Re: how to find instances on server ??

"Norman Dunbar" <Norman.Dunbar_at_lfs.co.uk> wrote in message news:E2F6A70FE45242488C865C3BC1245DA703B98DD7_at_lnewton.leeds.lfs.co.uk...
> Morning Paul,
>
> IDMS eh, lovely hierarchical database that one. They did have a
> 'relational' version for a while (IDMS(R)) but it wasn't a proper
> relational.
>
> IDMS(X) was my first ever database, well, after the one I wrote in ZX
> Basic on a 1 KB (yes KB) Sinclair ZX-81 to catalogue my record
> collection, running on ICL mainframes. I actually liked it as a DB.
>
> This Oracle stuff is way better though.
>
> I never did get my records catalogued, by the time I'd loaded the
> database software there was no bleeding memory left to store more than
> about 5 rows. Ah well, I was young and stupid in those days.
>
> Cheers,
> Norm.
>
> -------------------------------------
> Norman Dunbar
> Database/Unix administrator
> Lynx Financial Systems Ltd.
> mailto:Norman.Dunbar_at_LFS.co.uk
> Tel: 0113 289 6265
> Fax: 0113 289 3146
> URL: http://www.Lynx-FS.com
> -------------------------------------
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Brewer [mailto:paul_at_paul.brewers.org.uk]
> Posted At: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 8:44 PM
> Posted To: server
> Conversation: how to find instances on server ??
> Subject: Re: how to find instances on server ??
>
>
> "Brian Peasland" <oracle_dba_at_remove_spam.peasland.com> wrote in message
> news:3ED3D46A.9E7E58B6_at_remove_spam.peasland.com...
> > > If it's *ix, ps -ef|grep dbw
> > > If it's BG, Control Panel/Services
> > >
> > > Are there any other OSs out there these days? :-(
> >
> > There's always IBM mainframes
>
> Running Oracle? Wow! What version?
> We have a mainframe, but it doesn't run Oracle; it runs IDMS or some
> such.
>
> Regards,
> Paul
>

Norman,

Actually I'm finding it rather fun.

With our version, we are using a product from Computer Associates called 'IDMS Server'. As I understand it, it basically 'pretends' to be an ODBC driver, exposing the 'SQL Option'.

I use the good old 'Oracle ODBC Test' mini-app to select records, and you can join tables, though the syntax seems somewhat strange to a Codd disciple. I have used M$Access to link tables, and M$Excel to do queries. Works fine, as long as one is patient.

We have even fixed data problems on the mainframe with this; invalid 'dates' and so on (mainframe data is used in a number of areas to populate Oracle databases, and the mainframe app hasn't quite got the date routines sorted out yet...maybe another 20 years or so and the boys will have it nailed down). I was told a while back that the only way to fix mainframe data was to get someone to write a Cobol program, until a knowledgeable colleague suggested submitting an SQL statement inside a JCL script. These fixes might take 5 minutes to run instead of the 0.5 seconds they really ought, if written to use the hierarchical system properly, but at least they can be run the next day, rather than three months later when the necessary Cobol program has been provided.

Regards,
Paul Received on Thu May 29 2003 - 14:56:31 CDT