Pathname Format

Use a pathname_format variable to generate a pathname for a chunk when you create a dbslice for root dbspaces, mirrors for root dbspaces, physical-log dbspaces, and dbspaces for database tables, or add dbspaces to a dbslice.

When you create or alter a dbslice, you can use a pathname format. You can use the following embedded formatting characters for pathname formats:

%c
%n
%o
%r(first..last)

These embedded formatting characters have the following meanings:

%c

is a formatting character that is replaced with the coserver number of the coserver on which a dbspace is to be created. The coserver number is the value that you specified on the COSERVER configuration parameter for this coserver. If the number is less than 10, the number does not have a leading zero.

%n

is a formatting character that is replaced with the host name of the node for the coserver on which a dbspace is to be created. The host name is the value that you specified in the NODE configuration parameter for this coserver.

%o

is a formatting character that is replaced with the ordinal number of a dbspace within a dbslice.

When you create a dbslice from multiple dbspaces on each coserver, you can use the following embedded formatting characters for pathname formats:

%r(first..last)

are formatting characters that are replaced by integer values in the range that first and last specify to produce a list of coserver names.

For more details on the use of pathname formats and the onutil CREATE DBSLICE command, refer to CREATE DBSLICE. For information about what a dbslice is, refer to the chapter on where data is stored in the IBM Informix: Administrator's Guide.

You can also use the %c and %n formatting characters in the following situations:

• In conjunction with the ROOTSLICE configuration parameter

  To use a pathname format to create root dbspaces on multiple coservers, specify the pathname format in the ROOTPATH configuration parameter. For more information, refer to ROOTPATH.

• In the MIRRORPATH configuration parameter

  To use a pathname format to create mirrors for root dbspaces on multiple coservers, specify the pathname format in the MIRRORPATH configuration parameter. For more information, refer to MIRRORPATH.

• In conjunction with the PHYSSLICE configuration parameter

  To use a pathname format to assign dbspaces for physical logs on multiple coservers, specify the pathname format in the PHYSDBS configuration parameter. For more information, refer to PHYSDBS.

The xctl onstat -d command displays the generated value of the pathname format when you display dbspaces and chunks that are part of a dbslice. For more information about monitoring chunks, refer to monitoring the database server for disabling I/O errors in the chapter on managing disk space in the IBM Informix: Administrator's Guide.