Mark Scranton

Parallels 7 w/ MacLook and Coherence mod

markscranton — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:45:02 +0000

Parallels 7 w/ MacLook and Coherence mode is great! If you’re a mac user needing Windows apps, check it out. #Informix

GREAT to have SecureCRT available for th

markscranton — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:05:43 +0000

GREAT to have SecureCRT available for the Mac from Van Dyke Software. It has been and still is the best term emulator product! #Informix

XPS in IDS

markscranton — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:49:22 +0000

For years I practically begged to get some of the crucial XPS features ported to IDS. It did start at 11.5 I believe, including light scans on tables with varchars, and a great one – the ploader, and more. Finally at a client where I get to play with the ploader – you’ll know it as using external tables with a simple SQL-based interface. Gonna have a blast automating around it with some useful scripts.

Onsite at a large client … similar dat

markscranton — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:00:52 +0000

Onsite at a large client … similar databases. Oracle DBA’s = 7; Informix DBA’s = 1 (me). Getting 7X normal $$ rate – priceless. #Informix

Online 5 to Informix 11.5 … “big jump grandpa!”

markscranton — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:00:22 +0000

Having a blast bringing a small group of Online 5 users all the way up to Informix 11.5. Spent the week teaching my version of the IDS Sys Admin and DBA combo class. What an odd environment though – once the engine is setup, it won’t be changed most likely for years due to compliance w/ the FDA. One student said “we won’t upgrade until Informix 17 – since we only upgrade every 6 major releases!” It really has been different from a teaching point-of-view – the normal “and if you see [this], make sure you change ….” and then I’m reminded that changes won’t happen most likely. The engines are rather small, so it could be fine. But again – what a blast to teach again! Awesome.

If you can, you do. If you can do more, you teach.

markscranton — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:00:42 +0000

Finally inked a 1-week IDS class in mid-September that has been in the making for 2 years, believe it or not. Wrote the proposal with my previous company, and 2 years later the client responded asking for the class (through the old company – no, I didn’t poach it). Will be a blast to teach 11.5 (that was there specific version request) and the “new stuff.” It will also give me a great foundation for rev’ing the material for 11.7. Reading this? Need an intense yet fun week of IDS training? You know where to find me… www.markscranton.com of course.

Informix fun for me!

markscranton — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:55:04 +0000

Getting ready to start a 6-month Informix assignment. Ya … I’m all wound up! Should be a great time. Some remote, some onsite – incredible.

When it rains it pours (to be original)

markscranton — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:50:09 +0000

When it rains it pours (to be original) – 3 IFMX opptys on the table: 1 full-time, 2 contract, 2 in the US, 1 overseas. Excited! #Informix

Informix … and marketing.

markscranton — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:10:26 +0000

Odd times out there for Informix. IBM is currently doing an “11.7 Technical Roadshow” around the country. The Informix twitter account posts once or twice a day. The name “IDS” is now just “Informix”, and hasn’t included “DB2″ in the name for quite some time now. I don’t think it’s even “IBM Informix” anymore, but that depends on what page you visit on the IBM site, etc. I’ve been around the Informix world since 1995 – and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and of course, the ugly. What would I like to see now? The Informix community to recognize what is being done to promote the product. Is it enough? It depends on who you ask. But the gloom and doom chatter out there is getting real old in my opinion. To say “nothing is being done” is completely inaccurate, and seriously unfair to the core Informix crew at IBM that IS working hard to get the word out. Folks – “we” missed our window a long time ago. It started with our own “mini-Enron” long before the acquisition. Then it worsened with the “Gold Bundles” that were supposed to bring all the Informix clients over to DB2. But starting w/ IDS 10, we did a “World Tour” (where I was the technical speaker for the sales team across numerous countries – it about killed me. ), 3 major releases have come out since 10 (11.1, 11.5, and 11.7) and a brand new architecture in the Informix Warehouse Accelerator, and a number of huge features brought over from XPS.

So – am I sad, angry, or disturbed that our “Informix world” may never claim it’s deserved place in the industry – of course. I think I’m more angry that “we” won’t all be able to retire doing Informix work. But (to be original) it is what it is.

What confuses me the most are the “gloom and doom” advocates – don’t they realize that their constant negative comments and complaining on CDI and other places do not help, but actually promote the negative impression even faster? What part of that is confusing? Folks – all I want is accuracy, and not one-sided, “all negative” comments. If you have ideas for helping promote – send them on. And remember – you CAN prop up Informix with good work like “Case Studies”, “Success Stories”, and the like. And those of you that know me well – you KNOW I am always trying to be honest, up-front, direct, etc. So save the feedback that I don’t want ANY negative truths to be spoken. But man – to ONLY post negative stuff? That’s just hurting the cause of Informix overall. And like I said – it’s getting really old to hear the same complaints. I have been busy doing Informix work since 1995, and it hasn’t stopped yet. I doubt that I’ll do Informix work forever, sadly enough. But I’m going to enjoy the ride while it’s here.

Informix 4GL … and some say it’s “gone…”

markscranton — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:23:09 +0000

Received a call from a distributor asking if I did 4GL education, to which of course I said “sorry – I don’t.” Never really had a reason to learn it over all these years. I commented to him that “many people say it’s no longer around.” He laughed and said his company has a couple thousand clients still using it very strong. I agreed – I’ve seen a ton of job openings – both contract and permanent – for Informix 4GL folks. I think 4GL will end up like Cobol … everyone swears it’s gone, but those in the trenches see it all the time.