Informix Guide to Designing Databases and Data Warehouses [Paperback]

Informix Press (Author), Informix Software (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130161675 | ISBN-13: 978-0130161673 | Publication Date: November 12, 1999 | Edition: 1st

Written by a team of Informix insiders, there's never been a more complete, authoritative guide to Informix database/data warehouse design and implementation. This book teaches all you need to know to design, implement, and manage an Informix database or data warehouse. Walk through building data models illustrating each key approach to database design; then learn how to use Informix SQL to implement and manage your databaes. The book also includes extensive coverage of constructing, deploying, and administering a data warehouse -- including how to maximize data quality. For all Informix database professionals, and for managers and technical professionals considering implementing a data warehouse with Informix technologies.

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From the Inside Flap

INTRODUCTIONIn This Introduction

Read this introduction for an overview of the information provided in this book and for an understanding of the documentation conventions used. About This Book

This book provides information to help you design, implement, and manage your Informix databases. It includes data models that illustrate different approaches to database design and shows you how to use structured query language (SQL) to implement and manage your databases.

This book is one of several manuals that discuss the Informix implementation of SQL. The Informix Guide to SQL: Tutorial, Second Edition shows how to use basic and advanced SQL and SPL routines to access and manipulate the data in your databases. The Informix Guide to SQL: Reference and Syntax, Second Edition provides reference information for aspects of SQL other than the language statements and contains all the syntax descriptions for SQL and Stored Procedure Language (SPL). Types of Users

This book is for the following users:

Database administrators

Database server administrators

Database-application programmers

This book assumes that you have the following background:

A working knowledge of your computer, your operating system, and the utilities that your operating system provides

Some experience working with relational databases or exposure to database concepts

Some experience with computer programming

If you have limited experience with relational databases, SQL, or your operating system, refer to the Getting Started manual for your database server for a list of supplementary titles.Software Dependencies

This book assumes that you are using one of the following database servers:

Informix Enterprise Decision Server, Version 8.3

Informix Dynamic Server 2000, Version 9.2Assumptions About Your Locale

Informix products can support many languages, cultures, and code sets. All culture-specific information is brought together in a single environment, called a Global Language Support (GLS) locale.

This book assumes that you use the U.S. 8859-1 English locale as the default locale. The default is en_us.8859-1 (ISO 8859-1) on UNIX platforms or en_us.1252 (Microsoft 1252) for Windows NT environments. This locale supports U.S. English format conventions for dates, times, and currency, and also supports the ISO 8859-1 or Microsoft 1252 code set, which includes the ASCII code set plus many 8-bit characters such as é, è, and ñ.

If you plan to use nondefault characters in your data or your SQL identifiers, or if you want to conform to the nondefault collation rules of character data, you need to specify the appropriate nondefault locale.

If you plan to use nondefault characters in your data or your SQL identifiers, or if you want to conform to the nondefault collation rules of character data, you need to specify the appropriate nondefault locale. Demonstration Databases

The DB-Access utility, which is provided with your Informix database server products, includes one or more of the following demonstration databases:

The stores_demo database illustrates a relational schema with information about a fictitious wholesale sporting-goods distributor. Many examples in Informix manuals are based on the stores_demo database.

The sales_demo database illustrates a dimensional schema for data-warehousing applications. For conceptual information about dimensional data modeling, see Chapter 10, "Building a Dimensional Data Model."

The superstores_demo database illustrates an object-relational schema. The superstores_demo database includes examples of extended data types, type and table inheritance, and user-defined routines.

For information about how to create and populate the demonstration databases, see the DB-Access User's Manual. For descriptions of the databases and their contents, see the Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.

The scripts that you use to install the demonstration databases reside in the $INFORMIXDIR/bin directory on UNIX platforms and in the %INFORMIXDIR%\bin directory in Windows environments.New Features

For a comprehensive list of new database server features, see the release notes. This section lists new features relevant to this manual.New Features in Version 8.3

This book describes the following new SQL functionality in Version 8.3 of Enterprise Decision Server:

RANGE fragmentation

Globally detached indexesNew Features in Version 9.2

This book describes new features in Version 9.2 of Dynamic Server. The features fall into the following areas:

Extensibility enhancements

Version 9.2 features from Version 7.30 of Dynamic ServerExtensibility Enhancements

This book describes the following extensibility enhancements to Version 9.2 of Dynamic Server:

General enhancements to SQL: nested dot expressions for row types

Enhancements to smart large objects:

Round-robin fragmentation for smart large objects

ALTER TABLE for smart large objects

Data type conversion: BYTE to BLOB and TEXT to CLOB

Enhancements to collections: Collection constructors that use arbitrary expression elements

Enhancements to row types:

Serial types in row types

GRANT/REVOKE UNDER on row types

Version 9.2 Features from Dynamic Server 7.30

This book also describes features first released in Version 7.30 of Dynamic Server. These features fall into the following areas:

Reliability, availability, and serviceability:

ALTER FRAGMENT ATTACH/DETACH enhancements

In-place ALTER TABLE MODIFY/DROP (for built-in types)

Application migration: UNION operator in CREATE VIEW statementAdditional Documentation

For additional information, you might want to refer to the following types of documentation:

On-line manuals

Printed manuals

Error message documentation

Documentation notes, release notes, and machine notes

Related readingOn-Line Manuals

An Answers OnLine CD that contains Informix manuals in electronic format is provided with your Informix products. You can install the documentation or access it directly from the CD. For information about how to install, read, and print on-line manuals, see the installation insert that accompanies Answers OnLine.

Informix on-line manuals are also available on the following Web site:informix/answersPrinted Manuals

To order printed manuals, call 1-800-331-1763 or send email to moreinfo@informix. Please provide the following information when you place your order:

The documentation that you need

The quantity that you need

Your name, address, and telephone numberOn-Line Help

Informix provides on-line help with each graphical user interface (GUI) that displays information about those interfaces and the functions that they perform. Use the help facilities that each GUI provides to display the on-line help.Error Message Documentation

Informix software products provide ASCII files that contain all of the Informix error messages and their corrective actions.

To read error messages and corrective actions on UNIX, use one of the following utilities.

Utility Description

finderr Displays error messages on line

rofferr Formats error messages for printing

To read error messages and corrective actions in Windows, use the Informix Find Error utility. To display this utility, choose Start->Programs->Informix from the Task Bar.

Instructions for using the preceding utilities are available in Answers OnLine. Answers OnLine also provides a listing of error messages and corrective actions in HTML format.Documentation Notes, Release Notes, Machine Notes

In addition to printed documentation, the following sections describe the on-line files that supplement the information in this book. Please examine these files before you begin using your database server. They contain vital information about application and performance issues.

On UNIX, the following on-line files appear in the $INFORMIXDIR/release/en_us/0333 directory. Replace x.y in the filenames with the version number of your database server.

On-Line File Purpose

DDIDOC_x.y The documentation notes file for your version of this manual describes topics that are not covered in the manual or that were modified since publication.

SERVERS_x.y The release notes file describes feature differences from earlier versions of Informix products and how these differences might affect current products. This file also contains information about any known problems and their workarounds.

IDS_x.y or IDS_EDS_x.y The machine notes file describes any special actions that you must take to configure and use Informix products on your computer. Machine notes are named for the product described.

The following items appear in the Informix folder. To display this folder, choose Start->Programs->Informix from the Task Bar.

Program Group Item Description

Documentation Notes This item includes additions or corrections to manuals and information about features that might not be covered in the manuals or that have been modified since publication.

Release Notes This item describes feature differences from earlier versions of Informix products and how these differences might affect current prod

From the Back Cover

* The authoritative database design guide for Informix Dynamic Server.2000 and Informix Enterprise Decision Server!
* Detailed data models illustrating each key approach to database design
* Proven, step-by-step techniques for building your Informix-based data warehouse
* Using SQL to implement and manage enterprise databases

The Informix insider's guide to database and data warehouse design!

Written by a team of insiders, this is the most complete, authoritative guide to database and data warehouse design, implementation, and administration with Informix Dynamic Server.2000 and Informix Enterprise Decision Server. You'll start by walking through the construction of data models that illustrate each key approach to database design. Compare ANSI and non-ANSI compliant databases, learn the fundamentals of entity-relationship modeling, and choose appropriate data types. Next, you'll learn how to use the Informix implementation of SQL to implement and manage your databases.

The Informix Guide to Designing Databases and Data Warehouses covers all this, and more:

* Implementing relational data models with the CREATE DATABASE and CREATE TABLE statements, synonyms, synonym chains, and command scripts
* Applying fragmentation strategies for maximizing database and data warehouse performance
* Implementing dimensional data models-including solutions to common problems
* Applying indexing techniques for data warehousing environments
* Granting and limiting access to data through privileges, views, and stored procedures

Whether you're a manager, developer, or DBA, the Informix Guide to Designing Databases and Data Warehouses is your authoritative single source for guidance on high-performance database design with Informix Dynamic Server.2000 and Informix Enterprise Decision Server.
0-13-016167-5

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Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 1st edition (November 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130161675
• ISBN-13: 978-0130161673
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,706,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)