Checklist: Regular Activities (SAP Library - SAP Database Guide: Informix (BC-DB-INF-DBA))

Checklist: Regular Activities

Purpose

You need to regularly perform certain activities so that the Informix database functions optimally in productive operation.

Process Flow

Make sure you regularly perform the following activities:

Data recovery (that is, archive, backup and restore)

Note

Although you need to regularly perform archive ( ON-Archive and ontape ) or database backup ( ON-Bar ) and logical-log backup (all tools), you only need to perform a restore if a failure occurs in which data is lost or damaged. However, we strongly recommend that you test your restore procedures regularly.

For more information about how to perform the archives, database backups, and logical-log backups, see the following:

Developing Good Practice for Database Backup (ON-Bar)

Developing Good Practice for Archive (ON-Archive and ontape)

Developing Good Practice for Logical-Log Backup

If you need to alter your approach, change your schedule, add new volumes, and so on, see Checklist: Configuration and Setup.

To simplify database recovery if you are using ON-Archive , make sure that the recovery report is generated regularly (this happens automatically if correctly installed). Refer to Recovery Report with SAPDBA.

Space management

Make sure that you regularly monitor the space situation in the database. Refer to Database Growth Monitoring. When necessary, you need to carry out activities such as extending dbspaces (that is, adding chunks), reorganizing tables and indexes, and so on. You should use SAPDBA to do this.

Change server mode

The safest way to change server mode is to use SAPDBA. See Server Mode with SAPDBA.

Update statistics

To ensure top performance of the optimizer in the Informix Dynamic Server – and, therefore, top performance for your SQL applications – you should make sure that the statistics on the database data are regularly updated. You can perform this in one of the following ways:

Schedule the update automatically using the DBA Planning Calendar in the Computing Center Management System (CCMS) of the SAP System.

Execute the update interactively or from the command line using SAPDBA. Refer to Update Statistics with SAPDBA.

Database system check

To check the configuration and performance of your database, run the database system checks regularly. You can do this in either of the following ways:

Checking the DB System with SAPDBA

Running DB System Checks in CCMS (Informix)

You can also schedule the checks in the DBA Planning Calendar in CCMS. Refer to Checking the DB System in the DBA Planning Calendar (Informix).

Result

Your database is optimally set up. Therefore, problems during productive operation are minimized.