Home
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®.
Creating extensionsYou 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.
Virtual-Index Interface GuideThe Informix® Virtual-Index Interface Programmer's Guide explains how to create a secondary access method with the Virtual-Index Interface (VII) to extend the built-in indexing schemes of HCL Informix® typically with a DataBlade® module.
Develop an access methodThese topics describe the steps that you take to implement a user-defined access method with the Virtual-Index Interface (VII).
Testing the access methodTo test the access method, take the same actions that users of the access method take to create and access virtual data.
Create and specify storage spacesA storage space is a physical area where the table data is stored. To test how the access method builds new indexes, you create a new physical storage space before you create the index.
Testing the access method with an sbspaceAn sbspace holds smart large objects for the database server. This space is physically included in the database server configuration.
Specify the logical sbspace name

Specify the logical sbspace name

The following example creates a virtual index in the previously created vspace1:

CREATE INDEX ix1 ON tab1(col1)
   IN vspace1
   USING your_access_method

If you do not intend to specify an sbspace explicitly in the CREATE INDEX statement, specify a default sbspace.

The following example also creates a virtual index in the sbspace that SBSPACENAME specifies:

CREATE INDEX ix1 ON tab1(col1)
   USING your_access_method

Rate this topic

5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star

Comment on this topic.

By clicking this box, you acknowledge that you are NOT a U.S. Federal Government employee or agency, nor are you submitting information with respect to or on behalf of one. HCL provides software and services to U.S. Federal Government customers through its partners immixGroup, Inc. Contact this team at https://hcltechsw.com/resources/us-government-contact. Do not include any personal data in this Comment box.