Course Outline
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