Informix Replication

More Than Just a Copy

Is your organization distributing copies of data by “dumping” and then “reloading” it on a different site? Is the data at each site is not timely and the process is manual and not automated? A reliable Informix replication system should do more than simply make a copy. The system must also:

• Maintain integrity at the transaction level
• Deliver quickly and efficiently across the network
• Allow distributed sites to make modifications
• Be easy to monitor and manage
• Transfer in any direction across heterogeneous sources

Consider using Informix Replication, a suite of tools that moves and synchronizes data across the enterprise. The suite of tools provided by Informix is designed for flexibility and expandability to fit all business needs. The suite consists of the following tools.

• ER - Enterprise Replication provides replication across multiple independent IDS servers, and has the ability to support both “active-passive” and “active-active” replication. Any of the servers participating in the ER cluster can accept both read and write transactions. ER can also be used to replicate individual tables or subsets of tables rather than the entire database. This is different from HDR, since HDR requires an exact replica – including table and database schemas. ER is designed to support multiple servers with complex topologies.
• HDR - High Availability Data Replication maintains two identical IDS server instances and employs a log record shipping technique to transfer the logical log records from the primary server to the secondary server. The secondary server is in perpetual roll-forward mode so that data on the secondary server remains current with the primary server. The secondary server supports read access to data, allowing database administrators to spread workload among servers.
• MACH 11 - Multi-node Active Cluster for High Availability consists of a single primary server and one or more secondary servers. The secondary servers can include any combination of SDS, RSS, and HDR secondary server, providing increased failover, capacity, flexibility, and scalability.
• SDS - Shared Disk Secondary servers provide increased availability and scalability without the need to maintain multiple copies of the database by allowing multiple instances of the IDS server to access the same physical disk as the primary server.
• RSS - Remote Standalone Secondary servers extend HDR by allowing multiple copies of the database in both local and geographically remote locations
• CLS - Continuous Log Restore is useful when the backup database server is required to be fairly current, but the two systems need to be completely independent of each other for reasons such as security or network availability. The log files are manually transferred to a backup database server where they are restored.

Informix replication is created and designed to meet such challenges as:

• Ensuring that data is continuously available or available for prompt recovery should disaster strike
• Integrating and synchronizing operations across multiple locations
• Supporting timely and thorough data reporting

Who uses Informix Replication and why?

A business organization who wants to build distributed system

Data distribution is a tool that helps companies put necessary data in the hands of local decision-makers yet maintain firm central control over. With Informix replication, data can be shared and replicated between databases, allowing system designers to put the data where it's needed.

A business organization who wants to have additional backup strategy

In conjunction with backup, informix replication strategies seek to complement traditional approaches by providing alternative levels of protection and integrity, while minimizing user disruptions. Informix replication creates a point-in-time copy of the data to be used as the backup source. 

A business organization who wants to set up failover system

Informix replication maintains a near real-time “warm standby” database to which applications can switch with virtually no downtime if the primary site fails.  You can manage planned downtime such as routine maintenance, software upgrades and etc. It protects during unplanned downtime due to machine/network outage, for example. It also provides disaster recovery. Any system providing HA services should provide continuous availability in any scenario.

What we provide

Xtivia’s Certified Informix Engineers will provide recommendations and strategies to set up informix replication to meet your organizational objectives. Xtivia also provides VDBA system that monitors your informix replication activities.

Initial assessments and review requirements

• Design the system
• Define the approach & plan
• Estimate schedule & cost
• Perform installation
• Test and validate
• Training to administer replication
• Monitor replication using Virtual-DBA when requested