Adding a server to the domain by cloning a server

You can add a replication server to an existing replication domain by using the ifxclone utility to clone an existing replication server onto a target database server.

Before you begin

Enterprise Replication must be active on the source server. The source server should not have any stopped or suspended replicates or any shadow replicates defined.

You must be user informix or member of the informix group to run the ifxclone utility.

HCL Informix® database software must be installed on the target server.

About this task

Cloning a server defines replication on the target server, copies the data, and adds the target server to all replicates in which the source server participates. The onconfig file and the sqlhosts file are copied from the source server to the target server and updated with the target server information.

Procedure

To clone a replication server by using the ifxclone utility:

On the source server, set the value of the ENABLE_SNAPSHOT_COPY configuration parameter to 1 in the onconfig file.
On the target server, create the following directories, if they exist on the source server. The directories must be the same on both servers:
- ATS and RIS directories
- Log staging directory
On the target server, synchronize the system clock with the source server.
On the target server, provision chunk paths and other storage to the same paths and at least the same sizes as on the source server. Ensure that the target server has at least as much memory and disk space resources as the source server. You can use the --createchunkfile option (-k) of the ifxclone utility to automatically create cooked chunks on the target server.
On the target server, run the ifxclone command.
You must provide the following information to the ifxclone utility:
- Source server name
- Source IP address
- Source port
- Target server name
- Target IP address
- Target port
Include the --disposition=ER option.
Optional: Include the --createchunkfile option.
If the source server replicates serial columns, use the --configParam option to set the value of the CDR_SERIAL configuration parameter to ensure that serial values do not conflict between replication servers.
The ifxclone utility has the following format for cloning a replication server:
```
ifxclone --source=source_name --sourceIP=source_IP 
--sourcePort=source_port --target=target_name
 --targetIP=target_IP --targetPort=target_port 
--disposition=ER --createchunkfile
```
On all other replication servers in the domain, edit the sqlhosts file to add entries for the new replication server.