Before you install Informix® database
server products, you must prepare your system and plan for choices
that you must make during the installation process.
Preparing for installation includes reviewing system
requirements, planning how to upgrade, deciding on the installation
owner and the installation directory, reviewing installation options,
and gathering information if you want to create a database server
during installation. It also includes preinstallation tasks such as
obtaining the software and reviewing the machine notes.
To prepare for installation:
- Obtain the software. You can download the product package from Passport Advantage: http://www.ibm.com/software/howtobuy/passportadvantage.
- Review the Informix components that can be installed with
the database server. You can install all of them or some
of them.
- Ensure that your computer meets the system requirements.
- Choose a user account with which to install the product.
The user account becomes the installation owner.
- UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X: Decide between
a non-root owner and an owner with root or administrative privileges.
- If you plan to install as an administrative user, decide on a
password for user informix.
- Choose an installation directory. If the database
server is already installed, decide on the upgrade path.
- Decide between a typical or custom installation.
- Choose a typical installation in the following cases:
- To install all database server components, IBM®
Informix Client Software Development Kit, and
the IBM
Informix JDBC Driver.
- To create a configured database during installation with connectivity
for JSON applications and multiple storage spaces for data.
- Choose a custom installation if you want to have any of the following
options:
- To install a subset of database server components.
- To choose which client products to install.
- In root-based installation, to set up event auditing for the security
policies of your organization.
- To create a configured database server during installation with
one storage space for data.
- To prepare a response file for a non-interactive installation.
Depending on your operating system, you can choose other types
of installations that have similar options to a custom installation.
UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X: You can choose the
Legacy installation to prepare a script-based installation. Linux:
You can choose the RPM installation to generate an RPM package.
- Decide whether to create a configured database server during
installation.
- If you do not create a configured database server during installation,
you must configure the database server and initialize disk space after
installation is complete.
- If you create a database server during installation, you must
supply some information:
- Specify information to configure the database server, such as
the number of expected users.
- Windows:
For a typical setup, specify a password for user ifxjson. This
user administers the JSON wire listener.
Log files are created during
the installation process. You can use the log files to troubleshoot
installation errors.
After you install the database server, you can create
the demonstration databases that are included with the database server.
Many examples in the documentation and in the $INFORMIXDIR/demo (UNIX,
Linux, Mac OS X) or the %INFORMIXDIR%\demo (Windows)
directory are based on the demonstration databases. You can use the
demonstration databases to explore database server features. You can
create the demonstration databases at any time after installation
by running the dbaccessdemo command. See Demonstration databases.