Informix for Hydra


Users wanting to connect to a Linux database server using a Windows machine as the ‘front end’, should note that the Linux server will need to be running some form of socket protocol (such as onsoctcp or ontlitcp) in order to establish the connection. You may also benefit from having the Informix SDK/Informix Connect installed on your local machine so that you have a copy of setnet32.

Windows Native/SDK Connections

To use the Informix SDK, you must have it installed on your local machine.

The Informix SDK can be installed from a CD if you have one. Otherwise, the latest version can be downloaded from the IBM Web site at www.ibm.com/us/. In the search field at the top of the page, type ‘Informix Connect for Windows’ and click the search button. The first link on the results page should lead you to the appropriate download page.

Setup

  1. Open ‘HydraStudio’.
  2. From the menu, choose Tools and select Database Connections. The Querix Connect window is displayed.
  3. With the Informix tab selected, click the Setnet 32 button. The Setnet32 window is displayed.
  4. Select the Server Information tab.
  5. In the IBM Informix Server field, select or type the name that identifies the database connection that you are setting up.
  6. In the HostName field, select or type the name or IP address of the host server on which the database resides.
  7. In the ProtocolName field, select or type the protocol that is to be used to communicate with the host server. This is usually ‘onsoctcp’. Your database administrator should be able to confirm the right protocol to use.
  8. In the Service Name field, type the port name or number that is to be used. This is usually ‘1526′. Your database administrator should be able to confirm the correct port to use.
  9. The Options field should be left empty.
  10. If this database, on this server, is to be your default, click the Make Default Server button.
  11. Click the Apply button.
  12. Select the Host Information tab.
  13. In the Current Host field, select or type the name of the host. This should be the same as the previously defined IBM Informix Server name.
  14. In the User Name field, type the username with which you want to connect to the database.
  15. In the Password Option field, select the password method needed to access your database. For Windows environments, this is usually ‘Password’. This should be confirmed with your database administrator.
  16. In the Password field, type the password for the username being used to access the database.
  17. Click the Apply button. If the information just entered is new a dialog box is displayed, which asks if you want to define a new host. Click the OK button.
  18. Click the OK button, to close the Setnet 32 window.

Unix/Linux Native/SDK Connections

These instructions assume that Informix is being installed from a CDROM. In order to install Informix successfully a user and group with the name Informix need to be created, as well as a directory into which Informix can be installed.

  1. Change user to root.
  2. To mount the installation disk, and create the user, group and directory needed, use the following commands: mount cdrom mount /mnt/cdrom cd /cdrom cd CLISDK/ export INFORMIXDIR=/opt/informix mkdir $INFORMIX useradd informix groupadd informix
  3. Extract the installation files with the command: rpm –ivh csdk.rpm You may be asked if the client SDK is being installed along with Informix database server version 9.x. If this happens, type ‘n’ and press the Enter key. The command line should return an ‘Installation Complete’ message.

Windows – Informix (Querix) Connect

  1. Open ‘HydraStudio’.
  2. From the menu, choose Tools and select Database Connections. The Querix Connect window is displayed.
  3. Select the Informix (Querix) tab.
  4. Click the Add button. The Add Database Server window is displayed.
  5. In the Database Server Name field, type the name of the database server. A name that you can use to identify this particular server connection setup.
  6. In the Host field, type the DNS name or the IP address of the database server. If this is a host that already exists go to Step 9, otherwise go to Step 7. If the hostname is unrecognised, a Warning dialog is displayed, asking if you want to register it.
  7. To register the new host on your system, click the Yes button. The Register Host window is displayed.
  8. In the IP Address field, type the IP address of the new host and click the OK button.
  9. In the Protocol field, select or type the name of the communications protocol to be used. This is usually ‘onsoctcp’. Check this with your database administrator.
  10. In the Service field, type the name or number of the port to be used. This is usually ‘1526′. Check this with your database administrator.
  11. Click the Add User button. The Add User dialog is displayed.
  12. In the User Name field, type the name with which you want to connect to the database.
  13. In the Password field, type the password for the username typed in the User Name field.
  14. In the Confirm field, type the same password again.
  15. Click the OK button.
  16. In the Add Database Server window, click the OK button.

Unix/Linux – Informix (Querix) Connect

A Unix/Linux connection is controlled by the Informix file sqlhosts, which is located in $INFORMIXDIR\etc. Hydra reads the information in the sqlhosts file and configures the connection by itself.
You do need to set the environment variable INFORMIXSERVER to the name of the instance that you want to connect to.

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