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