[comp.databases] Informix OnLine ISQL error

peb@trac2000.ueci.com (Paul Begley) (05/23/91)

I have been losing my mind moving our database and applications from a
DEC 3100 to a SUN.  

Here are the particulars:

SUN IPC - 24 Meg, SunOS 4.1.1, configured per release notes
Informix OnLine 4.00 UH1
Informix SQL 4.00 UH1

Problem:

Loading SQL command file to create database and tables (300+) causes
Error 208 - Memory allocation failed during query processing.

I have tried several ways of running the SQL program, but always
encounter the Error 208.  Once I get the error I can't execute any
more SQL commands (ISQL fails, too...).  Exiting ISQL and reentering
allows me to run SQL commands again.

We have Informix support, they did not have any insight into the
problem, but discussed system configuration as a probable cause of the
problem.

HOWEVER, we performed this exact task a month earlier on a
SPARCStation 2 and OnLine just a month or two earlier without ANY
problems.  Go figure.

Anyone else encounter this problem?  I have tried tweeking both the
Informix config (increased tables and buffers) and the SUN IPC config
(System Performance Tuning - Nutshell Handbook is a great reference).
I also tried running as console rather than within OpenWindows to
reduce system overhead - again no luck.

aland@informix.com (Colonel Panic) (06/22/91)

In article <1024@trac2000.ueci.com> peb@trac2000.ueci.com (Paul Begley) writes:
>I have been losing my mind moving our database and applications from a
>DEC 3100 to a SUN.  
>
>Here are the particulars:
>
>SUN IPC - 24 Meg, SunOS 4.1.1, configured per release notes
>Informix OnLine 4.00 UH1
>Informix SQL 4.00 UH1
>
>Problem:
>
>Loading SQL command file to create database and tables (300+) causes
>Error 208 - Memory allocation failed during query processing.
>
>I have tried several ways of running the SQL program, but always
>encounter the Error 208.  Once I get the error I can't execute any
>more SQL commands (ISQL fails, too...).  Exiting ISQL and reentering
>allows me to run SQL commands again.
>...


It's a longshot, but try boosting SHMBASE to a higher starting address.
(SHMBASE is a tbconfig parameter that controls the shared memory
base address.)

The default is 1MB, e.g. 

SHMBASE         0x100000          # Shared memory base address

My workstation is an IPC with 12MB, and I was having some strange
problems on 4.10 until I boosted SHMBASE to 4MB:

SHMBASE         0x400000          # Shared memory base address

I'd suggest saving the current contents of tbconfig.std under another
name, then changing tbconfig.std plus your "real" tbconfig's SHMBASEs
to 0x400000, and see if that helps.


--
Alan Denney      aland@informix.com      {pyramid|uunet}!infmx!aland

"In the cafeteria just after lunch, (well, not *just* after, more like
 *during* lunch, about 12:28; say 12:30, give or take a few minutes),
 I leaned back in my chair (it was one of those aluminum chairs, good
 strength-to-weight, like titanium but not quite; but then of course
 titanium would be a bit of an overkill).  Anyway, I heard one of the
 girls talking about how boring she thought engineers could be."