Informix 12.10 System Administration (IX813G)

Preface

• • Course Overview
• • Intended Audience
• • Course Objectives
• • Prerequisites

Unit 1 - Overview of the Informix Database Server

• • Describe the major components of the Informix Database Server
• • Define database server terms
• • Describe major database server events

Unit 2 - Preparing for configuration

• • Review the contents of the release notes
• • Identify the kernel parameters that must be set
• • Determine operating system patches that must be applied

Unit 3 - Configuring client-server connectivity

• • 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

Unit 4 - Configuring a 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

Unit 5 - Monitoring the database server

• • 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

Unit 6 - Managing shared memory

• • 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

Unit 7 - Virtual processors and threads

• • 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

Unit 8 - Disk architecture

• • 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

Unit 9 - Managing and monitoring disk space

• • 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

Unit 10 - Physical and logical logging

• • 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

Unit 11 The shared memory buffer pool

• • 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

Unit 12 Fault tolerance

• • 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

Unit 13 Introduction to backup and restore

• • 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

Unit 14 Backup and restore using ontape

• • 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

Unit 15 Temporary files and tables

• • 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

Unit 16 Performance features

• • 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

Unit 17 Monitoring user activity

• • 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

Unit 18 Event alarms

• • 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

Unit 19 SQL administrative functions and task scheduler

• • Use SQL commands to perform system administrative tasks
• • Use the built-in scheduler to automatically perform routine tasks

Unit 20 Troubleshooting

• • 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

Unit 21 A configuration case study (optional)

• • 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