A quick tour of setting up a geodatabase in Informix

Before you can create a geodatabase in an IBM Informix database management system (DBMS), you first install the Informix software, configure the DBMS, create a database, and register the Spatial DataBlade and other modules in it.

Configuring the DBMS involves setting up storage spaces for the tables, indexes, and files that are stored in the database instance and providing adequate memory allocation. You should give consideration to the names, types, and locations of tables, indexes, and storage spaces you create; how large to make your backup log files; and what size to make the temporary space. As the database administrator, you know the naming conventions used at your site as well as what type of configuration your site requires.

You must also decide in what language your data will be stored. If you want to set up your database to use languages other than the default language of the DBMS, you must configure your DBMS for that.

Once the database is ready, install ArcSDE. This gets you the files needed to create and configure the geodatabase in the Informix database.

See System requirements for ArcSDE for Informix to see the requirements to install ArcSDE.

The following are summaries of the steps you take to set up a geodatabase in Informix on various operating systems. These summaries contain links to more information for instructions specific to ArcSDE. For general Informix tasks, such as creating users, see your Informix documentation.

A summary of setting up a geodatabase in Informix on Linux or UNIX

1. Install the Informix IDS and configure it. See your Informix documentation for information on configuring the database.
2. Create an operating system account with the user name sde.
3. Add variable definitions to the sde user's shell file. See Setting variables for the sde OS user on Linux or UNIX.
4. Connect to the database and grant the RESOURCE privilege to user sde.
5. Create an Informix database. The database must be created as either logged or buffered logged.
6. Register Spatial DataBlade Module in the database.

7. Register either Informix Basic Text Search (BTS) or Excalibur Text Search (ETX) DataBlade Module in the database.

8. Install ArcSDE. See Installing ArcSDE for Informix on Linux or UNIX.
9. If you have installed ArcSDE on a server that is separate from the Informix DBMS, you must install the Informix SDK or IConnect application on the ArcSDE server. Be sure the client has CONNECT privileges to the database.
10. Set the ODBC driver connection by setting up the $INFORMIXDIR and adding the appropriate database server entry to the sqlhosts file in the $INFORMIXDIR/etc directory. See Setting up an ODBC data source for Informix on Linux or UNIX.
11. Add a new data source to the odbc.ini file, copy the template data source, then replace the placeholders with valid parameters.
12. Modify the files in the $SDEHOME/etc (including the dbtune.sde file) and UNIX/etc directories.
13. Run the sdesetup command to create the geodatabase and authorize it with an ArcGIS Server Enterprise license. See Creating a geodatabase in Informix on Linux or UNIX.
14. Run the sdemon command to start a service if you are using one. See Starting a local ArcSDE service on Linux or UNIX or Starting a remote ArcSDE service on UNIX for instructions.
15. Create other users and grant them permissions in the Informix DBMS.
16. For any client that will be making a direct connection to the geodatabase, you must install the Informix SDK or IConnect application and configure the ODBC driver connection.

A summary of setting up a geodatabase in Informix on Windows

1. Install the Informix IDS and configure it. See your Informix documentation for information on configuring the database.
2. Create an operating system account with the user name sde.
3. Create an Informix database. The database must be created as either logged or buffered logged.
4. Connect to the database and grant the RESOURCE privilege to user sde.
5. Register Spatial DataBlade Module in the database.

6. Register either Informix Basic Text Search or Excalibur Text Search DataBlade Module in the database.

7. Set up Informix's Setnet 32 application. See Setting up the Informix Setnet 32 application.
8. Set up the ODBC data sources. See Setting up an ODBC data source for Informix on Windows.
9. Install ArcSDE using the wizard. See Installing ArcSDE for Informix on Windows.
10. If you have installed ArcSDE on a server that is separate from the Informix DBMS, you must install the Informix SDK or IConnect application on the ArcSDE server.
11. Choose configuration files and run the ArcSDE for Informix Post Installation wizard or the sdesetup command to create a geodatabase.
    Note:

    You cannot use the Post Installation wizard if your ArcSDE installation is on a different server than the Informix DBMS.

12. Authorize the geodatabase with an ArcGIS Server Enterprise license using either the Post Installation wizard or the sdesetup command.
13. If you will use an ArcSDE service at your site, create and start a service using the Post Installation wizard.
14. Create other users and grant them permissions in the database.
15. For any client that will be making a direct connection to the geodatabase, you must install the Informix SDK or IConnect application and configure the ODBC driver connection.