Automate small footprint, embedded Informix Dynamic Server deployments

IDS deployment utility

Introduction

You can use the IDS deployment utility to deploy snapshots of pre-configured IDS instances and the related dbspaces onto target computers. The deployment utility is included with IDS 11.50.xC6 on Linux, UNIX, and Windows platforms.

You must install IDS before creating a snapshot. You can choose to include a fully configured IDS instance in the snapshot or create the instance at the time of deployment.

The advantage of using the deployment utility is that you do not have to install and configure IDS on each target computer. You simply deploy a previously installed and fully configured IDS instance. This gives you the ability to quickly re-create a fully configured IDS instance on one or more target computers.

See the Resources section for a link to the IDS deployment utility topic in the IDS Information Center.

Using the deployment utility

To use the deployment utility, you run the ifxdeploy command either from a command line or as part of an application integration script. When you run the command in silent mode it does not require any user interaction.

Listing 1 shows you the syntax for using ifxdeploy on Linux and UNIX. Listing 2 shows the syntax for using ifxdeploy on Windows.

    
Usage:
./ifxdeploy [-config <configfile>] [-extractcmd <command>] [-verbose]  
            [-l <logfile>] [-p <password>] [-silent] [-sqliport port]
            [-drdaport <port>] [-servernum <num>] [-rootpath <rootdbs>]
            [-file <tgz_file>] [-relocate <path>] [-force] [-keepdis] [-y]

        -config       : Specify a deployment utility config file.
        -extractcmd   : Command to extract archive
        -verbose      : Verbose mode.
        -l            : Log file name to write progress messages
        -p            : Informix user password to create user.
        -silent       : Silent mode (writes to log only).
        -sqliport     : Specify SQLI port number (default is 9088).
        -drdaport     : Specify DRDA port number (default is 9089).
        -servernum    : Specify onconfig SERVERNUM (default is 0).
        -rootpath     : Root dbspace location (default is $INFORMIXDIR/rootdbs).
        -relocate     : Chunk path relocation specification.
        -file         : Specify gzipped tar file of an IDS instance.
        -force        : Overwrite existing settings.
        -keepdis      : Keep discovery files in $INFORMIXDIR/etc.
        -y            : Do not prompt for confirmation.

Uninstall:
./ifxdeploy [-u <path> | -uninstall <path>] [-delifx]
            [-verbose ] [-silent] [-y] [-l]

        -uninstall      : Uninstall IDS from the specified path.
        -delifx         : Remove informix user and group.
        -l              : Log file name to write progress messages
        -silent         : Silent mode (writes to log only).
        -verbose        : Verbose mode.
        -y              : Do not prompt for confirmation.

        Version 2.1.0

Usage:
ifxdeploy.exe [-file <zip_file>] [-p <password> | -system] [-l <logfile>]
              [-config <configfile>] | [-silent] [-6432] [-sqliport <port> | namedpipe]
              [-drdaport <port>] [-servernum <num>] [-rootpath <rootdbs_file>]
              [-extractcmd <command>] [-installdrive <DRIVE>] [-verbose]
              [-relocate <path> ] [-force] [-y]

        -config         : Specify a deployment utility config file.
        -force          : Overwrite existing settings.
        -installdrive   : Drive where the IFMXDATA directory will be created.
        -namedpipe      : Set the primary SQLI protocol to use named pipes.
        -rootpath       : Root dbspace location 
                          (default is C:\ifmxdata\svr_name\rootdbs_dat.000)
        -relocate       : Relocate chunk specification
        -silent         : Silent mode (writes to log only).
        -system         : IDS service will logon as SYSTEM user.
        -verbose        : Verbose mode.
        -6432           : Required to Install/Uninstall 32-bit IDS on 64-bitWindows.
        -extractcmd     : Command to extract archive
        -l              : Log file name to write progress messages
        -y              : Do not prompt for confirmation.

         drdaport     : Specify DRDA port number (default is 9089).
         password     : Informix user password for creating IDS service.
         servernum    : Specify onconfig SERVERNUM (default is 0).
         sqliport     : Specify SQLI port number for the IDS instance (default is 9088).
         extractcmd   : Use provided command to extract archive instead of '7z'.
         zip file     : Specify zipped snapshot file.

Uninstall:
ifxdeploy.exe [-u <path> | -uninstall <path>] [-delifx]
              [-verbose ] [-silent] [-y] [-l]

        -uninstall      : Uninstall IDS from the specified path.
        -delifx         : Remove informix user and Informix-Admin group.
        -l              : Log file name to write progress messages
        -silent         : Silent mode (writes to log only).
        -verbose        : Verbose mode.
        -y              : Do not prompt for confirmation.

        Version 2.1.0

Deployment utility configuration file

You can pass parameters to the deployment utility using command line options, or by using a configuration file that you pass as a parameter with the -config command line option. You can also use both command line options and a configuration file.

Listing 3 shows an example of using ifxdeploy with command line options and a configuration file on Linux. Listing 4 shows an example of using ifxdeploy with command line options and a configuration file on Windows.

ifxdeploy -y -verbose -config ifxdeploy.conf -file /opt/IBM/informix/ifxdir.tgz

ifxdeploy.exe -y -verbose -config ifxdeploy.conf -file C:\ids1150temp\11.50.zip

Following are some important notes regarding the deployment utility configuration file:

• A sample deployment utility configuration file named ifxdeploy.conf is included on the IDS server at $INFORMIXDIR/etc on Linux and UNIX and at %INFORMIXDIR%\etc on Windows.
• You can also specify IDS instance-specific information, for the instance that is getting deployed, in the configuration file. For example:
• INFORMIXSERVER sets the primary server name.
• SERVERNUM sets the primary server port number.
• INFORMIXSQLHOSTS sets the value for the INFORMIXSQLHOSTS environment variable.
• ONCONFIG sets the ONCONFIG file. If not specified, and the ONCONFIG environment variable is not set, a new ONCONFIG file is created based on the onconfig.std file template.
• Use BEGIN ALIAS and END ALIAS statements to define additional server names and listeners. Each alias results in a new SQLHOSTS entry and a new value for the DBSERVERALIASES configuration parameter in the ONCONFIG file.
• Use the BEGIN ONCONFIG and END ONCONFIG statements to add to or override configuration parameters values specified in the ONCONFIG file.

Listing 5 shows an example of a deployment utility configuration file for a Windows environment.

INFORMIXSERVER  demo_on
PROTOCOL1 onsoctcp
PORT1 9088
SERVERNUM 1

BEGIN ALIAS 
SERVERNAME alias1
PROTOCOL drsoctcp
PORT 9091
END ALIAS

INFORMIXDIR "C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Informix Dynamic Server\11.50"

RELOCATE C:\IFMXDATA\demo_on=C:\IFMXDATANEW\demo_on

ROOTPATH C:\IFMXDATANEW\demo_on\rootdbs_dat.000

BEGIN ONCONFIG
BUFFERPOOL default,buffers=1000,lrus=8,lru_min_dirty=50.000000,lru_max_dirty=60.500000
MAX_PDQPRIORITY	80
END ONCONFIG

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Dynamic chunk relocation

The deployment utility provides the option to relocate the data spaces to a new location of your choice. This option is particularly useful when the drives or the directory structures of the source template computer and the target computer are different. An example of this would be if the data spaces are on /data1 on the template computer and you want to relocate them to /data2 on the target computer.

You can set the new location of the data spaces either as an argument on the -relocate command line parameter with the ifxdeploy command, or by setting it with the RELOCATE configuration parameter in the ifxdeploy.conf file.

You can specify a single new parent directory or map multiple separate chunk paths to different locations. Listing 6 shows an example of the -relocate command line parameter being used to relocate all chunk paths to a single directory.

    
-relocate /data2/demo_on

When relocating the chunks, you must specify the root dbspace chunk location either as an argument on the -rootpath command line parameter with the ifxdeploy command, or by setting it with the ROOTPATH configuration parameter in the ifxdeploy.conf file.

If you relocate dbspaces, you must also relocate the root dbspace. Listing 7 shows an example of the -rootpath command line parameter being used to point to the new location of the root dbspace chunk.

    
-rootpath /home/informix/data/online_root

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Table of contents

• Before you start
• IDS deployment utility
• Automating IDS small footprint deployments on Linux and UNIX
• Automating IDS reduced footprint deployments on Windows
• Conclusion
• Download
• Resources
• About the author

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