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Migrating and upgrading
You can upgrade to the 14.10 release of HCL Informix® or migrate from other database servers to Informix. Upgrading is an in-place migration method that uses your existing hardware and operating system software. Some changes to the Informix database server can affect upgrading from a previous release.
Migrating Informix® database systems
The Informix® Migration Guide describes how to move data manually between databases, servers, and computers.
Data migration utilities
The dbload utility
The dbload utility loads data into databases or tables that Informix® products created. It transfers data from one or more text files into one or more existing tables.
Syntax of the dbload command
The dbload command loads data into databases or tables.
Rows to ignore during a load operation
The dbload -i option specifies the number of new-line characters in the input file that dbload ignores before dbload begins to process data.

Migrating and upgrading
You can upgrade to the 14.10 release of HCL Informix® or migrate from other database servers to Informix. Upgrading is an in-place migration method that uses your existing hardware and operating system software. Some changes to the Informix database server can affect upgrading from a previous release.
- Migrating Informix® database systems
  The Informix® Migration Guide describes how to move data manually between databases, servers, and computers.
  - Overview of migration
  - Migration to and reversion from 14.10
  - Migration of data between database servers
  - Data migration utilities
    - External tables
      External tables are a fast and versatile method for moving data between database servers. External tables are the fastest method for loading data into a RAW table with no indexes.
    - The dbexport and dbimport utilities
      The dbexport and dbimport utilities import and export a database and its schema to disk or tape.
    - The dbload utility
      The dbload utility loads data into databases or tables that Informix® products created. It transfers data from one or more text files into one or more existing tables.
      - Syntax of the dbload command
        The dbload command loads data into databases or tables.
        Table locking during a load operation
        The dbload -k option overrides the default table lock mode during the load operation. The -k option instructs dbload to lock the tables in exclusive mode rather than shared mode.
        Rows to ignore during a load operation
        The dbload -i option specifies the number of new-line characters in the input file that dbload ignores before dbload begins to process data.
        Bad-row limit during a load operation
        The dbload -e option lets you specify how many bad rows to allow before dbload terminates.
        Termination of the dbload utility
        If you press your Interrupt key, dbload terminates and discards any new rows that were inserted but not yet committed to the database (if the database has transactions).
        Name and object guidelines for the dbload utility
        You must follow guidelines for specifying network names and handling simple large objects, indexes, and delimited identifiers when you use the dbload utility.
      - Command file for the dbload utility
        Before you use the dbload utility, you must create a command file that names the input data files and the tables that receive the data. The command file maps fields from one or more input files into columns of one or more tables within your database.
      - Command file to load complex data types
        You can create dbload command files that load columns containing complex data types into tables.
    - The dbschema utility
      The dbschema utility displays the SQL statements (the schema) that are necessary to replicate database objects.
    - The LOAD and UNLOAD statements
      You can use the SQL LOAD and UNLOAD statements to move data. The LOAD statement is moderately fast and easy to use, but it only accepts specified data formats. You usually use the LOAD statement with data that is prepared with an UNLOAD statement.
    - The onunload and onload utilities
      The onunload and onload utilities provide the fastest way to move data between computers that use the same database server on the same platform.
    - The onmode utility reversion option
      You use the -b option of the onmode utility to revert to the older database server from which you converted.
    - The onrestorept utility
      You can use the onrestorept utility to restore the database server back to the state that it was in just before the start of the failed upgrade.

Rows to ignore during a load operation

The dbload -i option specifies the number of new-line characters in the input file that dbload ignores before dbload begins to process data.

This option is useful if your most recent dbload session ended prematurely.

For example, if dbload ends after it inserts 240 lines of input, you can begin to load again at line 241 if you set number rows ignore to 240.

The -i option is also useful if header information in the input file precedes the data records.