Expert: Jean-Pierre Zuate - 5/13/2009

Question
As I would like to learn ingress v 2.6, i need some study
materials and it would be great if you suggest me some
links where i can start with ingres. i have worked with sql
server 2005. but i am new to ingres. so kindly guide me in
that way. i have been using powerbuilder as a front end. i
need to know the connectivity between PB and ingres as
well. i am very much anticipating your reply.

Answer
Hello,

First of all, thousands of apology for the late of my reply.

Ingres, Oracle, MySQL, Postgresql, MSsql and others are all RDBMS and all provide near the same patterns to connect to them. Many of them are equivalent, I mean what you do with MSsql you can do it with Ingres.

To be self trainned to Ingres, you can follow this reading path :
- docs.ingres.com :
* Quick Start Guide for Windows (or Linux, depend of your need) : this will learn you basics about installing Ingres, creating a database and connect to Ingres via many providers, and use the demo database
* Ingres Connectivity Guide : how to connect to Ingres, docs & example for all possible providers for Ingres (including .NET for your background)
* Ingres SQL Reference Guide : before writing any SQL request, please check syntax, explanations and example in this documentation. This is the core of the way to deal with Ingres
* Ingres Database Administrator Guide : how to backup your data, play with journals, security and so on
* Ingres System Administrator Guide : how to troubleshoot Ingres, configure, etc

All of those on line documentation can come with the version you install (if you ask it), and are stored in a collection of PDF. An interesting thing is this collection come with a global index, so you can search anything in the whole documentation. For example if you think to have informations about journalisation, you can search something like "journal" in the whole doc and then show where are the areas to look to, depending on what you want : integrating it into a production system, or just evaluate impact on your developments, limitations, and so on.

Once you can do a SELECT into a powerbuilder session (via .NET, ODBC, Java, ...) you have done your job.

Study the Ingres Visual DBA tools. They are usable to import/export data, configure and administrate your data. Those tools are only provided on Windows boxes.

You can find MANY MANY interestings informations on Ingres Webcast on their site. Architects, developpers, product managers and customers talk about a particular subject for at least 1 hour and a half for each subject. Three restrictions to follow those videos :
1/ be motived to follow a webcast
2/ have the time :)
3/ understand english :))

You can access thoses videos by clicking on :
http://www.ingres.com
Choose "ABOUT US" menu
Choose "Webcasts" Option
Or click directly here : http://www.ingres.com/about/webcasts.php

Take an account on http://community.ingres.com It's free and let you access to some forums. Here again, developpers, architects and customers reply here.

Take an account on http://www.kettleriverconsulting.com/mailman/listinfo/info-ingres It's an history mail list about Ingres. This mail list is synchronised with comp.databases.ingres newsgroup (http://groups.google.com/group/comp.databases.ingres/topics). Here again, gurus reply here.

In your case I think you need to start on windows box, probably because your culture is based on windows (powerbuilder).

Hope this help you. Do not hesitate to ask if you need, and welcome in the Ingres world :)

Kind regards,
Jean-Pierre ZUATE
http://lafageconseil.fr