Installation Guide

for Informix Dynamic Server ® TM

on Windows NT TM

Informix Dynamic Server

Informix Dynamic Server, Developer Edition
Informix Dynamic Server, Workgroup Edition

Version 7.3
February 1998
Part No. 000-4353
 Published by INFORMIX Press Informix Software, Inc.
4100 Bohannon Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025-1032

Copyright  1981-1998 by Informix Software, Inc. or its subsidiaries, provided that portions may be
copyrighted by third parties, as set forth in documentation. All rights reserved.

The following are worldwide trademarks of Informix Software, Inc., or its subsidiaries, registered in the
United States of America as indicated by “,” and in numerous other countries worldwide:

Answers OnLine; INFORMIX; Informix; Illustra; C-ISAM; DataBlade; Dynamic Server; Gateway;
NewEra

All other names or marks may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

Documentation Team: Jennifer Leland, Barbara Nomiyama, Tom Noronha

RESTRICTED RIGHTS/SPECIAL LICENSE RIGHTS

Software and documentation acquired with US Government funds are provided with rights as follows: (1) if
for civilian agency use, with Restricted Rights as defined in FAR 52.227-19; (2) if for Dept. of Defense use, with
rights as restricted by vendor's standard license, unless superseded by negotiated vendor license as prescribed
in DFAR 227.7202. Any whole or partial reproduction of software or documentation marked with this legend
must reproduce the legend.

ii Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Table of
Contents

Table of Contents

About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Preparing for Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Order of Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Preinstallation Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Installing the Database Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Launching the Database Server Installation Program . . . . . 6
Upgrade and Reinstallation Pages . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Welcome Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Customer Information Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Establishing an Installation Directory . . . . . . . . . . 8
Main Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Selecting Installation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Specifying the Informix Account Password . . . . . . . . 13
Copying Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Configuring the Database Server. . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Informix Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Starting and Stopping the Database Server . . . . . . . . . 16
Starting the Database Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Stopping the Database Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Uninstalling the Database Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Reinstalling the Database Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Silent Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Record Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Playback Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Parameters Required in the Playback File . . . . . . . . . . 22
Bundle_Common Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Server Install Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Server Instance Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
 Remote Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Multiple Residency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Instance Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
OnSNMP for Multiple Residency . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Informix Storage Manager (ISM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Index

iv Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

About This Manual
This manual contains instructions on how to install Informix Dynamic Server
on computers that run Windows NT. In addition, it explains how to start,
stop, and remove the database server. Keep this installation guide with your
Informix software documentation for easy reference.

The information in this guide describes the basic installation procedures in a

Windows NT environment for Informix Dynamic Server, Version 7.3.

In this manual, all references to the database server refer to Informix

Dynamic Server.

Preparing for Installation

You can install Informix products only as licensed by Informix. You must not
transfer software from one computer to another or to another portion of your
network without re-registration and the written consent of Informix.

This guide assumes that you are familiar with the operating procedures of
your computer and with the Windows NT environment. For information
about your file system and windowing environment, refer to your
Windows NT documentation.
If you encounter difficulties when you install these products, refer to “Error
Messages” on page 31. If you continue to encounter problems, contact the
Informix Technical Support Department. In North America, call toll-free
(800) 274-8184 or send a FAX to (913) 599-8590. Outside North America,
contact your distributor or the nearest Informix subsidiary.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 1

Installation Requirements

Installation Requirements
You must be a member of the Windows NT Administrators group to install
the database server. Before installation, verify that your computer meets the
following minimum requirements:

■ Windows NT, Version 4.0 or later

■ Service Pack 3
■ TCP/IP
■ Sum of RAM and swap file must be at least 64 megabytes
■ Destination drive with a Windows NT file system (NTFS)
■ 16 megabytes of RAM
■ 140 megabytes of disk space (including a minimum of 30 megabytes
for the root dbspace and 20 megabytes for the additional dbspace)
■ If installation files already exist on the system, the amount of disk
space needed is determined at runtime.

Your Informix product materials package contains a serial-number key card

and a CD-ROM. The serial-number key card contains information that you
need for the installation.

Order of Installation
If you install more than one Informix product on the same computer, you do
not have to install them in a specific order.

If you want to preserve product files of earlier versions, you must create
separate directories for each version of your Informix products. If you install
multiple versions of an Informix product, you must set the INFORMIXDIR
environment variable to the appropriate directory name for the version that
you want to access.

For information about the INFORMIXDIR environment variable, see the

Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.

2 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Preinstallation Considerations

Preinstallation Considerations
Before you install the database server, you must address the following
considerations:

■ Check that user informix is a member of the Administrators group.

■ Decide whether you want to install the database server on a domain
or a local computer.

Administrators Group Membership

To execute the installation program, you must be a member of the
Windows NT Administrators group for the local computer on which you
plan to install the database server. If you plan to install in a domain, you must
be a member of the Windows NT Administrators group for the domain as
well as the local administrator. The User Manager program allows you to
add members to the Administrators group. To access User Manager, choose
Start➞Programs➞Administrative Tools (Common)➞User Manager.
Context-sensitive, on-line help provides detailed instructions on how to
create groups and add users to groups.

Domain Installation
If you plan to access the database server from client computers, install the
database server on the domain controller. Users on other Windows NT
computers can then access the database server if they belong to either the
same domain or a trusted domain. You can use the Windows NT domain
controller to manage the user account information for all domain members.
(For information on how you can provide increased database security, see
“Dividing Administrative Tasks” on page 11.)

If you want the database server to run on a domain, log on to the domain
before you run the installation program. If you are logged on to a domain in
which you have user privileges but not administrative privileges, you will
only be able to perform a local installation.

For more information on domains and the domain controller, refer to your
operating-system documentation.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 3

Preinstallation Considerations

Local Installation
If you do not plan to have client computers access the database server, install
the database server on a local computer. If you do not have administrative
privileges on the domain, local installation is the only option available to you.

If you choose to install the database server locally and later want to allow
client computers to have access to the database server, at that time you can
create a hosts.equiv file to specify trusted database server clients who can
connect from remote computers. For more information, see your
Administrator’s Guide.

If you do not have domain administrator privileges, the database server is

installed locally.

Logging on to a Domain Without Being the Domain Administrator

If the user who performs the install operation is logged on to a domain, the
installation program asks whether the user wants to create global groups on
the domain controller or local groups. If the user wants to create global
groups, the user still needs domain administrator privileges to create the
group. However, if the user wants to create only local groups, the user only
needs to have local administrator privileges.

In a domain install, all security information is created on the primary domain

controller. However, if you select a local install, the security information is
created on the local computer.

The security information created on the domain controller or the local

computer concerns the various groups who are allowed to administer the
database server. If the groups are local, the groups have to be administered
locally on the computer. If multiple computers in the Windows NT domain
run different database servers, the group memberships in the groups on each
computer have to be administered separately. However, if the user chooses to
create global groups, administering the group on the domain controller
makes the groups available on all of the computers that use the same global
group.

4 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Installing the Database Server

The following table shows the privilege requirement for local administrators
and domain administrators.

Type of
Administrator Local Login Domain Login

Local All groups are local to the All groups are local to the computer.
computer. Domain users can Domain users can be part of the local
be part of the local group. group.

Domain Not a valid combination All groups are domain wide. The
groups are local. The user account
under which the database server
runs (informix user) is also created
on the domain. The installation
program still asks you whether you
want to perform a local install.

Installing the Database Server

This section describes the installation procedure.

The installation program installs the database server as a Windows NT

service. It creates a user account called informix and an administrative group
called Informix-Admin. The installation program automatically assigns the
informix user account, which the database server runs under, to the
Informix-Admin group and to the Administrators group. If you enable role
separation when you install the database server, you can change the name of
the Informix-Admin group.

If you plan to customize your installation of the database server, read all of
these instructions before you run the installation program. Keep the
following manuals nearby because they provide detailed discussions of
specific installation and configuration-parameter options, such as role
separation, the root dbspace, and tape devices:

■ Your Trusted Facility Manual

■ Your Administrator’s Guide

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 5

Launching the Database Server Installation Program

Launching the Database Server Installation Program

To use the database server installation program, you must launch the install
driver program. To launch the install driver program, enter one of the
following commands at the command line:
X:\install.exe

X:\install.exe normal

In these commands X is the drive or shared volume on which the software CD

is mounted.

For information on the silent-install options of the install.exe command, see

“Silent Install” on page 20.

After you launch the install driver program, it presents a screen that allows
you to select one of several installation alternatives. The following table lists
these alternatives.

Alternative Description

Full Install Installs the database server, the IECC client, and
INFORMIX-Connect.

Database Client Only Installs INFORMIX-Connect only.

Database Server Only Installs the database server only.

Administration Tools Only Installs IECC only.

Custom Install Installs the components that the user selects.

To specify a database server installation from this screen, select the

Full Install or Database Server Only alternatives. The result of specifying
the first alternative is to install a bundle of products, including the database
server. The result of specifying the second alternative is to install the database
server only. In both cases the install driver program triggers the database
server installation program.

6 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Upgrade and Reinstallation Pages

Upgrade and Reinstallation Pages

If an earlier version of the database server is already installed, the installation
program displays the upgrade page. To continue with the installation
procedure, you must select upgrade. The current version does not co-exist
with the earlier versions. This page is informational only. You can cancel the
installation if you do not want to upgrade. If you do select upgrade, the
installation program skips most of the setup pages and uses existing infor-
mation instead.

If the same version of the database server is already installed, the installation
program displays a reinstall page. This page displays the directory where the
database server is installed. This page also presents choices that specify
whether to install the database server using the existing configuration, or to
install the database server and reconfigure it in the same directory, or to
install and configure the database server in a different directory.

Important: Reinstallation with configuration removes all existing server definitions

and the associated databases.

Welcome Page
An initial welcome page gives brief introductory information about the
Informix Dynamic Server installation wizard. Press Next to continue.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 7

Customer Information Pages

Customer Information Pages

The installation program presents several pages that collect information
about the user who is performing the installation. The following table
describes these pages.

Wizard Page Description of Task

Serial Number and Type the case-sensitive serial number and serial-number
Key key exactly as shown on the serial-number key card that is
provided in your Informix product materials package.

Product Registration Type your name, title, and the name of your company.
This page is optional. The installation program does not
check whether information on this page is valid.

Address Information Type your address information. This information includes

your address, city, state or province, country, and zip code
or postal code.
This page is optional. The installation program does not
check whether information on this page is valid.

Contact Information Type your entire telephone number, fax number, and
Internet address. This page is used to expedite customer
service requests.
This page is optional. The installation program does not
check whether information on this page is valid.

Print Registration If you want to print the completed registration to mail to

Informix, click the Print Registration Information box and
then click the Next button. If you do not want to print the
registration information, click the Next button.

Establishing an Installation Directory

You must decide where you want the installation files to reside. You can
choose to keep the default directory, type a new directory in the
Installation Directory text box, or click the Browse button to select another
directory from the Select Directory dialog box. The destination drive must be
formatted with NTFS.

8 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Main Page

If you have created the INFORMIXDIR directory, the installation files reside
in this directory by default. Otherwise, the default directory is an Informix
directory on the root of the first NTFS drive that the installation program finds
on your system.

This page also displays the minimum disk space required for a database
server installation.

If you plan to perform an upgrade or a reinstall, select the existing database

server directory as the installation directory.

Main Page
Figure 1 illustrates the main page of the installation wizard.
Figure 1
The Installation Wizard Main Page
Installing Informix Dynamic Server

Installation Wizard
Welcome to the Informix Dynamic Server installation wizard!
This wizard guides you through the installation procedure.
To begin, click Next.

The installation is performed in the following order:

1) Supply customer information and select installation options

2) Copy files
3) Configure the database server, if applicable

< Back Next > Cancel

The installation option that the installation wizard The Next button becomes the Finish
executes next is displayed in boldface type. button later in the program.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 9

Selecting Installation Options

The installation wizard guides you through three steps of the installation
procedure. The pages of the installation wizard contain buttons that enable
you to navigate between pages. In most cases, you can click Next to advance
to the following page or click Back to return to the previous page. To abort
the process at any time and return to Windows NT, click Cancel.

Tip: On pages in which you are required to enter information, press TAB to move the
cursor from one text box to another.

The installation program checks the information that you enter and displays
an error message if the information is not valid. If an error occurs, refer to
“Error Messages” on page 31 for information.

Selecting Installation Options

Step 1 of the installation procedure includes pages that prompt you to select
installation options. The following sections describe these installation
options.

Domain Install Option

You must indicate whether you want to perform a domain installation. For
more information on domain installation, see “Domain Installation” on
page 3.

Specifying the Type of Installation

You must specify the type of installation program to run. Your choices are as
follows:

■ Typical installation
■ Minimal installation
■ Custom installation

Informix recommends the typical installation for most databases. If you

select typical or minimal installation, the program does not display some of
the following pages.

10 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Selecting Installation Options

Dividing Administrative Tasks

The Role Separation page allows you to enable role separation. If you enable
role separation, you provide increased database security because you can
split administrative tasks into mutually exclusive roles. If you enable role
separation, you gain control over who accesses the database server.

However, when you enable role separation, only users who are designated as
members of the IXUSERS group can access the database. Each new user must
be a member of the IXUSERS group. For more information about role
separation, see your Trusted Facility Manual.
If you do not enable role separation, the Informix-Admin group is used to
perform all administrative tasks.

The following table describes the administrative-role categories that make up

role separation.

Role Category Role Definition

Auditing The person who audits the records of specific types of

database activities
If someone attempts to circumvent or corrupt the
security mechanism of the database, these actions can
be traced.

Security Administration The person who maintains the security of the database
server
Functions of this role include audit adjustment and
changing security characteristics of storage objects.

General Administration The person responsible for general administrative tasks,

such as archiving and restoring data, monitoring use
and performance, and tuning the system

If you want to enable role separation, make sure that the box on the Role
Separation page is checked. If you do not want to enable role separation,
click on Next to go to the next page.
Important: If you do not enable role separation, you must reinstall the database
server to enable role separation in the future. However, reinstallation removes all
existing database servers.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 11

Selecting Installation Options

If you do not enable role separation, continue with “Naming the Database
Server” on page 13.

Specifying Database Server Administrative Groups

Using the roles described in the previous section, you can specify the names
of administrative groups that access the database server. The following table
describes the groups and gives their default names.

Name Group Type

IXDBSA (INFORMIX-ADMIN) General administration tasks

IXDBSSO Security-related tasks

IXAAO Audit administration tasks

IXUSERS End-user tasks

You can choose to keep the default group names, type new group names, or
click Browse to select other group names from the Select Group dialog box.

Establishing the Auditing Administrator

When you enable role separation, the database server uses a special account
for auditing. You can choose to keep the default user name, type a new user
name, or click Browse to select another user name from the Select User dialog
box. You then type a password in the Password and Confirm Password text
boxes.

Establishing a Security Administrator

When you enable role separation, the database server uses a special account
for security administration. You can choose to keep the default user name,
type a new user name, or click Browse to select another user name from the
Select User dialog box. You then type a password in the Password and
Confirm Password text boxes.

12 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Specifying the Informix Account Password

Specifying the Informix Account Password

The installation program now displays a page that asks you to specify the
password for user informix. The database server service that the installation
program creates runs using this account. If the account does not exist, the
installation program creates the account.

Copying Files
When you click Next on the Informix Account Password page, the main
page of the wizard reappears with Step 2 highlighted. When you click Next
on this page, the installation program installs the files on your system in the
location and in the manner that you specified. The program also displays
messages that give the pathname of the source files and the target files.

Configuring the Database Server

After the installation program installs the files on your system, the main page
of the wizard reappears with Step 3 highlighted. The display of the configu-
ration page starts the Instance Manager to configure an instance of the
database server. The pages in this part of the program allow you to set
specific configuration parameters.

If you choose, you can cancel the installation program at this time and use the
Instance Manager to configure a database server at a later time.

Specifying the Database Server Number

The Server Number page enables you to specify a number that uniquely
identifies a database server if many instances of the database server are
installed. If only one database server is present, you can set this number to 0.

Naming the Database Server

On the Server Name page, you are required to specify a name for the
database server that you are configuring. You specify a default value in most
cases. When a client application connects to a database server, the client
application must specify its database server name.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 13

Configuring the Database Server

Tip: Database server names must begin with a letter and can only contain letters,
numbers, and the underscore character.

Specifying Protocol Parameters

For the TCP/IP network protocol, specify the service name and port number.
If only one server instance exists on the computer, the installation program
provides a default value. Informix recommends that you use this default
value. For subsequent instances, you must provide a separate value.

Specifying the Dbspace Name

The installation program creates an additional dbspace along with the root
dbspace. You can use the Dbspace Name page to specify the name of the
additional dbspace.

Specifying the Dbspace Location and Size

Use the Dbspace Location and Size page to specify the directory location
and the size of the dbspace where the database server can be installed. The
installation program creates the root dbspace in the same directory where the
additional dbspace is created.

Specifying Tape Devices

The installation program does not prompt you to enter information about the
tape devices you will use. Instead this task is part of setting up Informix
Storage Manager. If you have not installed Informix Storage Manager, you
must set the parameters for tape devices manually.

Establishing the Informix User Password

To launch the database server as a service, you must supply a password for
the informix user account. On the Informix User Password page, type a
password in the Password and Confirm Password text boxes.

14 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Configuring the Database Server

Specifying the Computer for Shared Server Definition

Use the Shared Server Definition page to specify the computer to use for
shared server definition for your database server and administrative tools.
Enter a value in the Computer box and click Finish. The installation program
now installs services on the computer.

Completing the Installation

When you click Finish on the Shared Server Definition page, the installation
program configures the database server. If you configure a new instance of
the database server, the installation program asks you whether the database
server is to be initialized. If you specify that the database server is to be
initialized now, the installation program initializes the configuration.
Figure 2 shows the message box where the program asks the user whether
the configured database server is to be initialized now.
Figure 2
Ready for
Informix Dynamic Server has now been fully configured. Initialization
Would you like to initialize it now? That might take a few minutes. Message Box

Yes No

To initialize the database server and root dbspace, click Yes. If you click No,
you must manually initialize the database server. In addition, the second
dbspace cannot be created. Using the administrative tools, you must create
this dbspace manually after the database server is initialized. For more infor-
mation on manual initialization of the database server, see “Starting the
Database Server” on page 17.

After you make a selection in the message box, you receive a message that
indicates that the database server was installed successfully.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 15

The Informix Menu

The Informix Menu

After the database server is successfully installed, you can select various
items related to the database server from the Informix menu. Click
Start➞Programs➞Informix Admin Tools to access the Informix menu. The
following table describes the items related to the database server that you can
select from this menu.

Menu Item Description

server-name A one server-name menu item exists for each database

server that is configured. Each item opens an MS-DOS
command-line window that enables you to run
command-line utilities such as onstat, oncheck, and
onspaces. For more information about command-line
utilities, refer to your Administrator’s Guide.

Documentation Notes This item describes features that are not covered in
database server manuals or that have been modified
since publication. Read the contents of this file before
you use the database server.

Instance Manager This item configures new server instances. You can also
use this item to remove configured server instances and
the databases associated with those instances.

Release Notes This item describes feature differences from earlier

versions of Informix products and how these differ-
ences might affect current products. This file also
contains information about any known problems and
their workarounds. Read the contents of this file before
you use the database server.

Uninstall Server This item allows you to remove the database server
from your system.

16 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Starting and Stopping the Database Server

Starting and Stopping the Database Server

This section describes how to start the database server and set up the
database server to start automatically when Windows NT is launched. In
addition, this section describes how to stop the database server.

Starting the Database Server

Refer to the following steps to start the database server as a service. The
database server automatically starts the database server Message Server
service to write to the Windows NT event log.

Warning: If you start the database server with the -iy parameters after you have
already initialized it, the database server overwrites the existing root dbspace unless
you have first changed the ROOTPATH parameter in the onconfig file. If the database
server overwrites the existing root dbspace, it destroys the information that the root
dbspace contains, including information about any databases that you have created.
Consequently, you must then restore information from archive and backup tapes.

To start the database server

1. Access the Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Services icon.
3. Select Informix Dynamic Server (server_name) from the Service list
box.
4. Click Start.

If you did not initialize the database server and the root dbspace when you
installed the database server, you must use the following steps.

To initialize and start the database server

1. Access the Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Services icon.
3. Select Informix Dynamic Server from the Service list box.
4. In the Startup Parameters text box, enter -iy.
When you specify these parameters, the database server creates and
initializes the root dbspace.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 17

Stopping the Database Server

5. Click Start.

Automatically Starting the Database Server

You can also set up the database server to start automatically when
Windows NT is launched.

To set up the database server to start automatically

1. Access the Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Services icon.
3. Select Informix Dynamic Server (server_name) from Service list box.
4. Click Startup and click Automatic in the Service dialog box.
5. Click OK.
6. Verify that the Startup Parameters text box is empty.
7. Click Start.

Stopping the Database Server

To stop the database server, use one of the following options:

■ Services in the Windows NT Control Panel

■ The onmode utility

To stop the database server using Services in the Windows NT Control Panel

1. Access the Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Services icon to display the Service list box.
3. Select Informix Dynamic Server from the Service list box.
4. Click Stop.

To stop the database server with the onmode utility

1. From the Informix menu, double-click Command Shell to display

the command shell window.
2. At the command-line prompt, type:
onmode -ky

18 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Uninstalling the Database Server

Uninstalling the Database Server

You can remove the database server from your system with the uninstall
program. To launch the program, double-click the Uninstall icon in the
Informix Administration Tools menu. The dialog box that appears allows
you to specify whether you want to remove everything or just the program
files.

To remove the program files and preserve the configuration of the database
server, leave the check box unchecked. This option is the default. When you
click OK, the uninstall program removes all product files, empty directories,
and product icons except the Uninstall icon.

To remove everything, check the Remove configuration check box. When

you click OK, the uninstall program removes the program files and all
database server configuration files, such as the root dbspace, the onconfig
file, and the sqlhosts registry.

If you just want to remove a specific database server instance, you can run the
Instance Manager and select a specific instance to remove.

If you upgraded from a Version 7.2x database server, the uninstall program
also gives you the option of reverting to the earlier version of the database
server. In this case the configuration information is reverted to a form that the
installation program for the specified version can use.

When you choose to revert to an earlier version of the database server, only
the sqlhosts registry is reverted. Before you invoke the uninstall, you need to
use the -b option of the onmode utility. For more information, see the
Informix Migration Guide.

The uninstall program reverts only one instance of the database server. If
multiple instances of the database server are configured, the program asks
the user to remove all other instances of this version of the database server,
except for one. Reinstall the product again to get the previous version.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 19

Reinstalling the Database Server

Reinstalling the Database Server

If an earlier version of the database server is already installed, the installation
program proceeds only if you select an upgrade. If you want a fresh install of
the database server, you must first uninstall the previous version completely.

Silent Install
The section “Installing the Database Server” on page 5 describes the normal
mode of executing the installation program. In this mode the installation
program presents dialog boxes and messages to the user, and the user
supplies the information that the dialog boxes prompt for. As explained in
“Launching the Database Server Installation Program” on page 6, you can
enter one of the following commands to start the installation program in
normal mode:
X:\install.exe

X:\install.exe normal

In these commands X is the drive or shared volume on which the software CD

is mounted.

You can optionally perform a silent installation of the database server or the
other products listed in “Launching the Database Server Installation
Program” on page 6. When you perform a silent installation, you do not have
any interaction with the installation program. The installation program does
not prompt you for any information or display any messages during the
entire installation process. Instead the installation program uses the values
from a pre-existing playback file to control the installation process.

To enable a silent installation of the database server, you must first run the
installation program in record mode. You or other users can then run the
installation program in playback mode. A silent installation is an execution
of the installation program in playback mode. The following sections explain
the record and playback modes.

20 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Record Mode

Record Mode
When you run the installation program in record mode, the program behaves
the same as in normal mode in that it prompts the user for input through a
series of dialog boxes. However, in record mode the program makes a
recording (a playback file) of the user’s responses and selections.

A system administrator can copy this playback file to a shared drive acces-
sible to all workstations and then use this file to repeat the same installation
on multiple workstations with no need for user interaction. The system
administrator can also choose to edit the playback file, for example, to modify
the install for different groups of workstations.

To start the installation program in record mode, enter the following

command:
X:\install.exe record, playback-directory

In this command, the playback-directory parameter specifies the full path to the
directory where the playback file is to be stored. The filename is always
playback.ini and should not be included in the path specification. If you do
not specify a value for playback-directory, the parameter defaults to the $TEMP
directory on the target computer.

Playback Mode
After the system administrator has run the installation program in record
mode to create the playback.ini file, the administrator or other users can run
the installation program in playback mode to perform a silent installation. In
playback mode the installation program does not display any user interface
at all. Instead the installation program copies the playback.ini file from the
specified directory and uses the values in this file to repeat the original
installation.

In playback mode the installation program still performs all the validation
and error checking that are normally performed on user input. Any errors
that the program encounters are recorded in a log file, iinstall.log, that is
created in the $TEMP directory on the target computer. All errors cause the
installation program to exit when it is running in playback mode.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 21

Parameters Required in the Playback File

To start the installation program in playback mode, enter the following

command:
x:\install.exe playback, playback-directory, serial-number, key

In this command, the playback-directory parameter specifies the full path to the
directory where the playback file has been stored. The filename is always
playback.ini and should not be included in the path specification. If you do
not specify a value for playback-directory, the parameter defaults to the $TEMP
directory on the target computer. The serial-number parameter specifies the
user’s serial number, and the key parameter specifies the user’s serial-number
key.

Parameters Required in the Playback File

Running the installation program in record mode captures the necessary
information for silent installation of most supported products, but it does not
capture all the necessary information for silent installation of the database
server. Instead, after creating the playback.ini file in record mode, you must
edit the file manually to add the required parameter values for database
server installation. Then you can perform a successful silent installation of
the database server.

The following tables show the parameters for which values must be present
in the playback.ini file. These parameters are grouped into three sections: a
bundle_common section, a server install section, and a server instance
section. Running the installation program in record mode captures most of
the values in the bundle_common section automatically. However, you must
add the server install values and the server instance values manually
to the playback.ini file.

Bundle_Common Parameters
Bundle_common parameters are not specific to the database server instal-
lation, but they are necessary for silent install of the database server. If the
user has already run the installation in record mode, the bundle_common
parameters will already have values and need not be edited.

22 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Bundle_Common Parameters

However, you can edit the bundle_common values if you wish. For example,
if you replace the value in the Name field with a blank, the installation
program does not change a pre-existing value in the registry. That is, if the
system administrator runs the install in record mode and enters a name in the
Name field, this name is recorded in the playback file. On all computers
where the administrator runs the playback, this name overwrites any pre-
existing name in the registry. However, if the administrator edits the
playback file and removes the name, the installation program retains pre-
existing values.

The following table lists the minimum set of bundle_common parameters that
must be present in the playback.ini file and explains the values for each
parameter.

Parameter Description

Serial_No The serial number value for an installation. This field is blank in the
playback file. Users must supply the serial number on the command
line when they run the installation program in playback mode.

Key The key value for an installation. This field is blank in the playback
file. Users must supply the key value on the command line when they
run the installation program in playback mode.

Name Name of the person performing the install

Company Your company

Title Your job title

Address_1 First line of your street address

Address_2 Second line of your street address

City Your city

State Your state

Zip Your zip code

Country Your country

Phone Your telephone number

(1 of 2)

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 23

Server Install Parameters

Parameter Description

Fax Your fax number

E-mail Your Internet address

Install_Dir The directory where the product files are to be installed

(2 of 2)

Server Install Parameters

The values in the Server Install section of the playback.ini file specify how
the database server is to be installed. The following minimum set of param-
eters in this section is necessary for copying files over in a database server
install.

Parameter Description

Typical If you specify a value of 1, the database server is installed as

a typical install. If you do not specify any value, the default
value is1. You cannot specify both the Typical and Minimal
parameters as having a value of 1.

Minimal If you specify a value of 1, the program performs a minimal

install. You cannot specify both the Typical and Minimal
parameters as having a value of 1.

Shutdown_Services If you specify a value of 1, the services that need to be shut

down for the install to proceed are shut down. These
services include the database server (if it is being upgraded)
and other services like OnSNMP. If you specify any value
other than 1, services are not shut down. However, if you
specify a value other than 1, and some of the services are
busy using the files that need to be upgraded, the install may
not be completed properly.
(1 of 3)

24 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Server Install Parameters

Parameter Description

Upgrade If you specify a value of 1, and the installation program

detects an existing version, the existing version is upgraded.
If you specify a value of 0, and the installation program
detects an existing version, the database server is not
installed. If you do not specify any value, your installation
defaults to an install in a different directory. Because co-
existence with previous versions is not supported in this
release, an unspecified value implies a value of 0.

Reinstall The Reinstall parameter is similar to the Upgrade parameter.

However, you can install the same version again.

Domain_Install If you specify a value of 1, the user groups are created in a

domain. If you do not specify a value of 1, all of the user
accounts and groups that are created reside in the local
computer. However, enabling domain install requires that
the person performing the install have domain
administrator privileges. This parameter is ignored if the
person performing the install cannot install in a domain.

Role_Separation If you specify a value of 1, role separation is enabled. If you

specify any other value than 1, role separation is not
enabled. If you are installing Dynamic Server, Workgroup
and Developer Editions, the installation ignores this
parameter and always uses a value of 0.

IXDBSA_Group This parameter specifies the name of the IXDBSA group. This
group is to be used for checking if the user belongs to the
IXDBSA group. The group is created in the domain if the user
selected domain install. Otherwise the group is local. The
group is used only if role separation is enabled. Unless you
require a specific group name, it is easier to use the default
value.

IXDBSSO_Group This parameter specifies the name of the IXDBSSO group.

This group is to be used for checking if the user belongs to
the IXDBSSO group. The group is created in the domain if the
user selected domain install. Otherwise the group is local.
The group is used only if role separation is enabled. Unless
you require a specific group name, it is easier to use the
default value.
(2 of 3)

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 25

Server Install Parameters

Parameter Description

IXAAO_Group This parameter specifies the name of the IXAAO group. This
group is to be used for checking if the user belongs to the
IXAAO group. The group is created in the domain if the user
selected domain install. Otherwise the group is local. The
group is used only if role separation is enabled. Unless you
require a specific group name, it is easier to use the default
value.

IXUSERS_Group This parameter specifies the name of the IXUSERS group.

This group is to be used for checking if the user belongs to
the IXUSERS group. The group is created in the domain if the
user selected domain install. Otherwise the group is local.
The group is used only if role separation is enabled. Unless
you require a specific group name, it is easier to use the
default value.

DBSSO_User This parameter specifies the name of the Security

Administrator.

DBSSO_Passwd This parameter specifies the password of the Security

Administrator.

AAO_User This parameter specifies the name of the Auditing

Administrator.

AAO_Passwd This parameter specifies the password of the Auditing

Administrator.

Account_Passwd This parameter specifies the password for the informix user.

Configure_Instance This parameter specifies whether a new instance of the

database server is to be created. If you specify a value of 0,
an instance is not configured in the case of a fresh install. If
you are performing a reinstall, this parameter determines
whether the existing configuration information is used, or
whether a new instance of the database server is to be
configured after deleting the existing instance.

Create_Icons This parameter specifies whether icons need to be created

for the installed programs. If you specify a value of 0, you
disable icon creation.
(3 of 3)

26 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Server Instance Parameters

Server Instance Parameters

The Server Instance section of the playback.ini file specifies parameters
that are needed to configure a particular instance of the database server. The
installation program uses these parameters only in the case of a fresh install.
If the install is an upgrade or you are reinstalling without reconfiguring, the
installation program uses all of the existing information.The following
minimum set of parameters in this section is necessary for configuring a
particular instance in a database server install.

Parameter Description

DBSERVERNAME This parameter specifies the name of the database server.

This value can be defaulted. However, the default name
might not be acceptable to the user in all cases. If you want
to assign a specific name, it is better to provide a name here.
The server name cannot be changed after it is installed. The
default name has the form ol_computer-name.

SERVERNUM This parameter sets the corresponding parameter in the

onconfig file. The onconfig file contains the configuration
parameters for the database server. The server number
needs to be unique across all instances of the database
server that is configured on the computer. You can default
this parameter only for the first instance that you are
configuring. You should make the value as small as
possible.

SQLHOSTS This parameter specifies the computer where the sqlhosts

registry is located. The default is the computer where the
installation takes place.

Storage_Name This parameter specifies the name of the additional

dbspace that is created. By default, this name is the same as
the database server name in the DBSERVERNAME
parameter.

Primary_Location This parameter specifies the drive on which the root

dbspace and the additional dbspace are created. This
parameter can be defaulted. In that case, the dbspace is
created on the same drive as the install directory.
(1 of 2)

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 27

Server Instance Parameters

Parameter Description

Mirror_Location This parameter specifies the drive where the mirror

dbspaces are created, if mirroring is enabled. This
parameter can be defaulted. If the value is just a dash (-),
mirroring is not enabled.

Storage_Size This parameter specifies the size of the additional dbspace

(in kilobytes). If you do not specify a value, a default value
is used.

Initialize_Server This parameter specifies whether the database server is to

be initialized after its creation. If you specify a value of 1,
the program attempts to initialize the database server.
Otherwise you must perform the initialization manually. If
you do not specify a value, the default is 1.

Service_Start_Auto This parameter specifies how the database server is to be

started. If you specify a value of 1, the database server is set
up to start automatically on reboot. If you do not specify a
value of 1, you must start the database server manually.

Server_Proto This parameter specifies the network protocol parameters

for the database server. The protocol field names the
protocol to be used. Normally, you use the olsoctp
protocol. The service name field specifies the name of the
TCP/IP service that will be used to access the database
server. The port number field specifies the TCP port
number to be used for the service name. You can default
this parameter only when no other instance of the database
server is configured. In this case the default value is olsoctp
turbo 1526.
(2 of 2)

28 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Remote Installation

Remote Installation
If you want to install the database server on a remote computer, use the
Microsoft SMS utility. For example, if you are logged on to a computer in Los
Angeles, you can use SMS to install the database server on a computer in New
York City.

Multiple Residency
The multiple residency feature allows multiple instances of the database
server to run on the same computer at the same time. Earlier versions of the
database server do not support multiple instances of the database server. For
this reason, earlier versions cannot coexist with the current version of the
database server.

If an earlier version of the database server is present, you must uninstall it

before you can install the current version. If you uninstalled an earlier
version of the database server but left configuration information intact, the
installation program uses that information to configure a new instance of the
database server.

The installation program copies the product files to the directory that the user
selected and configures one instance of the database server. Use the Instance
Manager program to create and manage further database server instances.

Instance Manager
Informix provides the Instance Manager program to help you manage
multiple instances of the database server. This program, named instmgr.exe,
provides the ability to add, delete, or modify database server instances. The
Instance Manager is a graphical user interface (GUI) program that is installed
in a group along with other database administration tools.

You must have administrative privileges on the database server in order to

use the Instance Manager program. However, local administrator privileges
are enough, even if the database server was installed for domain use.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 29

OnSNMP for Multiple Residency

When the Instance Manager program is invoked without an argument, it

displays a list of all database server instances that reside on the computer.
Users can use buttons to create a new instance or delete one of the existing
instances.

If you select the delete option, the currently selected instance in the list of
instances is deleted. However, this deletion only takes place if the Instance
Manager knows how to delete the instance for the version. If the Instance
Manager knows about the version, all information related to the instance is
deleted. This information includes the registry keys, services, associated
registry entries (for example, for OnSNMP), dbspaces, and the onconfig file.
The Instance Manager program does not display a wizard for deleting an
instance. Before deleting an instance, the Instance Manager stops the service
if it is currently running. None of the other services are stopped for removal
of an instance.

The Instance Manager displays a wizard if you choose to create a new

instance. This wizard collects all of the database server configuration param-
eters and configures the database server. The additional information that you
must supply for this version of the database server is the server number. This
number uniquely identifies the database server among the database server
instances. In addition, you must supply the network parameter. In the case of
the first database server instance, the server number and network parameter
can be defaulted.

OnSNMP for Multiple Residency

Informix does not provide a separate user interface for installing OnSNMP
(Simple Network Management Protocol). OnSNMP is installed in the
background. The executable files for OnSNMP are copied even if the OnSNMP
service is not running when the database server is installed. If the OnSNMP
service was not configured on the computer at the time of the installation, a
separate program, named inssnmp.exe, is provided for configuring OnSNMP
to operate with the database server.

The uninstall operation for OnSNMP does not require any user interaction
with the program. The OnSNMP product is automatically uninstalled when
the database server is uninstalled.

30 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Informix Storage Manager (ISM)

Informix Storage Manager (ISM)

Informix Storage Manager is the default storage manager for the installation
program. The installation program automatically copies the ISM executable
files to the computer. These executable files are installed on the same drive as
the database server installation.

Error Messages
This section presents an alphabetical list of common installation error
messages and warnings.
The database server name you entered is not valid. Please note
the following limitations: a database server name cannot
exceed 18 characters; it can only contain letters, numbers,
and underscores; and it must begin with a letter.

If the Database Server Name is not valid, this warning is displayed. Enter a
different name and note the limitations stated in the message.
The serial number and key you entered is not valid. Verify and
re-enter your serial number and key.

If the Serial Number or Key is not valid, this warning is displayed. Re-enter
the serial number and key.
The specified drive is not formatted with NTFS. Please enter
a new path.

If the drive specified in the Installation-Setup Options page is not formatted

with NTFS and Next is clicked, this warning is displayed. Select a drive that
is formatted with NTFS.
The supplied path is not valid. Please enter a new path.

If an invalid path is entered in the Installation-Setup Options page and Next

is clicked, this warning is displayed. Enter a different path.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 31

Error Messages

There is not enough disk space on the destination disk drive

drive_letter. It has number KBytes free while the product
requires number KBytes. Clear up some space or try another
destination drive.

If the drive specified in the Installation-Setup Options page does not have
enough free disk space and Next is clicked, this warning is displayed. Either
specify a different drive or delete unnecessary directories and files from the
original drive before you resume the installation process.
This installation of Informix Dynamic Server requires number
MB of free page file space. After you install this product,
increase your page file size to properly use your virtual
memory with this product.

If sufficient page file space (virtual memory) is not available for the instal-
lation, this warning is displayed. For information about how to increase the
size of your page file, refer to your Windows NT documentation.
This installation of Informix Dynamic Server requires number
MB of RAM. More memory must be available before you can install
Informix Dynamic Server.

If sufficient random access memory (RAM) is not available, this error is

displayed. Close all other open applications. If you still receive this message,
check that your system has at least 16 megabytes of RAM.
This product requires version 4.0 or greater of the Windows
NT operating system. You must update your operating system
before installation.

This product requires Windows NT, Version 4.0, or later. Update your
operating system if this error is displayed.
You do not appear to be an administrator. In order to run this
program, you must belong to the Administrators group on local
computer.

If you are not a member of the Administrators group on the local computer,
this error is displayed. Use the administrator account to log on or contact
your system administrator to add your user account to the Administrators
group.

32 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT

 Error Messages

Your password entries do not match. Please verify that your

password matches in the Password and Confirm Password text
boxes.

The passwords that you entered in the Password text box and the Confirm
text box do not match. Re-enter the passwords in both text boxes.
Your password is not valid. Please verify and re-enter your
password.

When the user account exists and the user clicks Next, the password is
verified. If the password is incorrect, this message is displayed. Re-enter the
password.

Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT 33

 Index

Index

Installation program
A main page 9
Administrative groups, reinstallation page 7
categories 12 starting
Administrators group, Windows in normal mode 6, 20
NT 3 in playback mode 21
Auditing administrator, entering in record mode 21
special account 12 upgrade page 7
Instance Manager, described 29
IXAAO, definition of 12
D IXDBSA, definition of 12
IXDSSO, definition of 12
Database server IXUSERS, definition of 12
naming 13
reinstalling 20
starting 17 L
stopping 18
uninstalling 19 Local installation 4
Domain installation 3

M
E Multiple residency 29
Error messages, list of 31 to 33

O
I OnSNMP protocol 30
Informix Storage Manager (ISM) 31
Informix user account
creating 5 P
entering user password 14 Privileges
Informix-Admin account, for domain administrators 4
creating 5 for local administrators 4
Installation
order for Informix products 2
requirements for 2
Installation directory, specifying 8
R
Remote installation 29
Role separation
auditing administrator 12
IXAAO 12
IXDBSA 12
IXDBSSO 12
IXUSERS 12
security administrator 12

S
Security administrator, entering
special account 12
Serial number, entering 8
Silent install 20

U
User account, informix 5

W
Warnings, list of 31 to 33

2 Installation Guide for Informix Dynamic Server on Windows NT