Configuring an Informix database to support ArcSDE XML columns

ArcSDE XML columns require that you install either the Basic Text Search (BTS) or Excalibur Text Search (ETX) DataBlade module, which are available for IBM Informix Dynamic Server (IDS) version 9.4 and above.

Beginning with ArcSDE 10, geodatabases in Informix use ArcSDE XML columns in the geodatabase system tables. Therefore, you must install and register one of these modules in the Informix database.

Be aware that to enable text indexing and ArcIMS Metadata Services, you must register the Large Object Locator (LLD) and Text Descriptor (TXT) DataBlade modules in your Informix database prior to registering either the Excalibur Text Search DataBlade module or the Basic Text Search module.

For further information on installation and configuration of the Excalibur Text Search DataBlade module or Basic Text Search DataBlade module, please review that product's user guide and release notes.

Steps:

1. Install and register the Large Object Locator and Text Descriptor DataBlade modules in your Informix database.
2. Install and register either the Basic Text Search or Excalibur Text Search DataBlade module in your Informix database.
3. Once the necessary DataBlade modules are installed and registered in your database, text indexes are created anytime the SQL CREATE INDEX statement includes an etx value.

   For example:

   CREATE INDEX myxmldoc1 
   ON sde_xml_doc1 (xml_doc_val etx_clob_ops) 
   USING etx ( CHAR_SET='ISO',PHRASE_SUPPORT='MEDIUM' ) 
   IN mylsbspace

4. To perform text indexing and use an ArcIMS Metadata Service, configure these DBTUNE parameters: XML_IDX_FULLTEXT_TYPE, XML_IDX_FULLTEXT_PARAMS, and XML_IDX_FULLTEXT_STORAGE.

   The smart BLOB space that you specify for the XML_IDX_FULLTEXT_STORAGE parameter must be logged. If such a smart BLOB space does not exist, you must create one.

5. You can optionally specify storage information for the other XML configuration parameters. However, if you do not set values for the DATA_DICTIONARY parameters (XML_INDEX_TAGS_INDEX and XML_INDEX_TAGS_TABLE) prior to creating the ArcSDE geodatabase, the index tags table and index are created in the same DBspace as the geodatabase.
For a description of all the XML configuration parameters for geodatabases in Informix, see DBTUNE configuration parameters in Informix.

After everything is set up, you need to maintain the text index and text tag indexes.