Identify the Informix startup mode (i.e., sockets or shared memory) Unix Database Servers Log in to your Unix database server as the Informix user. Set the Informix environment, if not automatically set by the login. Execute this command: echo $INFORMIXSERVER Execute this command: cat $INFORMIXDIR/etc/sqlhosts Look for the line that begins with the $INFORMIXSERVER value, and note the value that appears in the second column. If this value is onsoctcp, ontlitcp, or anything else containing tcp, this $INFORMIXSERVER will accept sockets-based connections. If this value is onipcshm, or anything else containing shm, this $INFORMIXSERVER will not accept sockets-based connections; it will only accept shared-memory connections. Windows Database Servers Login to your Windows database server. Open an MS-DOS command prompt. Run this command: regedit Drill down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ INFORMIX\ SQLHOSTS Look for the value passed to PROTOCOL. If this value is onsoctcp, ontlitcp, or anything else containing tcp, this $INFORMIXSERVER will accept sockets-based connections. If this value is onipcshm, or anything else containing shm, this $INFORMIXSERVER will not accept sockets-based connections; it will only accept shared-memory connections. Ramifications Sockets-based (TCP/IP) connections are supported by Enterprise Edition, Lite Edition, and Express Edition, regardless of whether the OpenLink components are running on the Informix host or elsewhere. Shared-memory connections are supported only when our Enterprise Edition server-side components (Request Broker and Database Agent) or our Lite Edition client-side components are running on the Informix server host. Shared-memory connections are not supported by our Express Edition, nor by our Lite Edition when not running on the Informix server host.