7.2.1 How to Prepare the Nodes and Install the Informix Software

These are the high-level steps to prepare Sun Cluster nodes for Informix installation and install the Informix software:

• Choosing a location for the $INFORMIXDIR directories

• Creating the /etc/group and /etc/passwd file entries for Informix

• Installing the Informix software

Perform all steps described in this section on all Sun Cluster nodes.

Consult your Informix documentation before performing this procedure.

These are the detailed steps to prepare Sun Cluster nodes and install the Informix software.

1. Prepare the environment for Informix installation.

   Choose a location for the $INFORMIXDIR directories, on either a local or multihost disk.

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   Note -

   If you choose to install $INFORMIXDIR on a local disk, install it as a file system on its own disk, separate from the operating environment, if possible. This prevents Informix from being overwritten if the operating environment is reinstalled.

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2. On each node, create an entry for the informix group in the /etc/group file.

   The group normally is named informix. Verify that users root and informix are members of the informix group. For example:

   informix:*:520:root,informix

   While you can make the name service entries in a network name service (for example, NIS or NIS+) so that the information is available to Sun Cluster HA for Informix clients, you also should make entries in the local /etc files to eliminate dependency on the network name service.

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   Note -

   You must replicate this information on each cluster node.

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3. On each node, create an entry for the informix user (informix_id) group in the /etc/passwd file.

   This entry normally is named informix. For example:

   # useradd -u 135 -g informix -d /informix informix

4. Verify that the $INFORMIXDIR directory is owned by informix_id and is included in the informix group.

   # chown informix $INFORMIXDIR # chgrp informix $INFORMIXDIR

   If $INFORMIXDIR is a symbolic link to the Informix home directory, then use the following command:

   # chown informix $INFORMIXDIR # chgrp informix $INFORMIXDIR # chown -h $INFORMIXDIR # chgrp -h $INFORMIXDIR

5. Note the requirements for Informix installation.

   Informix binaries can be installed on either the local disks of the physical host or the multihost disks. See "7.1.1 Selecting an Install Location for Sun Cluster HA for Informix"," for more information.

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   Note -

   If you plan to install Informix software on the multihost disks, you first must start Sun Cluster and take ownership of the disk group. You also must install the INFORMIX_ESQL Embedded Languages Runtime Facility product in the /var/opt/informix file on all nodes running Sun Cluster HA for Informix by using the installesql command. See "7.2.2 Creating an Informix Database and Setting Up Sun Cluster HA for Informix"," for details.

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6. Install the Informix software.

   Log in as informix to ensure ownership of the entire directory before performing this step. If Informix is installed on a multihost disk, verify that the /var/opt/informix/bin directory is owned by Informix owner informix_id on all cluster nodes; this is not necessary if Informix is installed on the local disk.

   For complete instructions on installing Informix, refer to the Informix installation documentation.