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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 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.

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.
    - 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.
      - Syntax of the onrestorept command
        The onrestorept command undoes changes made during a failed upgrade, restoring files to the state they were in when you shut down the server.

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.

The utility depends on these configuration parameters being set correctly before you attempt to upgrade the database server:

The CONVERSION_GUARD configuration parameter must be set to 1 or 2 (the default value) for data to be stored during an upgrade. If the conversion guard operations fail (for example, because the server has insufficient space to store the data that is captured during the upgrade), you cannot use the onrestorept utility.
The RESTORE_POINT_DIR configuration parameter must specify a directory where the conversion guard utility can store data files during the upgrade. Those files are needed to restore the database server to a consistent state after a failed upgrade. This directory must be empty before the upgrade starts. After a successful upgrade, the contents of the directory are automatically removed.

Important: Informix® must be offline when you run the onrestorept utility. Do not start the server until the utility finishes running. Executing the onrestorept utility when the server is online, or starting the server before the utility finishes running, can damage the database and requires you to restore the database server from a backup copy.

To start Enterprise Replication after the onrestorept utility restores the database server to a consistent state, you must use the cdr cleanstart command.