Upgrade Informix Online 5.x to IDS 11.50. Supported options

Resolving The Problem

IBM-Informix offers a few different options to facilitate database upgrades from ONLINE 5.x to IDS 11.50.

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1. Dbexport / Dbimport
2. Unoad / Load
3. Distributed Query method (Insert to .. Select from)
4. In-Place Upgrade. {Require intermediate upgrade to IDS 7.3}

Steps:

• On the source Version 5.x server
1. Complete all transactions and issue a checkpoint with (tbmode -c).
2. Make sure no users are connected to the database.
3. If you are exporting to a directory, make sure that directory is your current directory. This is the directory you will need to be in when you run the dbimport command.
4. Run the dbexport command.
(Example: $dbexport databasename)
• On the Version 11.5x server
1. Install, configure and prepare IDS Version 11.50
2. Make your current directory is the same directory that was current when you ran the dbexport command from Version 5.x.
3. Run the dbimport command
(Example: dbimport databasename)

Important: For information on the dbexport and dbimport commands, including the syntax for storage options such as tape devices, see the IBM Informix Migration Guide.

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Steps:

• On the source Version 5.x server
1. Identify the list of tables to unload. (You can use the dbschema command utility to assist in this task.)
2. Connect to the database containing your tables.
3. Run the unload command.
(Example: unload to 'file.unl' select * from tablename;)

Additional references :
Unloading Smart Large Objects With SQL Unload
• On the Version 11.5x server
1. Connect to the database.
2. Run the load command
(Example: load from 'file.unl' insert into tablename;)

Important: Alternatively you can use HPL to load the tables data into Version 11.5.

Additional references :
Loading Smart Large Objects With SQL load

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(Insert to .. Select from)

The idea behind this method is to have IDS Version 11.5 installed and operational with databases and tables created in it. Then you can select the data from Online Version 5.x tables and insert the data into Version 11.50 Tables using remote query syntax.

Steps:

• Setup a Version 11.50 instance with the database and tables created according to your required schema.
• Setup connectivity from the Version 5.x (local) server to the Version 11.50 instance (remote)
1. Add an entry in the sqlhosts file used in the online 5.x server to reference the 11.50 TCP dbserver name and instance.
2. Make sure the service name used in the sqlhosts files exist in the /etc/services file.
3. Test connectivity by running a remote query from 5.x to select data from 11.50 table
(Example: select * from database@server_11:tablename;)

Note : The database on Version 11.50 must not be logged (it must be a (non-logging database.))
• Run your query / queries to select your data from online 5.x database and insert them into Version 11.50 database.

(Example:
insert into database@server_11:tablename select * from table5name;)

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To upgrade ONLINE 5.x in-place to IDS 11.x, an intermediate upgrade to IDS 7.3 is required.
Direct in-place upgrade from 5x to IDS 11.x is not supported.

To receive IDS 7.31 version as a vehicle to the 11.x upgrade destination, contact getIDS11@us.ibm.com. A process is setup to assist you attain the EOS 7.31.x Version for the purpose of the upgrade.

Prior to the upgrade from 5.x to 7.x, it is critical that your current ONLINE 5.x version contain the fixes for the following defects (APAR # IC52768) and (PTS # 169935).
An upgrade attempt without the code fix inclusion for both defects may results in a failed upgrade.


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