OpenLink Single-tier Components (*nix) for Informix

Aims and Intentions

This guide is intended to enable competent system administrators to install and configure OpenLink Multi-tier client side components on *nix style operating systems in a few steps as possible.

This guide does not explain any of the non-pertinent features encountered along the way. Such explanations may be found in the full documentation.

Prerequisites

You MUST be proficient in using a Unix shell.
You MUST be proficient in using a Unix editor such as vi
You MUST be in possession of relevant database connectivity details such as Database name, Username, password, etc.
You MUST have installed, and available; a full installation of Informix, Informix Connect or Informix CSDK.
You MUST have an INFORMIXSERVER configured in $INFORMIXDIR/etc/sqlhosts

Installation

Log onto the machine and create a suitable OpenLink installation directory <OPENLINK_INSTALL>
Copy all relevant components to <OPENLINK_INSTALL>

At bare minimum, these will be the OpenLink ODBC Driver for Informix, OpenLink Http Administration Assistant
and OpenLink license file.
Install using the "install.sh" shell script --
```
 #sh install.sh
```
You should take care to enter correct information when prompted pertaining to ports, passwords, etc and ensure that you note these down for future use.
The installation should finish without error.

Configuration

Environment

Open the file <OPENLINK_INSTALL>/openlink.sh with a suitable text editor such as vi.

Locate the section that deals with the location of shared libraries pertaining to your system (LD_LIBRARY_PATH, LIBPATH or SHLIB_PATH) and add to it the location of your Informix lib and lib/esql directories --

 
 LD_LIBRARY_PATH="<OPENLINK_INSTALL>/informix/clientsdk.2.90.UC4.SOL_32/lib:/informix/clientsdk.2.90.UC4.SOL_32/lib/esql:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"

Driver Specific

Open the file <OPENLINK_INSTALL>/openlink.ini with a suitable text editor such as vi.

Locate the [Environment Informix xxx] section that deals with the driver specific Informix configuration and edit to reflect your Informix installation --

 
 [Environment Informix 2000]
 INFORMIXDIR        = /informix/clientsdk.2.90.UC4.SOL_32
 INFORMIXSERVER     = <INFORMIX_SERVER>
 DELIMIDENT         = Y  ; Allow quoted identifiers
 OPL_INF_MULTISESS  = Y  ; Allow multiple sessions
 OPL_SPACEPADCHAR   = Y  ; Pad CHAR fields with spaces
 CURSOR_SENSITIVITY = LOW        ; Set to HIGH after loading oplrvc.sql
 FORCE_DORMANT      = 1  ; Set connection dormant after call
 ;FET_BUF_SIZE           = 65535         ; Size of the fetch buffer
 ;FORCE_ONLINE_DATABASE  = 1             ; Force mode to (0) SE or (1) ONLINE
 ;CLIENT_LOCALE          = EN_US.UTF8    ; Unicode connection

Data Souce

Open the file <OPENLINK_INSTALL>/bin/odbc.ini with a suitable text editor such as vi.

Locate and edit the sample OpenLink Informix ODBC data source (DSN) created during the installation process and edit as follows

Sample Informix Data Source-

 
 [informix]
 Driver          = <OPENLINK_INSTALL>/lib/inf9_mt_lt.so
 ServerType      = Informix 2000
 Database        = stores_demo
 Username        = informix
 Password        = **********
 FetchBufferSize = 99
 ReadOnly        = no
 DeferLongFetch  = no
 JetFix          = no
 Description     = Sample Informix 2000 Lite Connection

Testing

Use the iodbctest tool which is packaged with the HTTP-based OpenLink ODBC Administrator as follows --

 
 #cd <OPENLINK_INSTALL>
 #. ./openLink.sh
 # iodbctest informix
 iODBC Demonstration program
 This program shows an interactive SQL processor
 Driver Manager: 03.52.0507.0105
 Driver: 06.02.1217 OpenLink Generic ODBC Driver (oplodbc.so) 

 SQL>

You should now be able to issue SQL statements directly against the target database.

Additional Information

The bitness of the ODBC Driver for DB2 is determined by the bitness of your ODBC client application.

That is, if your ODBC client application is 32-bit then the Generic ODBC Driver component MUST also be 32-bit.

Referenced by...