Duration
4 days
Overview
In this course, students will develop the skills necessary to administer one or more Informix database servers. They will learn how to configure and utilize a database server instance, configure and test client connectivity, configure and manage memory and disk usage, plan and implement system maintenance tasks, and configure the server for optimal Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) or decision support (DS) utilization.
Audience
This course is designed for Informix System Administrators, Informix Database Administrators, and Informix Applications Developers.
Prerequisites
Students in this course should satisfy the following prerequisites:
- Knowledge of Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Knowledge of dbaccess
- Experience using basic Linux functionality
- Experience using the vi editor
Key topics
Preface
Course Overview
- Intended Audience
Prerequisites
- Describe the major components of the Informix Database Server
- Define database server terms
- Describe major database server events
- Review the contents of the release notes
- Identify the kernel parameters that must be set
- Determine operating system patches that must be applied
- List the methods to connect to the database server
- Make appropriate entries into the sqlhosts file
- Set the environment variables necessary for a client application to connect to the database server
- Create cooked files or prepare raw devices for server disk storage
- Set environment variables necessary to administer a database server
- Explain the purpose of the configuration file
- Identify basic configuration parameter settings required to bring up a simple database server
- Use a text editor to modify the configuration file
- Bring the database server online
- Describe the use of the SMI (System Monitoring Interface)
- Connect to the sysmaster database and run simple SQL queries
- Use onstat to monitor information about the database server
- Use oncheck to gather information about space usage and the status of indexes and tblspaces
- List and describe the database server operating modes
- Use onmode and oninit to change the operating mode
- Describe the shared memory segments used by the database server
- Describe the configuration parameters that affect the size of shared memory
- Set the RESIDENT parameter to control shared memory residency
- Monitor the major components of shared memory
- Define a thread
- Describe the multithreaded architecture
- Describe how the virtual processors are implemented in Unix
- Use onstat to monitor VPs and threads
- List and explain the virtual processor classes
- Describe how network connections are handled by the server
- Set server configuration parameters related to VPs and threads
- Dynamically add and remove virtual processors
- Describe the Dynamic Server page and chunk structure
- Explain how pages are allocated within extents
- Explain the difference between table and index extents
- Describe the relationship between chunks and dbspaces
- Describe the overhead pages in various types of chunks
- Describe the structure of a dbspace, blobspace, and sbspace
- Use the oncheck command to display reports about space allocation, tblspace usage, and index usage
- Use onstat to display dbspace and chunk information
- Create and drop dbspaces, blobspaces, and sbspaces
- Change the status of a mirrored dbspace
- Monitor dbspaces, blobspaces, and sbspaces
- Use the storage pool and the APIs to administer storage spaces
- Move the physical log to a plogspace
- Add, drop, and modify logical logs
- Change the logging mode of a database
- Define a long transaction
- List and describe configuration parameters related to physical and logical logging
- Monitor the physical and logical logs
- List the steps performed by the server to update a row on disk
- Describe the checkpoint process
- Describe the differences between a blocking and a nonblocking checkpoint
- Properly set the configuration parameters related to checkpoints
- Describe what events cause a checkpoint to occur
- Monitor checkpoints and buffer writes performed by the server
- Describe the types of failures that could occur on the server system
- Describe the fast recovery process
- Examine the status of chunks and dbspaces
- Identify the configuration parameters associated with recovery
- Identify Informix backup and restore utilities
- Explain the backup and restore process
- Explain the incremental backup levels
- Explain the two different methods to backup logical logs
- Describe the difference between a warm and cold restart
- Configure your server to use ontape for backup and restore
- Perform a server backup using ontape
- Backup logical log files using ontape
- Perform a warm restore using ontape
- Describe the temporary objects created by the database server
- Describe the configuration parameters and environment variables related to temporary objects
- Explain the importance of using multiple temporary dbspaces
- Explain the purpose of the WITH NO LOG clause when used to create temporary tables
- Use onstat and the SMI to monitor the space used to create temporary objects
- Configure your server to perform read-aheads
- Configure your server to use recovery threads
- Configure your server to enable or disable the use of OS time
- Describe the PDQ operations available in the database server
- Describe configuration parameters that control PDQ resources
- Configure your server to use the SQL statement cache
- Use onstat and the sysmaster database to monitor user activity on the database server
- Identify the resources held by a user session
- Display the last SQL command run by a user session
- Identify which user sessions have created temporary tables
- Describe how to identify the type of locks held by user sessions
- Identify and terminate a specific user session
- Explain the purpose of the dynamic lock manager
- Explain how to use the event alarm feature
- List the event security codes
- List the classes of alarm events in the server environment
- Explain the purpose of the system alarm program
- Use SQL commands to perform system administrative tasks
- Use the built-in scheduler to automatically perform routine tasks
- Identify and respond to common server problems
- Run the commands to check for consistency of the disk subsystem
- Identify the version and serial number of the database server
- Identify permission problems with devices and server files
- Describe the information required by Technical Support
- Describe the parts of a database version number
- Recover from a simple permission or data storage location problem in the server
- Set required server environment variables
- Create an sqlhosts file entry to enable a connection
- Initialize and configure a server
- Use command line utilities or SQL administrative routines to reinitialize the server and to:
- Create dbspaces
- Create and delete logical logs
- Move the physical log
Appendix A Installing Informix on Linux / UNIX
- Prepare the host machine for installation of the Informix server
- Install Informix on the host machine
Programme scope, delivery arrangements and suitability are confirmed during enquiry.