Installing informix software with infx

When installing Informix, consider installing to a version specific location, instead of accepting the default.

This will allow you to install multiple versions, and switch between them as needed.

For example, to install and test a new version, while the existing version continues to run.

Use the infx idsinstall command to automatically install Informix software to a version specific location.

The IBM Informix software is available for download from www-01.ibm.com/software/data/informix/downloads.html

Transfer the downloaded file to your server. The infx default location is /home/informix/tar. Any location can be specified with a full path name.

To install, pass the name of the archive to the infx idsinstall command. infx will perform the following steps:

1. create temporary location
2. extract tar to temp location
3. create new version directory under /infx/sw
4. run the ids_install command

Note: You are still required to answer prompts and accept the license agreement

By default, the command searches /home/informix/tar for the tar file. Specify an absolute path for a different location.

example

Install iif.11.70.FC4TL.linux-x86_64.tar to /home/informix/infx/sw/IIF_11.70FC4TL.

/home/informix>sudo /home/informix/infx/scripts/infx idsinstall tar=iif.11.70.FC4TL.linux-x86_64.tar

install from /home/informix/tar/iif.11.70.FC4TL.linux-x86_64.tar
install to /home/informix/infx/sw/IIF_11.70FC4TL
creating tmp /home/informix/tar/tmp
extracting /home/informix/tar/iif.11.70.FC4TL.linux-x86_64.tar
Preparing to install...
Extracting the JRE from the installer archive...
Unpacking the JRE...
Extracting the installation resources from the installer archive...
Configuring the installer for this system's environment...

...snip...

===============================================================================
Installation Complete
---------------------

Congratulations! IBM Informix Software Bundle installation is complete.

Product install status:
IBM Informix 11.70: Successful
IBM Informix Client-SDK: Successful
IBM Informix JDBC Driver: Successful


For more information about using Informix products, see the IBM Informix 11.70
Information Center at
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/idshelp/v117/index.jsp.

PRESS  TO EXIT THE INSTALLER:
removing /home/informix/tar/tmp
install complete

The install is complete, software was installed to /home/informix/infx/sw/IIF_11.70FC4TL:

test1@awsvpn02:/home/informix>ls -l /home/informix/infx/sw

total 4
drwxr-xr-x  28 informix informix 4096 Mar 28 21:19 IIF_11.70FC4TL
lrwxrwxrwx.  1 informix informix   17 Mar 27 02:43 latest -> /opt/IBM/informix

create new instance

Next, create an instance using this new version. The infx inst func=new commands allows you to specify the Informix software

demo1bhdr@awsvpn02:/home/informix>infx inst func=new newinst=test1 sw=IIF_11.70FC4TL

INFO: creating instance test1 server: 1 config: infx-config.inst onconfig: infx-small.onconfig

...snip...

WARNING: overriding /home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir=latest with sw=IIF_11.70FC4TL
INFO: creating /home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir -> /home/informix/infx/sw/IIF_11.70FC4TL
/home/informix/infx/inst/test1/etc/config.ini created
OK: creating onconfig file /home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir/etc/onconfig.test1
from /home/informix/infx/etc/infx-small.onconfig
onconfig from /home/informix/infx/etc/infx-small.onconfig to /home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir/etc/onconfig.test1
for demo1bhdr
sqlhosts: /home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir/etc/sqlhosts
OK: test1 added to sqlhosts
OK: test1sec added to sqlhosts
add alias test1sec to /home/informix/infx/local/etc/sub-awsvpn02.ini

A new instance was created, with an informixdir pointing to the new version. Next step is to initialize the instance.

test1@awsvpn02:/home/informix>infx inst func=init inst=test1 squiggle=yes

execute oninit -ivy
Your evaluation license will expire on 2012-06-26 00:00:00
DS_NONPDQ_QUERY_MEM recalculated and changed from 1024Kb to 128Kb
Reading configuration file '/home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir/etc/onconfig.test1'
...succeeded
Creating /INFORMIXTMP/.infxdirs...succeeded

...snip...

Forking onmode_mon thread...succeeded
Creating periodic thread...succeeded
Starting scheduling system...succeeded
Verbose output complete: mode = 5

Check the instance list to see the version of each instance:

test1@awsvpn02:/home/informix>infx list

num  inst       status  type  version
0    demo1bhdr  Down    IDS   11.70.FC4IE  IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.70.FC4
1    test1      Up      IDS   11.70.FC4TL  IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.70.FC4

Each instance is running a different version of Informix.

modify instance

Use the infx func=idir command to change the Informix software directory for an instance.

Requirements:

• instance stopped
• ONCONFIG file in new software dirctory
• sqlhosts entries if required

When ready, change the Informix software version for the test1 instance:

test1@awsvpn02:/infx/sw>infx inst test1 func=idir sw=latest
informixdir /home/informix/infx/inst/test1/informixdir -> /home/informix/infx/sw/latest

Check the instance list to see the version of each instance:

test1@awsvpn02:/infx/sw>infx list

num  inst       status  type  version
0    demo1bhdr  Down    IDS   11.70.FC4IE  IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.70.FC4
1    test1      Up      IDS   11.70.FC4IE  IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.70.FC4

Now both instances are on the same version.