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Extending Informix®
Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
Informix® extensions and DataBlade® modules
These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
TimeSeries Data User's Guide
The Informix® TimeSeries Data User's Guide contains information to assist you in using the TimeSeries extension with HCL Informix.
Informix® TimeSeries solution
Database administrators and applications developers use the Informix® TimeSeries solution to store and analyze time series data.
Sample smart meter data
If you want to practice querying time series data before you define and load your time series, you can use the sample data in the stores_demo database.

Extending Informix®
Beyond standard relational database objects, HCL Informix® can be extended to handle specialized data types, access methods, routines, and other objects. Informix includes many built-in extensions that are fully integrated in the database server. Informix also provides DataBlade® modules, which are packages of extended database objects for a particular purpose and that are installed separately from the database server. Alternatively, you can create your own user-defined objects for Informix.
- Informix® extensions and DataBlade® modules
  These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
  - Database Extensions User's Guide
    The Informix® Database Extensions User's Guide explains how to use the database extensions that come with HCL Informix: Large Object Locator, MQ messaging, binary data types, basic text search, node data type, and SQL packages.
  - Performing XML Publishing
    The Informix® XML User's Guide includes information about using built-in functions for XML publishing with Informix.
  - Spatiotemporal Search for Moving Objects User's Guide
    The describes how to program applications to search data from moving objects in HCL Informix® databases using the spatiotemporal search extension.
  - TimeSeries Data User's Guide
    The Informix® TimeSeries Data User's Guide contains information to assist you in using the TimeSeries extension with HCL Informix.
    - Informix® TimeSeries solution
      Database administrators and applications developers use the Informix® TimeSeries solution to store and analyze time series data.
      - Informix® TimeSeries solution architecture
        The Informix® TimeSeries solution consists of built-in data types and routines. You can use other Informix tools to administer and load time series data.
      - Time series concepts
        A time series as implemented by the Informix® TimeSeries solution contains information about how the data is stored in the table column and information about valid data intervals and where the data is stored on disk.
      - Getting started with the Informix® TimeSeries solution
        Before you can create a time series, decide on the properties of the time series and where to store the time series data. After you create a time series, you load the data and query the data.
      - Hardware and software requirements for the TimeSeries solution
        Before you create a time series, ensure that you have the required hardware and software, a supported operating system, and that you understand the restrictions for SQL statements and data replication.
      - Sample smart meter data
        If you want to practice querying time series data before you define and load your time series, you can use the sample data in the stores_demo database.
      - Setting up stock data examples
        Set up the stock data examples. Use the sample queries and sample programs to practice handling time series data.
    - Data types and system tables
      Specialized data types and system tables handle time series data.
    - Create and manage a time series through SQL
      Before you can load time series data into the database, you must configure database objects specific to your time series. You can manage data storage and remove data as necessary. You can run SQL statements to create and manage time series.
    - Virtual tables for time series data
      A virtual table provides a relational view of your time series data.
    - Pattern matching searches
      You can search time series data for matches to a particular pattern of values. For example, after you identify a pattern of abnormal electricity usage that indicates an outage, you can search for matches to that pattern to find other outages. Pattern matching searches find matches to a pattern that you supply. Pattern matching searches do not discover patterns in time series data.
    - Advanced analytics
      Advanced analytics functions provide specialized methods of analyzing time series data for patterns or abnormalities.
    - Calendar pattern routines
      You can use calendar pattern routines to manipulate calendar patterns.
    - Calendar routines
      You can use calendar routines to manipulate calendars.
    - Time series SQL routines
    - Time series Java™ class library
      You can use the time series Java™ class library to create and manage a time series from within Java applications or applets.
    - Time series API routines
      The time series application programming interface routines allow application programmers to directly access a time series datum.
    - Appendixes
  - Web DataBlade Module
    Use the Web DataBlade® module to create web applications that incorporate data that is retrieved dynamically from the HCL Informix® database.
- Creating extensions
  You can create user-defined data types, routines, access methods, and other database objects to suit your needs. You can use application programming interfaces to write user-defined routines and applications that access data in Informix® databases.

Sample smart meter data

If you want to practice querying time series data before you define and load your time series, you can use the sample data in the stores_demo database.

The following tables in the stores_demo database contain time series data based on electricity usage data collected by smart meters:

Customer_ts_data: Contains customer numbers and location references.
ts_data: Contains location references and smart meter time series data.
ts_data_v: Contains the data in the ts_data table in relational format as a virtual table.

The time series data is stored in a container named raw_container.