Discuss your requirements with us.

We support you in the administration of your Informix database systems - individually adapted to your needs.

Our services range from preventive monitoring with bottleneck analysis, direct integration into escalation and alerting, up to 24x7 support for systems with high availability. This includes short reaction times and fixed contact persons in our support.

As a basic tool for monitoring we usually use the "Admin-Scout for Informix".

All measures are always carried out in direct coordination with the system support on the part of our customers.

For general routine tasks we offer two standard packages:

• Sout-Admin and
• Scout-Ultimate.

The range of services offered by the packages is for your orientation.

Please contact us for individual arrangements.

Scout-Admin / Administration

• Assigning CURSOR with the standard administration for your Informix database.
• Relief of routine tasks, controlled monitoring, bottleneck prevention.

Scout-Admin includes extensive support in Informix administration by our support staff. Performance data and system statuses are monitored and evaluated daily via our monitoring. Alerts are sent to the customer's administration and directly to CURSOR Informix support. Our support staff will check the messages for any need for action and initiate the necessary steps.

All administrative activities are coordinated and carried out in consultation with the customer's IT department.

Scout-Ultimate / 24x7 Support

• Standard administration with 24x7 support for systems in high availability environments.
• Preventive monitoring, alerting, short response times and known direct contact persons in our support.

Scout-Ultimate includes the same features as Scout-Admin and additionally a 24x7 hours support with short response times.

The Scout-Ultimate Standby applies to Prio-1 cases (system down) outside of CURSOR's regular business hours. Customers have direct telephone contact with one of our support staff.

Admin-Scout / Intel-x86 Package

Monitoring and tuning with the Best Practice Toolbox for Informix administrators. The Admin-Scout provides an easy way to administrate Informix via one central web server:

• Combined database and system monitoring;
• Access to all Informix instances on the corporate network;
• Configuration and administration of almost all database parameters via one tool;
• Dashboards and meaningful reporting for a quick overview;
• Bottleneck analysis, performance optimization, SQL trace;
• Granular monitoring and prioritized alerting;
• Logging and evaluation, printable reports.

The package includes the provision of an Admin-Scout with system and monitoring software as a virtual appliance, as well as service and update services for a period of 12 months.

Scout-Starter / Best Practice

If you have little previous knowledge of Informix administration and want to use the Admin-Scout quickly, we will support you in your first steps with the Admin-Scout.

We take over the integration into your system environment and the start configuration for you. We carry out the first evaluations and analyses and adapt parameters and thresholds to your requirements.

Benefit immediately from the best practice configuration and know-how of our Informix support staff.

Scout-Trainer / Online Workshop

Introduction to Informix administration with the Admin-Scout.

The Scout Trainer is aimed at administrators who already have experience with Informix and want to simplify their daily work with the Admin-Scout. Based on your Informix know-how, our training provides a comprehensive introduction to Informix administration with the Admin-Scout.

Our trainers are IBM-certified Informix administrators, with many years of experience in Informix support and application development. In our online training sessions, we can flexibly plan and answer to your individual topics and questions. Take advantage of our standard training courses or let us know your individual training needs.

Informix / Installation

Assign CURSOR to plan and setup your Informix database system.

• Evaluation of the characteristic of the customer applications (Solutions) which access the data base (OLTP, DSS)
• Analysis of the involved interfaces (JDBC, ODBC, etc.)
• Analysis of the infrastructure (local, remote, 2-tier, 3-tier, ...)
• User and access analysis (number, behavior)
• Calculation of the needed ressources (network, RAM, storage, CPU, ...) per user and total
• Planning of the installation of possible Client-Software (CSDK, ISQL, etc.) and interfaces to third systems (via ODBC, JDBC, etc)
• Planning and documentation of the DBMS' primary configuration
• Consideration of security scenarios in terms of availability, max. Downtime, memory and hardware services

Informix / Backup & Recovery

A backup strategy is essential for the supply and the availability of data in the by the company needed shape and time.

• Analysis of existing backup components and tools
• Analysis of existing weak spots
• Analysis of the actual requirements
• Definition of necessary measure criteria for the aspired strategies
• Creation of alternative scenarios for the status quo with the goal of optimization
• Creation of test and measure scenarios
• Doing of a recovery test for verifying of the strategy

Because the requirements can be quite complex and in the backup scenarios usually different components appear, an intensive coordination with the customers is required to ensure the aspired SLA.

Informix / High Availability

The aim must be to evade breakdowns, respectively the supply of redundant and synchronized ways of access.

• Analysis of existing requirements for High Availability
• Analysis of involved components for ensuring data rigidity
• Spread data infrastructure requirements (Replication, etc.)
• Utilization of positive side effects for BI and Reporting
• Load-Balancing etc.
• Failover rules and scenarios

Informix / Performance Tuning

Performance tuning essentially includes:

• Configuration analysis based on experience and version information of the DBMS
• Analysis of the protocol files regarding performance relevant entries
• Interrogation and evaluation of problem zones in particular application fields with the goal to analyze concrete execution times
• SQL Tracing with the goal of execution optimization on the database or alternatively in operation directives directed to development
• Analysis of shortage factors (resource stress)
• Optimization advices
  

Informix / Migration & Trade-Up

Performance-Tuning essentially includes:

• Analysis of SQL specifications of the source and target DBMS
• Use of interfaces and ways of access on the DBMS
• Analysis of access routes and the clients involved
• Advices for necessary adjustments of interfaces, schemes or applications
• Definition of data migration and Trade-Up paths
• Determination of chronological frame conditions and if necessary parallel data availabilities (Grid)
• Check-up of the system and data consistence after finishing the migration or the Trade-Up