Newsletter D 11/2023

Unser Sonderangebot zum Jahresende 2023

Kaufen Sie 1* IBExpert Day Edition mit 100 Aktivierungen für 12 Monate für 155 Euro und Sie erhalten 200 Aktivierungen für 12 Monate, wenn wir Ihre Bestellung bis zum 08.01.2024 erhalten.

Ihre Bestellungen schicken Sie bitte per E-Mail an sales@ibexpert.biz, Betreff: IBEDAY2024 und Sie erhalten unser Vorkasse-Rechnung als PDF-Datei.

Unser Büro bleibt am 25. und 26. Dezember 2023 sowie am 01. Januar 2024 geschlossen

Zwischen den Feiertagen (27.-29. Dezember 2023) sind wir, wie gewohnt, für Sie da.

Wir wünschen allen ein frohes Fest und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr.

Firebird 4.0.4 sub-release is available

The Firebird Project has announced the release of Firebird 4.0.4 — the latest point release in the Firebird 4.0 series.

This sub-release offers bug fixes as well as a few improvements, please refer to the Release Notes (PDF version here) for the full list of changes. Binary kits for Windows, Linux and Android platforms are immediately available for download.

Wir sind bei den Foren-Tagen in Kassel dabei!

Samstag, 14. Oktober 2023

Anmeldung hier: https://forentage.de/?page_id=849

Besuchen Sie uns auf unserem Stand und Sie bekommen ganz besondere Konditionen.

Wenn Sie verbindlich vor Ort eine IBExpert Developer Studio Edition, IBExpert Developer Studio Edition Software Subscription oder ein IBExpert Day Edition Paket bestellen, erhalten Sie einen Preisnachlass von 50%. 

Unsere Vorkasse-Rechnung versenden wir am Montag, 16.10.2023 per E-Mail als PDF Datei, Ihren Zahlungseingang erwarten wir bis spätestens Donnerstag, 19. Oktober 2023.

Besucher, die den Kauf über ihre Firma abwickeln müssen, erhalten auf Anfrage an unserem Stand ein Angebot mit 25% Preisnachlass. 

Unser schriftliches Angebot versenden wir am Montag, 16.10.2023 per E-Mail als PDF Datei. Ihre Bestellung muss innerhalb von 10 Tagen erfolgen, Zahlung per Vorkasse-Rechnung.

Vom Angebot ausgenommen sind die Company Year Edition, Enterprise Server Year Edition, die IBExpert Distribution OEM Edition, IBExpert Server Tools sowie alle IBExpert Dienstleistungen und Hardware Produkte.

IBExpert Replicator Enterprise IBER

The new IBExpert Replicator Enterprise is now ready!
Add real-time replication to any Firebird database without any downtime!

The new IBER solution will be installed in a remote session by an IBExpert engineer on a Windows or Linux machine (virtual or physical) in your network while your employees are working on the database. 

What do you need for this? We recommend installing the IBER on a virtual machine, so that in the event of a unrecoverable failure of your existing production server, making it impossible to use the database on that machine, you or our engineer can activate the replicated database as a new production database by running a single batch file.

The existing replication master server can be any Linux or Windows machine in your local network. We recommend a server, which will execute the IBExpert Benchmark with a least 100% in each category. If faster servers are needed, please consider our IFS Server Hardware.

The replication target server can be any physical or virtual machine also running Windows or Linux. 

It should be preinstalled with the same Firebird installation that is already used on your existing master server. If our help is needed and you are not sure how to copy such a configuration, our engineers can evaluate your master server installation and transfer the Firebird server to a second machine following a very brief out time.

The IBER virtual machine can run on a separate machine or also on your replication target server as a virtual machine. If you do not have any preferred VM system, we will deploy the free VirtualBox software.

The IBER basic price includes up to one hour of remote session work for the setup. This requires that we get the above setup already preinstalled and the customer can give us the connection strings/SYSDBA or Owner and password of the Firebird databases used. Also, we expect to have the above-mentioned IBER VM and target server with a similar Firebird server already preinstalled. The basic price covers up to 2 databases to be replicated.  

If the customer is unable to carry out these preparations, we can perform additional configuration work based on our IBExpert Hotline package rates. This basically means: If you do not have your own IT manager, who is able to implement and document all above steps for us, and also your software manufacturer does not want to help you on this task, you can be confident that our IBExpert engineers will make it work. 

The IBER Product also includes 12-month emergency service in case of unrecoverable errors on our master server up to 4 times per year. If this happens more often, you should consider changing your server hardware. A IBExpert hotline package will still allow you to use our service, also when issues are to be solved that are not connected to the IBER replication. If such an emergency case is reported to us, but we see that a simple server restart solves the problem or the problem has nothing to do with Firebird, we will charge the time on the customer’s hotline account.

At the end of the initial 12-month period, we will charge you for a further 12 months with the IBER Subscription package, if our help and software updates are still required. Without the continued subscription, the software will not cease working, but in case of an emergency, our remote support then requires a prepaid hotline package.

What do you get?

After the basic installation carried out by our engineers remotely, which is typically done using our GoTo Meeting conference system, you will see a number of separate batch files on the IBER virtual machine which will perform the following tasks:

a) Create and init a new replication target for a specific master database
b) Drop any replication technology from a specific master database
c) Execute the replication based on Firebird events
d) Convert a target database to be a 100% replacement for the master database

If your software manufacturer does not want any alterations made in the database or does not directly support our technology, you can always execute script b) whenever the software manufacture applies, for example, his updates on the database, since this script will completely remove any IBER object from the database.  

After the updates have been applied, you only need to run the script a) again to recreate any necessary IBER objects and init the new replication target again. 

After init has been run, script c) will start and execute all operations (insert/update/deletes) performed in the master database, almost in real time, onto the replicated target database. If script c) cannot connect to master or target database, for example because of a temporary server reboot, it will ignore the errors for a few seconds and, after the reconnection is made, will process all records that were logged while the connection was not possible. 

If a backup and restore of the existing database is performed, a new init process using script a) is mandatory. A backup alone does not need such a new init.

The IBER replication can be interrupted at any time, due to a local power cut or whatever other reason. Once the systems are back online, there is no manual work required to reactivate the replication again and no new sync is necessary. Everything that is done on the master database will be immediately replicated to the target database right after the IBER VM and the target server can be reached again.

Important: If your software manufacturer claims that any manipulation of the database structure will result in a loss of warranty, you should request the manufacturer get in touch with us, since we can guarantee that our system has no negative impact on any Firebird 2.5-Firebird 5.0 databases except for a very low level of additional server performance which the IBER system will operate via one additionally connected database user. 

Zero maintenance and full real-time replication. 

Pricing

IBExpert Replicator Enterprise IBER Starter Package including init and 12 months support 990 €.
IBExpert Replicator Enterprise IBERSub Subscription Package 12 months support 590 €.

Whats New

IBExpert 2024.07.04

and bugfixes 2024.07.11, 2024.07.23, 2024.10.08

1. PSQL parser; Database Comparer

Improved parsing of parenthesized SELECT's (Firebird 5)

2. Script Executive

Support for parenthesized SELECT's added (Firebird 5)

3. PSQL Debugger

Implemented debugging of PSQL objects that contain subroutines that read/writes variables defined at the main level (Firebird 5)

4. Minor bugfixes and small improvements

IBExpert 2024.04.07

1. Database Registration

"Show server version mismatch warning" option added (Additional tab). 

If this option is ON (default) IBExpert will compare the specified and the actual version of the database and warn in case of a mismatch with a choice of possible actions.

2. PSQL Debugger

Support for time zones implemented (Firebird 4, 5). 

3. Data Grids

The possibility to dump blobs to file without preloading them into the IBExpert GUI has been implemented; it is available from the grid context menu.

Fixed the issue with incorrect representation of RDB$DB_KEY for tables with >2G records. 

4. Code Completion

Fixed the incorrect behaviour when selecting/unselecting items in the list using the mouse. 

5. Database Inside

Support for Firebird 5 databases. 

6. SQL Editor, Statements History List

Added counters for page operations. 

7. Database Comparer

Support for parenthesized SELECTs (Firebird 5) implemented. 

8. Other minor bugfixes and small improvements

IBExpert 2024.01.22

Mainly bug fixes.

IBExpert 2023.11.22

Mainly bug fixes.

IBExpert 2023.10.27

1. Code Editor, Code Completion

  • Improved performance especially on databases with lot of objects.
  • Suggesting possible joins based on existing relationships by foreign keys - call the Code Completion after JOIN keyword.
  • There was a bug on some configurations in the previous version which caused IBExpert to freeze when the Code Completion is fires. Fixed in this version.

2. Database Inside

  • Support for Firebird 4 databases.

3. Partial support for Firebird 5 implemented

  • Support for all known syntax changes/additions in the PSQL parser:
     SKIP LOCKED, WHEN NOT MATCHED BY SOURCE, parenthesized SELECTs etc.

     However, there is NO support yet for parenthesized SELECTs in the Database Comparer.
     Also the PSQL debugger doesn't allow to debug roitines with subroutines which reference variables in a main routine.

  • Support for new built-in functions in the Code Parameters hint.
  • Support for partial indices in the index editors and metadata extract.
  • Support for parallel workers in following IBEBlock functions:
    ibec_BackupDatabase, ibec_RestoreDatabase, @Services.RepairDatabase.

      There is a new option available - ParallelWorkers (or just Parallel) - which allows to specify number of parallel workers (e.g. ParallelWorkers=4)

4. Other minor bugfixes and small improvements

IBExpert 2023.09.13

Mainly bug fixes.

IBExpert 2023.07.09

1. DB Explorer

  •   Activating/deactivating database objects from the Project View tree.

2. Search in Metadata

  •   Possibility to search in scripts/blocks (IBE$SCRIPTS table) has been implemented.

3. Code Editors

  •  Hyperlinks behaviour for package routines implemented.
  • "Before load from file" event block implemented. This block allows you to perform some actions before the appearance of the "Open file" dialog; for example, change a source directory. See block template for more details.
  • "Init/perform user actions" event block implemented. This block allows you to define user actions with code editor content which will be executed via a shortcut and/or from the code editor context menu (the very first item in the menu, if the block exists and is active). See block template for more details.

4. Dependencies trees

  •   Solved some issues with the incorrect display of package dependencies.

5. Copy Database Object

  • Support of SQL role in copy blocks added.

6. IBEBlock

  • @Services.RepairDatabase and @Services.SetDBProperties functions implemented. 

    Example:

    execute ibeblock
    as
    begin
      -- Both functions return nothing (NULL) if there were no errors, 
      -- otherwise they will return an error message 

      sDBName = 'dbserver/3053:D:\databases\db.fdb';
      sConnectParams = 'ClientLib="D:\ClientLibs\fbclient_30.dll"; User=SYSDBA; Password=masterkey;';

      -- Supported repair params: Limbo, CheckDB, IgnoreChecksum, 
      -- KillShadows, Mend, Sweep, Validate, ValidateFull

      Res = @Services.RepairDatabase(:sDBName, :sConnectParams || 'Mend');

      if (Res is not null) then
        ibec_ShowMessage(Res); 

      -- All supported params are listed in the example

      Res = @Services.SetDBProperties(:sDBName, :sConnectParams || 'PageBuffers=2048; SQLDialect=3;
            SweepInterval=20000; ForcedWrites=TRUE; ReadOnly=FALSE');

      if (Res is not null) then
        ibec_ShowMessage(Res);

    end;

  • ibec_ExtractMetadata function:
    ExtractPrimaryKeys and ExtractUniques options added to prevent extraction of primary keys and unique constraints. Together with the existing ExtractReferences and ExtractChecks these options allow you to suppress the extraction of all constraints.

    By default all of these options are ON (TRUE). To disable the extraction of primary keys, for example, set the corresponding option to FALSE: ExtractPrimaryKeys=FALSE.

  • Code Editor namespace with set of functions implemented. See example of usage in the "Init/perform user actions" event block template.

7. Minor bugfixes and small improvements

IBExpert 2023.04.14

Minor bugfixes and small improvements.

IBExpert 2023.03.06

 1. Data Grid

  • Possibility to edit UUID/OCTETS values in the filter criteria tree has been implemented.
  • The mouse wheel can now be used to perform Page Up and Page Down actions.
  • By default the Ctrl key should be held to perform PageUp/PageDown.
  • To change the default modifier put the following piece of code into the After IBExpert starts event block:
    ibec_SetGlobalVar('IBE$DATA_GRID_PAGE_SCROLL_MODIFIER', <value>);

        where <value> is one of following: empty string, null, 'CTRL', 'ALT', 'SHIFT'.

        An empty string or null as a new modifier value makes PageDown/PageUp a default                behaviour of the mouse wheel in the Data Grid.

2. Code Editor

  • Support of keyboard templates in the Code Completion list.
    There is a new option Show keyboard templates in Code Completion list in the Options | Editor Options | Code Insight.

3. Automatic restore of a dead connection

  • By default if the database connection is lost IBExpert shows a dialog window and offers to restore a dead connection. To attempt to restore the connection automatically without user confirmation put following line of code into the After IBExpert starts event block:
    ibec_SetGlobalVar('IBE$RESTORE_DEAD_CONNECTION', TRUE);

4. Database Object Editors

  • Support of object names longer than 31 chars (Firebird 4) where they were not yet supported.

5. Export Data

  • Export to clipboard in JSON format implemented.

6. Code Formatter

  • Support of space after opening and before closing bracket options.

7. Minor bugfixes and small improvements

Newsletter 07a/2023

FrOSCon 2023

Saturday - Sunday, 5th - 6th August 2023, 09:30 - 18:30
Entrance free of  charge

Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
Grantham-Allee 20
53757 Sankt Augustin
Germany

Holger Klemt will be giving a lecture on the 6th August at 17:45.
Firebird Open Source Database Quick Start
If only German participants attend the session, it will be held in German.

He will be available to meet IBExpert customers between approximately 15:00 and 19:30. Mail register@ibexpert.biz to make an appointment.

Further information:
FrOSCon Free and Open Source Software Conference Homepage: https://froscon.org/
Holger Klemt's Session: https://programm.froscon.org/2023/events/2871.html

Test and evaluate IBExpert with 5 free Day Edition licenses

You can request a free package with 5 activations for 10 days to evaluate the IBExpert IDE here: register@ibexpert.biz.

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