity libraries can transpar- INFORMIX-SE meets the requirements to multiple languages while maintaining
ently view and modify databases in either for ANSI SQL-92 Entry Level with a few the same functionality.
client/server or local mode. exceptions. (Notable exceptions include
no support for delimited identifiers, or Note: These specifications were
INFORMIX-SE System Administration transactions that can be serialized.) It also compiled on a Sun™ SPARCstation™
INFORMIX-SE does not require supports numerous Intermediate and Full with SunOS™ 4.1.1. These specifications
UNIX kernel modifications for shared SQL-92 features, and some SQL3 features may be different for other machines and
memory or the use of character-special and functions. operating system configurations, and
devices-raw devices. Since INFORMIX-SE INFORMIX-SE passes a subset of should be used only as guidelines.
takes advantage of the native UNIX the National Institute of Standards and Dependent on disk space, system config-
operating system and file manager, Technology (NIST) Federal Information uration and/or the operating system
backing up databases and tables is as Processing Standard (FIPS), number 127-2 configuration.
simple as backing up any other UNIX test suite for Entry Level SQL, database
file—maintenance requires no special sizing, and the FIPS Flagger.
skills and no complicated utilities must NIST certifies conformance with
be learned. ANSI and FIPS standards. The NIST
INFORMIX-SE supplies easy-to- SQL test suite is currently the only test
use utilities that allow users to migrate suite available for validating ANSI
INFORMIX-SE data in ASCII format SQL compliance.
to another INFORMIX-SE database
or to Informix Dynamic Server™,

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 About Informix
INFORMIX-SE Version 7.2 Specifications Informix Corporation, the world’s
Table Capacity database technology leader, provides
innovative database products that enable
Maximum number 1 billion or prior disk
the world’s major corporations to attain
of rows per table space limitation
Maximum length 32,767 bytes competitive advantage. Informix, based
of a row in Menlo Park, California, is widely
Maximum number 32,767 recognized as the technology leader
of columns per table for corporate computing environments
Maximum number unlimited ranging from small workgroups to very
of indexes per table large parallel processing applications.
Maximum number 8 Informix’s database servers, application
of columns per index development tools, superior customer
Maximum size of 120 bytes service, and strong partnerships enable
any index key
the company to be at the forefront of
Field Capacity major information technology solution
Maximum character field size 32,511 bytes areas including data warehousing, OLTP,
Maximum size of a quoted string 256 bytes and Web/content management.
For more information about Informix
Access Capacity
products and services, please contact the
Maximum number of defined unlimited
sales office nearest you, or visit us on the
databases per INFORMIX-SE system
Web at www.informix.com.
Maximum number of defined unlimited
tables per INFORMIX-SE system
Maximum number of active system dependent INFORMIX REGIONAL SALES OFFICES

users per INFORMIX-SE system • Asia/Pacific– 65 298 1716

Maximum number of open UNIX open files limit • Canada (Toronto)– 1 416 730 9009
tables per INFORMIX-SE system • Europe/Middle East/Africa 44 181 818 1000
Maximum number of tables in a join UNIX open files limit • Federal– 1 703 847 2900
Maximum number of locks per system dependent • Japan– 81 3 5562 4500
INFORMIX-SE system, database, user
• Latin America– 1 305 265 7545
Maximum number of open 1
• North America– 1 800 331 1763
databases per user
1 650 926 6300
Resource Consumption
Memory Requirements Fixed memory 1.2 megabytes
for INFORMIX-SE database server ®

process (re-entrant)
User process virtual address space 180 kilobytes
requirements (average varies by application) 4100 Bohannon Drive
Menlo Park, California 94025
Disk Requirements
1 650 926 6300
Disk space required for INFORMIX-SE 6 megabytes
World Wide Web: www.informix.com
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following are trademarks of Informix Corporation or
its affiliates: Informix®, Informix® Dynamic Server™,
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