Oracle and Informix Comparisions

8/12/2019 Oracle and Informix Comparisions

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Oracle and Informix RDBMS comparisons


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Document Information

Title Oracle and Informix RDBMS comparisions

Author Ravi!mar "andi#amRa$ %alseLOS/BSU CSC DB Co'

Comments Release 1.2(

Keywords Oracle) Informix) RDBMS

Created 11*(+*2(11 ((,((Last Saved 11*(+*2(11 ((,((

Last Saved By Ravi!mar "andi#am

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4a3le of Contents

1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................4

1.1 Purpose....................................................................................................................................... 41.2 Scope.......................................................................................................................................... 4

1.3 udience..................................................................................................................................... 4

2 !lossar"..............................................................................................................................#

3 $ata%ases and Instances....................................................................................................

4 'ser ut(entication.............................................................................................................)

# *a%lespace +vs., $%space...................................................................................................-

*a%le partitioning +vs., *a%le fragentation......................................................................10

7 nsi +vs., /onnsi........................................................................................................... 13

) Concurrenc"......................................................................................................................14

- %edded S.................................................................................................................1#

10 ac5up and Recover".....................................................................................................1

11 uic5 *a%ular vie6..........................................................................................................17

12 References......................................................................................................................1)



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1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose

4e p!rpose of tis doc!ment is to compare te Oracle and Informix data3ase s$stems at a

i# level.

1.2 Scope

4is doc!ment compares te Oracle and Informix from arcitect!ral point of vie5. It does

not attempt to disc!ss all te similarities or differences 3et5een t5o data3ase vendors.

1.3 Audience

4is doc!ment is intended for Oracle DBs 5o 5o!ld lie to #et a 3asic !nderstandin#

a3o!t Informix RDBMS.



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2 Glossary

ORDBMS

n o36ect relational data3ase s$stem is a data3ase mana#ement s$stem

similar to relational data3ase 3!t 5it an o36ect7oriented data3asemodel

Oracle4e oracle data3ase is an o36ect relational data3ase mana#ement

s$stem prod!ced and mareted 3$ oracle corporation

Informix4e Informix data3ase is developed 3$ IBM. It is ma6orl$ !sed in

O84P environments. IBM ac9!ired Informix compan$ in 2((1

*a%le 2.1

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Data!ases and Instances

4o #ive a 9!ic introd!ction a3o!t Oracle and Informix) as most of !s no5s) 3ot Oracle

and Informix are o36ect relational data3ase s$stems :ORDBMS;.

4e oracle data3ase is prod!ced and mareted 3$ Oracle Corporation) 5ic is formerl$

no5n as Relational Soft5are.

4e Informix ORDBMS is developed and mareted 3$ IBM. 'arlier Informix ORDBMS is

part of a compan$ called Informix 3!t IBM ac9!ired te Informix Compan$ in 2((1.

'ven to!#) 3ot Oracle and Informix are relational data3ase s$stems in co!ple of 5ords)

te 5a$ 3ot implemented data3ases and instances is completel$ different.

Oracle considers < data3ase to 3e a set of data !iles" #ontrol !ile$s% and lo& !iles"5ile aninstance is a set of 3ac#ro!nd processes and memor$ str!ct!res accessin# data3ase data.

'ac Oracle instance) 5ic is also called as server) r!ns a#ainst one data3ase) I repeat

a#ainst one data3ase) 3!t tro!# te !se of Oracle parallel server) a data3ase ma$ ave

m!ltiple instances accessin# it.

0ereas Informix treats a data3ase as collection of information contained in ta3les and in

Informix $o! can ave more than one data'ase under one (n!ormi) instan#e. 0en $o!

install Informix soft5are and 3rin# !p an instance 3$ defa!lt Informix #ives !s + to =

data3ases 5ic are !sed for administration) !tentication and a!ditin# p!rposes.

Fi&ure *+,-M!lti7treaded Informix client7server arcitect!re

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Fi&ure *+.-Oracle rcitect!re



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" #ser Aut$entication

In Oracle sec!rit$ information is stored in te data3ase. Informix !ses te operatin# s$stem

sec!rit$ s!3s$stem to cec sec!rit$.

>or sec!rit$ p!rposes Oracle connects to te server and passes te !ser ID and pass5ord

information to te data3ase for verification. Informix does not store !ser ID and pass5ord

information in te data3ase. Instead te$ are validated a#ainst te operatin# s$stem?s sec!rit$

mecanism on te server) for example te *etc*pass5d file in @"IA.

4erefore) eiter ever$ data3ase !ser m!st ave an entr$ in te server?s pass5ord file) or te

application m!st andle a level of sec!rit$ 5ere !ser IDs are converted into a #ro!p id 3ased

on data3ase permissions and onl$ tose #ro!p IDs are entered into te pass5ord file. "ote

tat if te second alternative is cosen) ten a!ditin# capa3ilities 3ased on !ser ID are lost.

lso) if te application performs sec!rit$ f!nctions) ten tose f!nctions are not applica3le to

tird part$ applications) s!c as report 5riters) application development tools) and so on)

5en te$ access te data3ase. 4e ome director$ of all te !sers so!ld point to te same

p$sical director$ 5ere te application exec!ta3le resides.

4e Informix metod of !sin# te operatin# s$stem for sec!rit$ cecin# allo5s external

pro#rams to 3e called from 5itin stored proced!res.

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% &a!lespace '(s)* D!space

In Informix te dis allocation appens in DBSPC'S and 3eca!se of its m!ltiple data3ase

arcitect!re) m!ltiple data3ases can sare te same DBSPC'. 0ereas in Oracle) te disallocation appens in 4B8'SPC'S.

@nlie te Oracle ta3lespace) te Informix d3space cannot 3e created !sin# DD8 :S8;

scripts. It m!st 3e created !sin# te Informix onspaces !tilit$ 3efore an$ DD8 :S8; scripts

are exec!ted. 4erefore) Oracle?s CR'4' 4B8'SPC' statements so!ld 3e removed

from te DD8 :S8; scripts.

4e !ser interface for accomplisin# tese tass is onmonitor. 4e command line !tilit$ is

onspaces. 4erefore) te onspaces commands can 3e placed in sell or 3atc scripts. fter

s!ccessf!ll$ exec!tin# te onspaces commands) te DD8 :S8; scripts ma$ 3e called

tro!# te same sell or 3atc scripts.

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+ &a!le partitionin, '(s)* &a!le fra,mentation

Informix ta3le fra#mentation and Oracle?s co!nterpart) ta3le partitionin#) allo5s te !ser to

control 5ere data is p$sicall$ placed at te ta3le level. 4a3le fra#mentation or partitionin#is t$picall$ done to lar#e ta3les) 3!t Informix and Oracle implement fra#mentation and

partitionin# for different reasons and 5it different res!lts.

Informix recommends !sin# ta3le fra#mentation to improve sin#le7!ser response time)

conc!rrenc$) data availa3ilit$) 3ac!p * restore caracteristics) and data7load performance.

0ile Oracle does state tat ta3le partitionin# ma$ improve te performance of 9!eries) and

tat te Oracle optimier taes partitionin# into acco!nt) te primar$ #oal of partitionin# in

Oracle is improvin# data3ase maintenance. 4a3le partitionin# in Oracle is limited to

partitionin# 3$ ran#e. Partitionin# strate#ies in Oracle incl!de ran#e partitionin# as 5ell as

as and composite partitionin#. Composite partitionin# com3ines ran#e and as partitions

tro!# te !se of s!37partitions. 4a3les incorporatin# Oracle 8OB?s :lar#e o36ects; cannot

3e partitioned.

Informix fra#mentation strate#ies incl!de expression73ased and ro!nd ro3in. Basic xpression7

3ased fra#mentation can replace Oracle ran#e partitionin#. Informix S8OBs :smart lar#e

o36ects; can 3e fra#mented) !nlie Oracle 8OBs.

'xamples of creatin# ta3les 5it Oracle ran#e partitionin# and Informix fra#mentation 3$

expression are so5n 3elo5,

Ora#le ran&e partitionin&-

CR'4' 4B8' dept

:

deptno "@MB'R:2;)

dname RC%R2:1=;)

loc RC%R2:1+; ;

partition 3$ ran#e :deptno;

:partition PR41 val!es less tan :11;

ta3lespace PR414S)

partition PR42 val!es less tan :21;

ta3lespace PR424S)

partition PR4+ val!es less tan :+1;

ta3lespace PR4+4S)

partition PR4= val!es less tan :MA8@';

ta3lespace PR4=4S;E

(n!ormi) e)pression 'ased !ra&mentation-

CR'4' 4B8' dept:



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deptno "@MB'R:2;)

dname RC%R:1=;)

loc RC%R:1+;

;

>RFM'"4 BG 'APR'SSIO"

deptno - 11 I" d3space1)

deptno /H 11 "D deptno - 21 I" d3space2)

deptno /H 21 "D deptno - +1 I" d3space+)

R'MI"D'R I" d3space=E

Oracle !ses MA8@' for val!es not fo!nd in te specified ran#e 5ile Informix !ses te

R'MI"D'R e$5ord for val!es tat fall o!tside te specified expression or expressions.

Prior to IDS ersion 1(.(() eac ta3le fra#ment ad to #o into a separate d3space. "o5

ta3les can 3e fra#mented 5itin a sin#le d3space. Go! can create partitions 5itin a d3space

tat can eac s!pport a ta3le fra#ment. It is 3etter to ave one c!n per dis drive) and no5

it is not necessar$ to create a D3space 6!st to facilitate fra#mentation.

4is feat!re can simplif$ te mana#ement of d3spaces. 4e 3enefits #ained tro!# tis ne5

development incl!de,

It red!ces te total n!m3er of d3spaces needed for a fra#mented ta3le.

Storin# m!ltiple ta3le fra#ments in a sin#le d3space improves 9!er$ performance over

storin# eac fra#mented expression in a different d3space.

>or example) Informix partition fra#mentation in a sin#le d3space,

CR'4' 4B8' dept:

deptno "@MB'R:2;)

dname RC%R:1=;)

loc RC%R:1+;

;

>RFM'"4 BG 'APR'SSIO"

PR4I4IO" part1 :deptno - 11; I" d3space1)

PR4I4IO" part2 :deptno - 21; I" d3space1)

PR4I4IO" part+ :deptno - +1; I" d3space1)

PR4I4IO" part= R'MI"D'R I" d3space1E

Partitions of an IDS fra#mented ta3le can 3e manip!lated !sin# te 84'R >RFM'"4

statement 5ic s!pports attacin#) detacin#) addin#) modif$in#) and droppin#) as 5ell as

initialiin# te distri3!tion strate#$.



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>or example) te follo5in# S8 removes a partition fra#ment and places te contents into a

ne5 ta3le,

84'R >RFM'"4 O" 4B8' dept D'4C% PR4I4IO" part+ deptpart+E

Main# !se of 84'R >RFM'"4 to detac fra#ments can 3e an effective 5a$ of deletin#lar#e 9!antities of ro5s from a ta3le) 9!icl$ and easil$. fter te a3ove statement

completes) te ta3le 5ill no lon#er contain ro5s 5it a deptno #reater tan 21 and less tan

+1.



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- Ansi '(s)* .on/Ansi

Informix s!pports 3ot "SI and non7"SI data3ases. 4at means !nder one instance*server

5e can "SI s!pported data3ase and one non7"SI S!pported data3ase. Oracle?s

transaction 3eavior is more or less lie tat of an "SI data3ase.

4ransaction 3o!ndaries are defined differentl$ in Oracle and Informix. In oracle and "SI

data3ases) transactions are implicitl$ 3e#!n at te 3e#innin# of a pro#ram and end

immediatel$ after commit or roll3ac statement. n oracle transaction 3e#ins implicitl$ 3!t

in Informix 5e ave to explicitl$ start te transaction !sin# B'FI" 0OR statement.



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0 ConcurrencyOracle and Informix implement locin# differentl$. Oracle defa!lts to Ro5 level locin#

5ereas Informix defa!lts to pa#e level locin#

Informix s!pports te follo5in# isolation levels,

(n!ormi) ame AS( ame when this is the de!ault level o! isolation

Dirt$ Read Read @ncommitted Data3ase 5ito!t transaction lo##in#

Committed Read Read committed Data3ases 5* lo##in# and not "SI7compliant

Repeata3le Read Serialia3le "SI7complaint data3ases

C!rsor Sta3ilit$ "ot S!pported



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Em!edded S3

Oracle?s em3edded S8 prod!cts are ProJC and ProJCOBO8. Informix?s correspondin#

em3edded S8 prod!cts are 'S8*C and 'S8*COBO8.

Oracle allo5s proced!re lan#!a#e :P8*S8; 3locs inside ProJC and ProJCOBO8 code

delimited 3$ te 'A'C S8 'A'C@4' and '"D7'A'C statements. In Informix) tese

3locs m!st 3e replaced 5it te e9!ivalent 'S8*C or 'S8*COBO8 code.

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14 Bac5up and Reco(ery

3ac!p in Informix d$namic server is a cop$ of one or more d3spaces :also called stora#e

spaces; and lo#ical lo#s tat te data3ase server maintains. Informix provides t5o !tilities for3acin# !p and restorin# data3ase server data.

O"7Bar @tilit$, 4is !tilit$ is !sed in com3ination 5it stora#e mana#er :ISM;

Ontape !tilit$, 4is doesn?t re9!ire an$ stora#e mana#er. 0ors 5it tape drives.



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11 uic5 &a!ular (ie6

4e 3elo5 ta3le lists te differences 3et5een some of Oracle and Informix data3ase o36ects,

Ora#le (n!ormi)

Data3ase name attaced to a #ro!p of files Specific data3ase name

Data file C!n

4a3lespace or se#ments D3space

'xtent 'xtent

Roll3ac se#ment P$sical 8o#

Redo 8o# 8o#ical 8o#

S$stem 4a3lespace Root d3space

4a3le Partitionin# 4a3le >ra#mentation

Oerr !tilit$ >inder !tilit$

S9ld3a) svrm#rl < monitor !tilities Onstat and oncec !tilitiesS9lpl!s !tilit$ D3access !tilit$

ProJC 'S8*C

ProJCOBO8 'S8*COBO8

Developer*2((( "e5'ra

S8J"'4 I"et

OCI C8I



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12 References4e follo5in# Informix reference man!als are relevant

Administrative guide for IBM Informix Dynamic Server.pdf

Oracle to IBM Informix porting guide.pdf

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