What's new in SQL Reference for Informix, Version 12.10

The new indexattr and jparams columns in the SYSINDICES system catalog table contain information about indexes on JSON and BSON columns.

Starting in Informix GLS 6.00.xC4, you can specify the display widths that DB-Access and other character-based Informix applications use for characters in the Unicode Private Use Area (PUA) ranges. Before you try to display the characters that are in PUA ranges, set the new IFX_PUA_DISPLAY_MAPPING environment variable, and create a mapping file: $INFORMIXDIR/gls/etc/pua.map. In the file, list each character followed by the character representation display width. Valid display widths are 1 (halfwidth character representation) or 2 (fullwidth character representation). If you do not specify a display width for a character in the file, the default is halfwidth.

In previous releases, the default location for new databases was the root dbspace. The default location for new tables and indexes was in the dbspace of the corresponding database. By default new tables were not fragmented. As of 12.10.xC3, you can enable the database server to automatically choose the location for new databases, tables, and indexes. The location selection is based on an algorithm that gives higher priority to non-critical dbspaces and dbspaces with an optimal page size. New tables are automatically fragmented in round-robin order in the available dbspaces.

The list of available dbspaces is stored in the SYSAUTOLOCATE system catalog table.

Now you can control which separator to use in the character-string representation of fractional seconds. To define a separator between seconds and fractional seconds, you must include a literal character between the %S and %F directives when you set the GL_DATETIME or DBTIME environment variable, or when you call the TO_CHAR function. By default, a separator is not used between seconds and fractional seconds. Previously, the ASCII 46 character, a period ( . ), was inserted before the fractional seconds, regardless of whether the formatting string included an explicit separator for the two fields.

The ROLLING FRAGMENTS and LIMIT TO options of the Interval Fragment clause can define an upper limit on the allocated storage size of any rolling window table, or on the number of fragments in a rolling window fragmentation strategy. Fragments that reach the limit can be detached from the table, and either be archived or destroyed. These specifications define a purging policy for the rolling window table.

Rolling window tables require a RANGE INTERVAL storage distribution strategy and a purging policy. When a new rolling fragment is created and registered in the sysfragments system catalog table, a record in that table describes the rolling fragment and its purging policy, using new encodings that the SYSFRAGMENTS topic identifies.

IBM Informix Primary Storage Manager, which replaces IBM Informix Storage Manager (ISM), is easier to set up and use, even in embedded environments. You use the Informix Primary Storage Manager onpsm utility to manage storage for ON-Bar backup and restore operations, including parallel backups, that use file devices (disks).

You can use new configuration parameters and environment variables with the Informix Primary Storage Manager.

PSM_CATALOG_PATH environment variable

PSM_DBS_POOL environment variable

PSM_DEBUG environment variable

PSM_DEBUG_LOG environment variable

PSM_LOG_POOL environment variable