What's new in IBM Informix Warehouse Accelerator, Version 12.10

When you run the ondwa tasks command to monitor Informix Warehouse Accelerator queries, the command now displays client session information for running queries and basic information about queued queries. The client session information includes the session ID and the server number to which the client is connected.

Informix Warehouse Accelerator has the following enhancements:

• You can now accelerate queries that include these scalar functions: CURRENT, SQRT, and SYSDATE.
• You can now view information about existing data marts in the accelerators by running the ondwa listmarts command.
• You can now load data marts faster by adding a second DWAVP virtual processor. The DWAVP virtual processor runs Informix Warehouse Accelerator administrative functions and procedures. A DWAVP virtual processor is automatically allocated when the first Informix Warehouse Accelerator related activity occurs. In systems with significant data mart administration activity, you can define a second DWAVP virtual processor to speed the loading of data marts.

ondwa listmarts command

Preparing the Informix database server

You can use synonyms and views to combine data from multiple sources, including JSON and time series data. The synonyms and views can include references to a local table, a table in a different database on the same instance, or a remote table (table in a different database and different instance). The usage of synonyms and views might require changes to the uniquecheck parameter on the use_dwa environment variable.

You now reference tables in different databases, tables in databases of the same Informix instance, or tables in a different Informix instance.

Example: in-memory acceleration of JSON

You accelerate queries on time series data by creating data marts that are based on time series virtual tables.

You can define virtual partitions so that you can quickly refresh the data in part of the data mart or continuously refresh the data. You can make queries faster by limiting the amount of data in the data mart to specific time intervals.

Example: Continuous refresh of accelerated time series data

You can load data directly from external tables into an Informix Warehouse Accelerator data mart. You no longer need to load data from external tables into an Informix database before you transfer the data to Informix Warehouse Accelerator.

If your business requires that the data in your warehouse is always synchronized with the data in your database, you can configure the continuous refreshing of data in your data marts. This continuous synchronization process is sometimes referred to as trickle feed. You run the ifx_setupTrickleFeed() function to start refreshing the data in the data mart at the frequency that you specify.

You can refresh data when you choose in a data mart by running the ifx_refreshMart() function. The ifx_refreshMart() function checks for data changes in individual partitions and refreshes the changed partitions.

ifx_refreshMart() function

To administer Informix Warehouse Accelerator with Informix Warehouse Accelerator SQL routines, Java™ classes, the IBM OpenAdmin Tool (OAT) for Informix or Informix Smart Analytics Optimizer Studio, a user must be user informix, have the DBA role, or have the WAREHOUSE privilege. Previously, any user was allowed to administer Informix Warehouse Accelerator. User informix, or a user with ADMIN or GRANT privilege for SQL administration API commands, can grant the WAREHOUSE privilege by running the admin() or task() function with the grant admin and WAREHOUSE arguments.

Informix Warehouse Accelerator includes new functions and procedures that you can use from any SQL client to perform administrative tasks. For example, you can use functions to create a data mart, to load a data mart, or to gather accelerator metrics.

The names of all Informix Warehouse Accelerator routines now start with the ifx_ prefix: for example, ifx_createMart().

Query block example: Average employee sales

Query block example: Sales count

Ascending and Descending Orders

You can now use OAT to administer Informix Warehouse Accelerator. You can create an accelerator, monitor the status of an accelerator, and view the data marts that are associated with an accelerator on the OAT Warehouse Accelerator page.

For more information, view the online help.