Have you been running into the limits of Image/SQL, such as dataset size or the number of items? This can be very frustrating. Fortunately, HP has been busy increasing the capabilities of Image/SQL of late, allowing for larger datasets and increasing various Database Limits. This first in a series of two articles outlines what the New Database Limits are and things to look out for when moving to this new version of Image.

Starting with MPE/iX 6.5 Express 2, a new version of Image C.09.02 is available. This version has increased Database limits.

The new increased Database limits are:

New TurboImageLimits
Limit Changed	Old Limit	New Limit
Number of Items	1023	1200
Number of Sets	199	240
Number of Paths for Master	16	64

The Number of Paths for Master is the number of paths from a master into any number of detail datasets. For you bits-and-byte types, this means changes to the buffer sizes for dbinfo calls for modes, 103,203, 203 and 301.

You can enable a flag in dbutil to cause dbinfo calls to these modes to fail if you go beyond the old limits and before you have had time to insure all your third-party tools or your code can support these new increased limits. Here is how you enable the flag in an Image/SQL database and what happens with Suprtool if you try to access an expanded database with the flag set.

/dbutil
HP30391C.09.00 TurboIMAGE/XL:  DBUTIL (C) COPYRIGHT HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY 1987

>>enable d200 for oldinfolimits

  OLDINFOLIMITS is enabled.
>>exit

/suprtool

SUPRTOOL/iX/Copyright Robelle Solutions Technology Inc. 1981-2000.
(Version 4.3.03 Internal)  FRI, DEC  8, 2000, 11:25 AM  Type H for help.
>base d200
Database password [;]?

>form sets

Error:  An IMAGE call failed while trying to describe sets

TURBOIMAGE ERROR AT $001ef724; RETURN STATUS = -270
DBINFO, MODE 203, ON D200.NEIL.ROBDEV
Data returned by DBINFO may overrun the buffer of the application.

Suprtool pre-release version 4.3.03 supports these new limits in TurboImage. HowMessy version 2.7.03 also supports these new limits which will be included with a Suprtool pre-release tape. These versions will be released before Christmas.

If you intend to make use of these new limits, you will need to order this pre-release of Suprtool (4.3.03).

If you get the new version of Image on Express 2 and do not go beyond any of the old limits, Suprtool should work as before.

However, if you use an older version of HowMessy (pre-2.7.03) to access a database that goes beyond the old limits the results will be unpredictable. We do not recommend using these new features in Image without getting the latest releases of software from Robelle.

When you are interested in taking advantage of any of these new Image/SQL limits, please give us a call at 1-888-robelle or drop us an e-mail at support@robelle.com, so we can provide you with a new version of Suprtool.

Stay tuned to learn about the new expanded dataset capacity in Image with root file version C6. [Update: 2nd part of article published on December 28, 2000.]

neil.armstrong@robelle.com
December 8, 2000