Hi!
How is it possible to create a new instance of DataBase in a Sun/Unix machine?
Thank you!

By reading the fine documentation or ordering a consultant.

What a funny answer!
Thank you!

The answer is as funny as your question.

Yes, it is possible to create a new instance on a SUN
machine (make sure your licensing is not violated).

This is all described in the fine manual.
You can't expect a detailled answer that show's you how to
set up a new instance. Informix is not Microsoft. You can't
simply click on an icon and a new instance will be created
for you.

You are almost right!
I know that Informix is not Microsoft but i work always with Informix on Windows machines. In windows i know how to create a new instance, believe me!
In my firm there's another person who works with Informix on Sun machines but now he's in Paris, and i think that he's having a lot of fun!
Unfortunately a sun machine has had a fault in a disk, so i have had to duplicate an instance in another machine, trying to import the old instance in the new instance... I know how to do it, i have read a lot of books and manual, but it was my first time... I think that anybody can have a bit of fear doing a thing for the first time...
So i was looking for some help in the Informix forum but nobody has helped me. There's no problem! I have created a new instance in my Sun machine without creating problems to the other instances...

Have you ever used 'onmonitor' ?
It's the same, for INFORMIXSQLHOSTS
in Windows use as registry but in Sun use as text file

Hi
You can always setup a second instance.
Actually quite simple. Create a new ONCONFIG file, usually by copying the existing one to a new name. You MUST change the file/device for the ROOTPATH and/or ROOTOFFSET (and MIRRORPATH/MIRROROFFSET if you use it), the SERVERNUM, DBSERVERNAME, DBSERVERALIASES, MSGPATH (so each instance has its own logfile), LTAPEDEV if you intend to run ontape -c for both, DUMPDIR if you want to configure for core or shared memory dumps.

In the sqlhosts file add the new DBSERVERNAME and DBSERVERALIASES with different service/port names than the existing instance. If the service names are new add them with unique port numbers to /etc/hosts. (OH! If you have moved the physical log to a dbspace other than root in the original instance {a good idea BTW} then change PHYSDBS back to the ROOTNAME value until the instance is online and you have created the additional dbspace to house it.)

Now you are all set to set INFORMIXSERVER to the new DBSERVERNAME and ONCONFIG to the new onconfig filename and run oninit -i
Before that check env to confirm (TRIPLE CHECK THAT YOU ARE NOT POINTING TO YOUR EXISTING INSTANCE BEFORE YOU DO THIS!)

Be VERY careful when adding new chunks/dbspaces that they do not overlap disk space used by the other instance.

When u want to swicth between 2 instances just give
export INFORMIXSERVER = <servername>
export ONCONFIG =<onconfig filename>


Hope this helps you

Cheers
Kalpana pai