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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.
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.
Server and database requirements for time series data
To implement the HCL Informix® TimeSeries solution, the TimeSeries extension must be registered and the database must conform to requirements.

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.
        Installing the Informix® TimeSeries Plug-in for Data Studio
        The Informix® TimeSeries Plug-in for Data Studio is included with the database server installation. Install the TimeSeries plug-in by specifying its location from within Data Studio.
        Server and database requirements for time series data
        To implement the HCL Informix® TimeSeries solution, the TimeSeries extension must be registered and the database must conform to requirements.
        SQL restrictions for time series data
        Some SQL statements cannot operate on time series data.
        High availability and replication requirements and restrictions
        Time series global language support
        Time series data has limited support for non-default locales.
      - 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.

Server and database requirements for time series data

To implement the HCL Informix® TimeSeries solution, the TimeSeries extension must be registered and the database must conform to requirements.

Server requirements

The first time that you create a time series object, the TimeSeries extension is automatically registered. However, the Scheduler must be running in the database server for automatic registration. If the Scheduler is not running when you create the TimeSeries data type or run a time series routine, a message that the data type is not found or the routine cannot be resolved is returned.

Alternatively, you can manually register the TimeSeries extension before you create any time series objects. Set the value of the AUTOLOCATE environment option to 0 for the session and then run the SYSBldPrepare() function or BladeManager.

Database requirements

The database that contains the time series data must meet the following requirements:

The database must be logged.
The database must not be defined as an ANSI database.
Table and column names cannot be delimited identifiers. The DELIMIDENT environment variable must be not set or set to n.

If you attempt to create a TimeSeries data type or run a time series routine in an unlogged or ANSI database, the message DataBlade registration failed is printed in the online message log.