Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) represents a technology that's too significant to compromise or to try to blend into a more general product line. That's why IBM decided to boost investment in IDS development and promote it as a premier relational database management system (RDBMS) for high-volume transaction applications. IDS neither competes with nor represents an alternative to DB2. Rather, IDS represents an embeddable transaction-oriented RDBMS featuring valuable capabilities that distinguish it from DB2 in a significant way.
Release 11 also includes features that help support IBM’s initiative regarding Web 2.0 in general and its Information On Demand (IOD) effort in particular. In short, IBM has found IDS 11 to be:
- Ideally suited for demanding online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads
- Highly suitable for embedding in transaction-oriented ISV applications
- Capable of delivering both excellent performance and reliability and a high degree of deployment flexibility
This white paper briefly recaps the evolution of IDS as a leading RDBMS technology, how it became part of IBM’s RDBMS product portfolio, and how its capabilities are leading to a renaissance of the product in the tough and competitive RDBMS market. It examines the special database technology requirements of high-volume transaction applications and shows how IDS addresses those requirements. The document discusses the capabilities that set IDS apart from the field in general and distinguish it from other IBM RDBMS offerings (including DB2). It also shows how IBM has recommitted itself to IDS in terms of technology investment as well as sales and marketing effort, and how customers are deriving benefits from the product.
