Introduction

IBM® Informix® is IBM's premier database for high-volume online transaction processing (OLTP), integrated applications, and now breathtakingly fast Data Warehouse / Analytical workloads. Informix has built an incredible reputation over time as the database server that "just works!" Informix has kept pace with its customers as they've grown and expanded without costing them a fortune for ongoing maintenance and administration. In most cases, these companies have grown without requiring significant infrastructure upgrades because Informix is so efficient.

Customers choose Informix because of its reliability, flexibility, ease of use, and low total cost of ownership. In simple terms, this means Informix works without a problem or major administrative issues regardless of the operating system it is running on, so applications can be managed as the business dictates, not by technological limitations. In short, Informix is "Simply Powerful!" Informix is available across a broad range platforms and operating systems including AIX®, HP-UX, Sun Solaris, Macintosh OS X, Linux® - System i®, - System p®, - System x®, - System z®, and Windows®.

Not all customers need the same database features and functionality. In some cases, this is a technological decision. For example, a customer may require advanced data replication, or support for special data types such as spatial and time series. In other cases, licensing requirements and budgets drive these decisions. Informix is ready to address technology, licensing, and budget needs.

Informix continues to enhance and evolve its licensing model to meet market and customer demands. Informix has "No-cost" editions that can be downloaded and used for development, test and limited production workloads, and enterprise-class "For-Purchase" editions. All editions are tailored from a price and functionality perspective to a specific market segment. The Informix purchased editions offer some sub-capacity pricing models, giving customers the flexibility to buy just what is needed to support the data services requirements without having to worry about the total processing power of the hardware on which Informix is installed. All editions may be deployed in "virtual" or private cloud environments, giving customers additional deployment flexibility. Finally, for the ultimate in flexibility and pricing convenience, customers can take advantage of "pay-as-you-go," ready-to-use public cloud computing technologies featuring Informix through vendors such as Amazon Cloud Computing, IBM SmartCloud, and other providers.

With the release of Informix 12.1 in March 2013, Informix continues building on its "Simply Powerful" foundation. Highlighting just a few things, in this release Informix enhanced its Sensor Data (also known as TimeSeries) functionality with a new data load API, scalability and usability enhancements, and replication capabilities. Informix also released a Hypervisor and Hypervisor pattern that can be used with the newly released IBM Pure series of hardware appliances making it easier to create and maintain private cloud environments. Finally, Informix added exciting functionality to its Warehouse Accelerator offering, including trickle feeds, automatic mart refreshes, expanded join capabilities, and more.

While Informix has historically been viewed as an operational or OLTP database engine, in 2011 Informix introduced significant new functionality that dramatically enhanced its ability to serve as a data warehouse or data analysis server. Called the Informix Warehouse Accelerator (IWA), this technology uses compression and a columnar approach to storing and accessing data in-memory as opposed to row-oriented, disk-based]system like most database engines. This approach enables Informix to provide virtually unlimited data warehouse growth while providing data response times that are hundreds of times faster than conventional systems. This technology is available in two editions: Informix Advanced Enterprise Edition for no-limits implementations as well as the Informix Advanced Workgroup Edition, targeted for small to midsize businesses or partners looking to provide best-of-breed turnkey solutions. The Informix Advanced Enterprise Edition can be used in combination with other Informix technologies like H/A clustering, Informix Flexible Grid, spatial analysis, and advanced access control to build a robust, scalable data store that can answer the most demanding and difficult business questions in almost no time at all.

With Informix 12.1, Informix renamed the editions to more closely map the names to the functionality provided. Some editions have restrictions on the breadth and depth of features and functionality that can be used, and pricing for these editions varies accordingly. Regardless of the edition used, all Informix editions come with the full implementation of the Dynamic Scalable Architecture (DSA) with its unmatched performance, reliability, ease of use, and availability.

Below is a brief comparison of the Informix editions and their feature sets.

No-cost editions

Informix no-cost editions can be downloaded and used for development and test purposes. The Informix Innovator-C Edition can be used for small end-user production workloads without a license fee. Redistribution requires a separate license. Support is community-based though an optional for-charge service and support package is available for Informix Innovator-C edition. This Elite Software Support provides full support and product updates for the term of the package. For more information about this package, see IBM Elite Support for IBM Informix Innovator-C Edition in Resources. Community support is available through discussion forums hosted by the International Informix User Group (IIUG), as well as IBM developerWorks Informix technical forums (see Resources). Since the intent of the Informix Developer Edition is for system development and test only, it cannot be used in a production environment, and there is no optional support package.

• IBM Informix Developer Edition — For application development and testing only, this edition packs the full suite of Informix functionality into an attractive price point: free! The Developer Edition includes all the functionality available in the Informix Enterprise Edition with scalability constraints including processing, memory, and storage limitations. It is available on a wide range of operating systems in 32- and 64-bit versions where appropriate. Customers can upgrade from the Developer Edition directly to any other edition simply by installing the new database binaries.

• IBM Informix Innovator-C Edition — For customers looking for a robust database environment that can support small production workloads, this edition provides the most widely used data processing functionality. Available on all supported platforms, this edition is limited to one core and a total of 2 GB of RAM operating from the same Install.

For-purchase editions

• IBM Informix Express Edition — This edition is geared towards applications and other third-party developers looking to embed a database engine within their application. It can also be purchased by end-user customers for use in their environment. Available on all supported platforms, this edition is limited to 4 cores and a total of 8 GB of RAM operating from the same Informix install. In addition, there are other functional limitations including limiting ER/grid clusters to 2 nodes (root nodes only) and restricting an H/A cluster to one secondary (of any type).

  Informix Express Edition can be licensed by Authorized User Single Install, PVU, and LU Virtual Server metrics. From a licensing perspective, since ER/grid nodes are stand-alone, each one must be fully licensed. Informix Express Edition supports one H/A cluster secondary node of any type. As long as the secondary node is only functioning as a backup/failover secondary, it can be deployed without an additional Informix license charge. However, if the H/A cluster secondary node is used for SQL operations (read or write), the secondary node must be fully licensed.

• IBM Informix Workgroup Edition — Available on all supported platforms, this edition is perfect for midsize companies or departmental servers in an enterprise deployment. This edition can be deployed on up to 16 cores over a maximum of four sockets and 16 GB of RAM operating from the same Informix Install. Informix Workgroup Edition can be licensed by Authorized User Single Install, PVU, and LU Socket metrics. LU Socket enables licensing by physical processor socket. LU Socket licensing is limited to physical servers with no more than four physical processor sockets. Customers may purchase licenses for up to four physical sockets and use up to 16 processor cores. Customers are not allowed to create a physical or logical partition of up to four processor sockets on a larger server and purchase a LU socket license.

  Informix Workgroup Edition provides additional database functionality, including unlimited ER/grid cluster nodes of any type to send or receive data updates within the cluster. From a licensing perspective, since ER/grid nodes are stand-alone, each one must be fully licensed. Informix Workgroup Edition supports up to two H/A cluster secondary nodes of any type. As long as the secondary node is only functioning as a backup/failover secondary, it can be deployed without an additional Informix license charge. However, if any H/A cluster secondary node is used for SQL operations (read or write), the secondary node must be fully licensed.

• IBM Advanced Workgroup Edition — Includes entitlements to the base functionality of the Informix Workgroup Edition, plus all the functionality of the Informix Warehouse Accelerator (IWA). This edition represents the ultimate in data warehouse performance for small to midsize businesses or partners looking to create a turnkey data warehousing solution. This edition is available on 64-bit versions of AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux. The IWA component is only available on 64-bit Intel-based Linux. This edition can only be licensed using the PVU metric. The Advanced Workgroup Edition is limited to 16 cores and 48 GB of memory in the IWA component. The core and memory limitations of the Informix Workgroup Edition database engine apply as well for that component. The Advanced Workgroup Edition does not include an entitlement to the storage optimization feature nor to H/A cluster and ER/grid functionality.
• IBM Informix Enterprise Edition — Includes all Informix features and functionality (except those listed as optional add-ons) with unlimited scalability required for the highest OLTP and warehousing performance and full functionality. Available on all supported platforms, this edition can be licensed by PVU and Authorized User Single Install metrics. With this edition, full H/A cluster and ER/grid functionality is available, including unlimited nodes. From a licensing perspective, since ER/grid nodes are stand-alone, each one must be fully licensed. For H/A clusters, as long as the secondary node is only functioning as a backup/failover secondary, it can be deployed without an additional Informix license charge. However, if any H/A cluster secondary node is used for SQL operations (read or write), the secondary node must be fully licensed.

  Almost all features and functionality are included with this edition, there are only a few optional add-ons. They include the Excalibur DataBlade®, and the storage optimization feature which provides index and data compression on disk to help reduce storage and backup/recovery costs and administration, as well as providing improved performance.

• IBM Informix Hypervisor Edition — For deployment on the IBM Pure system of private cloud appliances, this edition includes all Informix features and functionality (except those listed as optional add-ons) with unlimited scalability required for the highest OLTP and warehousing performance and full functionality. Available in RedHat Linux, and AIX deployments, this edition can only be licensed by the PVU metric. With this edition, full H/A cluster and ER/grid functionality is available, including unlimited nodes. From a licensing perspective, since ER/grid nodes are stand-alone, each one must be fully licensed. For H/A clusters, as long as the secondary node is only functioning as a backup/failover secondary, it can be deployed without an additional Informix license charge. However, if any H/A cluster secondary node is used for SQL operations (read or write), the secondary node must be fully licensed.

  Almost all features and functionality are included with this edition, there are only a few optional add-ons. They include the Excalibur DataBlade®, and the storage optimization feature which provides index and data compression on disk to help reduce storage and backup/recovery costs and administration, as well as providing improved performance.

• IBM Informix Advanced Enterprise Edition — Includes entitlements to Informix Enterprise Edition, the Informix Warehouse Accelerator (IWA) and the storage optimization feature. This edition represents the ultimate in data warehouse performance and scalability. This edition is available on 64-bit versions of AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux. The IWA component is only available on 64-bit Intel-based Linux. This edition can be licensed by PVU and Authorized User Single Install metrics. With this edition, full H/A cluster and ER/grid functionality is available, including unlimited ER/grid and H/A cluster nodes. From a licensing perspective, since ER/grid nodes are stand-alone, each one must be fully licensed. For H/A clusters, as long as the secondary node is only functioning as a backup/failover secondary, it can be deployed without an additional Informix license charge. However, if any H/A cluster secondary node is used for SQL operations (read or write), the secondary node must be fully licensed. Almost all features and functionality are included with this edition, there is only one optional add-on: the Excalibur DataBlade.

Purchased editions of Informix can be licensed through one of several pricing metrics depending on your needs. A brief description of each metric is listed below. In 2010, IBM introduced a new definition called an "Install" to make sub-capacity licensing conditions (such as logical or physical partitioning of a physical server or virtual machine images) easier to understand and purchase. IBM defines an "Install" as an installed copy of a product (in this case, Informix) on a physical server (or partition thereof) or in a virtual machine image. For example, if a physical server is segmented into partitions, whether logical (LPARs) or physical, each partition containing Informix is considered a separate IBM Informix "Install" for licensing purposes and restrictions. The concept of an "Install" applies to the licensing limits specified for all Informix editions. For more information on authorized sub-capacity technology, use this link. See this link for more details on eligible virtualization technologies.

Note: The descriptions are only a summary of the licensing definitions. They are not intended to be full and legally binding. For a full and complete description, refer to the Informix licensing agreements.

• Processor Value Unit (PVU) (also known as processor-based pricing) — Calculated using the number of processor cores in the physical server multiplied by the corresponding value units based on processor architecture. This is an unlimited-user or connection license and is usually the optimal choice when the user or session load cannot be controlled or counted.
• Authorized User Single Install (AUSI) — A single named user or specific individual accessing one installation of Informix on each physical or virtual server. That authorized user can establish multiple connections to an Informix instance on the server. Each connection is for the exclusive use of that one authorized user from a single client device.
• Limited Use Virtual Server (LUVS) — A LU Virtual Server is a physical server or a virtual server created by partitioning the resources available to a physical server using an eligible virtualization technology. This licensing metric does have specific scalability limitations, specifically no more than 4 cores may be allocated to the server created either through physical or virtual partitioning.
• Limited Use Socket (LU Socket) — Available only on Informix Workgroup Edition, this allows for licensing on a physical socket potentially containing multiple cores. An LU Socket license is required for each active processor socket. This licensing metric can only be used on a physical server with no more than four physical sockets. Customers may purchase licenses for up to four physical sockets and use up to 16 cores.

Not all pricing models are available for all Informix For-Purchase editions.

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Easy comparison table

Confused about which edition to use? The following table is designed to make it easier to determine the unique characteristics of each Informix edition. If a specific feature is not listed in the table, you can assume, for the most part, that it exists in all Informix editions. Again, this is only a general description of the features and license parameters. For exact definitions, refer to the published license agreements available at the Informix Licensing site.

Note: This table can be downloaded from here as an Excel spreadsheet with a scrolling header.

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Conclusion

To quote a commonly used phrase: "Your needs may vary." Regardless of the data processing requirements, the "Simply Powerful" IBM Informix has the right blend of technological features and feature options to provide a cost-effective, robust, and scalable foundation on which to build. And since "Informix just works!" customers can rest assured that Informix has the flexibility to grow and extend the power of their Informix environment when needed.

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Notice

The information in this article is presented on a best effort basis from the author's personal knowledge and not intended to be an official communication from IBM. Neither the author nor IBM is liable for any incorrect information in this article.

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Table of contents

• Introduction
• Easy comparison table
• Conclusion
• Notice
• Download
• Resources
• About the author
• Comments

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