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.
These topics describe how to use built-in database extensions and separately installed DataBlade® modules.
The Informix® TimeSeries Data User's Guide contains information to assist you in using the TimeSeries extension with HCL Informix.
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.
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.
The Informix® XML User's Guide includes information about using built-in functions for XML publishing with Informix.
The describes how to program applications to search data from moving objects in HCL Informix® databases using the spatiotemporal search extension.
Database administrators and applications developers use the Informix® TimeSeries solution to store and analyze time series data.
Specialized data types and system tables handle time series data.
This example shows how to create a TimeSeries data type, create a time series table, create a regular time series by running the TSCreate function, and load data into the time series through the Informix® TimeSeries Plug-in for Data Studio.
This example shows how to create, load, and query a time series that stores hertz data.
This example shows how to create, load, and query a time series that stores compressed numeric data.
These examples show how to create, load, and query a time series that stores JSON data.
A time series definition must include a calendar. A calendar includes a calendar pattern, which can be defined separately or within the calendar definition.You can create a calendar or choose a predefined calendar.
To create a column of type TimeSeries, you must first create a row subtype to represent the data held in each element of the time series.
After you create the TimeSeries subtype, use the CREATE TABLE statement to create a table with a column of that subtype.
Containers are created automatically when they are needed, in the same dbspaces in which the table is stored. If you want to store your time series data in other dbspaces, you can create containers. You can move containers between container pools. You must create containers if you want to replicate time series data with Enterprise Replication or create rolling window containers.
You can use several methods to create an instance of a time series, depending on whether there is existing data to load and, if so, the format of that data.
You can use several methods to load data into the time series. Some methods require you to create the time series instance before you load data.
You can improve the performance of loading and querying time series data with the following guidelines.
You can delete time series data to remove incorrect data or to remove old data.
You can insert, delete, and select packed data.
A virtual table provides a relational view of your time series data.
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 functions provide specialized methods of analyzing time series data for patterns or abnormalities.
You can use calendar pattern routines to manipulate calendar patterns.
You can use calendar routines to manipulate calendars.
You can use the time series Java™ class library to create and manage a time series from within Java applications or applets.
The time series application programming interface routines allow application programmers to directly access a time series datum.
Use the Web DataBlade® module to create web applications that incorporate data that is retrieved dynamically from the HCL Informix® database.
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.
To create a time series column: