IBM is offering user based and processor based license models for the Informix Database Server. Licensing types have been changed over the years and will be flexible in the future, too. This process reflects the technical development as well as the strategy of the producer.

Actually available are the Authorized User Single Install (AUSI) – which represents the former Authorized User (AU) – and the Registered User (RU).

You license:

• a person known by name
• or a specific application
• who/which can access to a software
• by usage of unlimited concurrent connections
• independent from the fact if the person or application is active

Until 31.12.2017 proccessor based license models had been represented by the licensing metrics of Processor Value Unit (PVU) and Limited Use Socket (LUS). Since 2018 the LUS Option is not available any more.

You license:

• the used processor technology (vendor, brand, type of processor)
• the processor power described in Value Units (VU)
• the number of used processor sockets for Informix

Since Informix the release of v14.10 there is a new license metric called Virtual Processor Core (VPC). In contrast to the PVU metric every used core is calculated on a fixed price level. The capacity of the used processor does not matter. In most cases VPC is cheaper than PVU.

Important: if you run a typical Informix High Avilability Cluster (eg High Availability Data Replication) consisting of two cluster nodes at minimum and assuring a failover in case of an emergency, you do not need to license the second cluster node extra! Only if you access to the second cluster node during the normal service you need to buy Informix licenses extra. Type and scope of required licenses can be different in this case.

This overview highlights the most important facts. For licensing details and specific opportunities in your individual environment please have a look at our chapter License Optimization or contact us directly using our contact information.

  Advanced Enterprise Edition

Includes Informix Enterprise Edition features, Informix Warehouse Accelerator (IWA) and the Storage Optimization feature + Cognos BI and SPSS. This edition represents the ultimate in data warehouse performance and scalability. This edition is available on 64-bit versions of AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux. The IWA component is available only for Intel based Linux. 

Important: only Informix versions 12.10 & 14.10 are supported

  Informix Enterprise Edition

Includes nearly all Informix features on all supported platforms (Linux, Unix, Windows, Mac) for deployment and distribution with unlimited scalability. The Informix Enterprise Edition includes full Flexible Grid and cluster capabilities. Storage compression (Storage Optimization Feature) is available as an optional feature liable for costs. Informix Warehouse Accelerator (IWA), Cognox BI and SPSS are not included. There are no restrictions in the hardware resources (RAM, sockets, cores).

Important: only Informix versions 12.10 & 14.10 are supported

  Workgroup Edition/Advanced Workgroup Edition

Provides powerful data management capabilities especially for midsized businesses, including unlimited replication cluster (ER) nodes and high availability options (HDR, RSS, SDS) up to 2 secon

daries. Informix Workgroup Edition is limited to 16 cores over a maximum of 4 sockets, and 16GB of memory. Informix Workgroup Edition allows unlimited data storage.

The Advanced Workgroup Edition is not available anymore since version 14.10 has been released in spring 2019. Built around the same Informix Warehouse Accelerator technology available with the the Informix Advanced Enterprise Edition, the Informix Advanced Workgroup Edition offering brings comparable performance and capabilities to the mid-market but offers no data compression. The IWA component is available only for Intel based Linux. The Growth Warehouse can be put on a machine that has up to 16 cores and 48 GB of RAM allowing customers the potential to accelerate data mart sizes up to 250 GB or sometimes a little more, depending on the compression obtained. Darta marts exceeding the size of 250 GB significantly needs the Advanced Enterprise Edition.

Important: only Informix versions 12.10 & 14.10 are supported

  Express Edition

Informix Express Edition is the entry level database management system for small and medium-sized companies. The Express Edition combines performance and reliability with simplicity in installation and handling. Informix Express Edition is liable for costs and offers value for money. Informix Express Edition is available on Linux, Unix, Windows and Mac plattforms. The usage of this edition is limited to max. 8 GB memory and max. 4 cores. Unlimited data. In version 14.10xC2 max. 16 GB memory and up to 8 cores are supported.

Important: only Informix versions 12.10 & 14.10 are supported

  Choice-Edition

The Informix Choice Edition was withdrawn from the market since Informix 12.10 has been released in March. It is not availble any more! Companies needing an entry database should select the enhanced Informix Express Edition which delivers comparable functionalities and very attractive pricing.  Informix Express Edition includes limited HA (HDR, SDS, RSS) and limited enterprise replication (2 root nodes).

  Innovator C-Edition

Innovator C-Edition is a free database downloadable for end customers only (no ISVs). It enables small businesses to use the most common database functionality in workgroup computing. It is limited to 1 core, 2GB RAM and 8 GB installed data. Can be installed in productive environments. Product support is optional and liable for costs ( IBM selected support).

  Developer Edition

A free database that includes all Informix features for individual application development and testing only (30 days). Available on several platforms. Informix Developer Edition is limited to 20 user, 1 core, 1 GB RAM and 8 GB installed data. Must not be installed in productive environments. It is available on a wide range of operating systems in 32- and 64-bit versions where appropriate. You can upgrade from the Developer Edition directly to any other edition simply by installing the new database binaries.

Overview about Informix versions: 

Informix Support Lifecycle

Are you sure that your actually used Informix database version is still supported by IBM? Possibly your Informix database is an "end of support" (eos) version which is not maintained any more. In this case necessary producer support could be very expensive for you. Below an overview about the "end of support" dates of common Informix database versions:

• IDS  7.30  -  3/2003
• IDS  7.31  -  9/2009
• IDS  9.21  -  6/2004
• IDS  9.40  -  3/2003
• IDS 10.00  -  9/2010
• IDS 11.10  -  9/2012 
• IDS 11.50  -  4/2018
• IDS 11.70  -  9/2020

If you are still using one or several of the above mentioned Informix versions, we recommend to make an update on a newer, still supported Informix version (IDS 12.10 or IFX 14.10) as soon as possible. You will safe costs and benefit from the advantages in the field of performance and security the newer releases offer to you.

If your currently used Informix version is not maintained any more you should purchase an actual Informix release in order to minmize financial risks and to profit from the new enhancements and functionalites of Informix.

If you are interested to update your Informix database we guide you informing you about the most attractive ways to license, purchase and configure the new Informix software which is most suitable for you.

Please contact us!

Additionally to the offered Informix Server products and the corresponding consultancy-, sizing- and maintenance services hamburg data offers the complete IBM software portfolio to you. The broad range of IBM software comprises tools and solutions for data processing and organization, for system management and system distribution, for data management, integration of applications and development tasks. In the following we would like to introduce you in short into the "brands" of IBM.

The database management system DB2 is distributed for various platforms. Actually there are offerings for IBM-Mainframes (z/OS), fort he operating systems Linux, Unix and Windows and for IBM Midrangesysteme. DB2 manages data in tables and store them in tablespaces. Besides standard SQL data types DB2 supports also text, tones, picutres, videos and XML data. To ensure best performance DB2 uses an optimizer.

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/db2/

Tivoli offers software for the management of information systems. Tivoli monitors server, distributes software and save data. Furthermore it enables release-, change- und storage management. One of the most important fields where Tivoli is used is the operational management (business automation, storage management, security).

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/tivoli/

Lotus Notes software brings social collaboration and business applications together within an easy to use integrated desktop experience, helping you discover, transform, and socialize content with colleagues. It helps keep you focused on your work, pivoting you to the collaboration tool you need at the moment.

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/lotus/products/notes/

Websphere offers various software for the integration of applications, infrastructure (eg transactions, queues) and comprises an integrated development environment.

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/websphere/

Please contact us!