Welcome
Designing databases
The first step in creating a relational database is to construct a data model, which is a precise, complete definition of the data you want to store. After you prepare your data model, you must implement it as a database and tables. To implement your data model, you first select a data type for each column and then you create a database and tables and populate the tables with data. You can also implement fragmentation strategies and control access to your data.
Designing and Implementing a Database
These topics provide information to help you design, implement, and manage your HCL® Informix® databases. It includes data models that illustrate different approaches to database design and shows you how to use structured query language (SQL) to implement and manage your databases.
Object-relational databases
Create and use extended data types in Informix®
HCL Informix® data types
Extended data types
DataBlade® data types

HCL Informix® V15.0 documentation
Welcome to the documentation for HCL Informix® 15.0 and related client tools and products.
Product overview
HCL Informix® is a fast and scalable database server that manages traditional relational, object-relational, and dimensional databases. Its small footprint and self-managing capabilities are suited to embedded data-management solutions.
Installing
These topics describe how to install HCL Informix® database servers, client products, and DataBlade® modules.
Administering
In addition to administering the database server, you can tune performance, replicate data, and archive data.
Migrating and upgrading
You can upgrade to the 15.0 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.
Client APIs and tools
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of client APIs to develop applications for Informix database servers.
Embedding Informix®
When you embed HCL Informix®, you can use enterprise-class high-availability and high performance with embeddability features such as easy programmability, a small disk and memory footprint, and silent deployment.
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.
Data warehousing
In addition to designing and implementing Informix® dimensional databases, you can use tools to create data warehouse applications and optimize your data warehouse queries.
Designing databases
The first step in creating a relational database is to construct a data model, which is a precise, complete definition of the data you want to store. After you prepare your data model, you must implement it as a database and tables. To implement your data model, you first select a data type for each column and then you create a database and tables and populate the tables with data. You can also implement fragmentation strategies and control access to your data.
- Designing and Implementing a Database
  These topics provide information to help you design, implement, and manage your HCL® Informix® databases. It includes data models that illustrate different approaches to database design and shows you how to use structured query language (SQL) to implement and manage your databases.
  - Basics of database design and implementation
  - Managing databases
  - Object-relational databases
    - Create and use extended data types in Informix®
      - HCL Informix® data types
        Fundamental or atomic data types
        Predefined data types
        Other predefined data types
        Extended data types
        Complex data types
        User-defined data types
        A user-defined data type (UDT) is a data type that is not provided by the database server. You must provide all of the information that the database server requires to manage opaque data types or distinct data types.
        Distinct data types
        Opaque data types
        DataBlade® data types
      - Smart large objects
      - Complex data types
    - Type and table inheritance
    - Create and use user-defined casts
JSON compatibility
You can use the popular JSON-oriented query language created by MongoDB to interact with data stored in HCL Informix®.
Security
You can secure your Informix® database server and the data that is stored in your Informix databases. You can encrypt data, secure connections, control user privileges and access, and audit data security.
SQL programming
You can use the HCL Informix® implementation of the SQL language to develop applications for Informix database servers.
Troubleshooting HCL Informix®
Several troubleshooting techniques, tools, and resources are available for resolving problems that you encounter in your HCL Informix® database server environment.

DataBlade® data types

The diagram in Extended data types includes DataBlade® data types. A DataBlade® is a suite of user-defined data types and user-defined routines that provides tools for a specialized application. For example, different DataBlade® data types provide tools for managing images, video, and geographical information. Such applications often require opaque data types and other user-defined data types. For information about developing a DataBlade® module, see the HCL® Informix® DataBlade® API Programmer's Guide and the Informix® DataBlade® Developers Kit (DBDK). For information about the DataBlade® modules that IBM® provides, contact your customer representative.