This is using IDS 11.7, on a box with one instance running using the
same $INFORMIXDIR.

This is the output on the screen:
v6live > oninit -v
Reading configuration file '/housing/informix/ids11_7/etc/
onconfig.v6live'...suc
ceeded
Creating /INFORMIXTMP/.infxdirs...succeeded
Checking config parameters...succeeded
Allocating and attaching to shared memory...succeeded
Creating resident pool 270360 kbytes...succeeded
Allocating 100016 kbytes for buffer pool of 2K page size...succeeded
Creating infos file "/housing/informix/ids11_7/
etc/.infos.v6live"...succeeded
Linking conf file "/housing/informix/ids11_7/
etc/.conf.v6live"...succeeded
Initializing rhead structure...succeeded
Writing to infos file...succeeded
Initialization of Encryption...succeeded
Initializing ASF...succeeded
Cannot find message file. Check INFORMIXDIR and DBLANG.Initializing
Dictionary
Cache and SPL Routine Cache...FAILED

WARNING: server initialization failed, or possibly timed out (if -w
was used).
Check the message log, online.log, for errors.

And this is what is in the log file e.g. nothing helpful:
v6live > pg *live.log
17:09:01 IBM Informix Dynamic Server Started.
17:09:01 Requested shared memory segment size rounded from 375808KB
to 393216KB
17:09:01 Shared memory segment will use large pages with intimate
shared memory (ISM) if available
17:09:01 Segment locked: addr=10a000000, size=402653184
17:09:01 Requested shared memory segment size rounded from 32656KB to
32768KB

Mon Oct 31 17:09:02 2011

17:09:02 Event alarms enabled. ALARMPROG = '/housing/informix/
ids11_7/etc/alar
mprogram.sh'

Looking at 'cannot find message file', and finding a similar problem
via Google, I used truss. All the rows with 'stat', 'open' and
'resolve' at the start seem to be OK in that the files named in them
exist. This is the last part of it:

open("/housing/informix/ids11_7/msg/en_us/0333/olmsglog.iem",
O_RDONLY) = 5
fcntl(5, F_SETFD, 0x00000001) = 0
umask(0) = 03
read(5, "FE i05 j", 4) = 4
lseek(5, 6924, SEEK_SET) = 6924
read(5, "\0\0 KC0\017\0\0A6 n\0\0".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 10424, SEEK_SET) = 10424
read(5, "\0\0 M1E\0 #\0\0E7D0\0\0".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 12174, SEEK_SET) = 12174
read(5, "\001 ; N\0 4\0011CE6\001".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 13054, SEEK_SET) = 13054
read(5, "\001 ;A6\0 ?\0011DC5\001".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 12644, SEEK_SET) = 12644
read(5, "\001 ; }\0 H\001 4E3\001".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 12884, SEEK_SET) = 12884
read(5, "\001 ;95\097\001 = V\001".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 13004, SEEK_SET) = 13004
read(5, "\001 ;A1\0 /\001 @ E\001".., 80) = 80
lseek(5, 81989, SEEK_SET) = 81989
read(5, " C h e c k t h e m e".., 47) = 47
write(1, "\n C h e c k t h e m".., 48) = 48
_exit(185)

The ONCONFIG is the same as the instance which is running, with the
exception of (the one I can't create is on the left):

ROOTPATH /dev/online/live/root_dbs | ROOTPATH /dev/online/dev/
root_dbs
MSGPATH $INFORMIXDIR/v6live. | MSGPATH $INFORMIXDIR/
v6te
CONSOLE $INFORMIXDIR/v6live. | CONSOLE $INFORMIXDIR/
v6te
SERVERNUM 1 | SERVERNUM 0
DBSERVERNAME v6live | DBSERVERNAME v6test
#DBSERVERALIASES v6livetcp | #DBSERVERALIASES v6testtcp


Does anyone have any idea what my problem might be?

On 31/10/2011 17:19, Cats wrote:
What products are actually installed in $INFORMIXDIR and in what order??

Try installing the server over the top again.

On Nov 1, 5:42*am, "Jonny... (AT) Usenet-News (DOT) net" <Jonny...@Usenet-
News.net> wrote:
IDS and SQL, can't remember what order, remember we successfully
created one instance on this box though that was with IDS 11.5, Then
we switched to IDS 11.7, so we shut down the existing instance,
installed 11.7 on top of $INFORMIXDIR, amended the ONCONFIG file to
take account of the changes and successfully brought the instance
online.

Reinstall IDS. If you installed SQL after IDS that could mess up the
message files.

Art

Art S. Kagel
Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com)
Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions
and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any
other organization with which I am associated either explicitly,
implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of
other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor
those of the entities themselves.



On Tue, Nov 1, 2011 at 3:05 AM, Cats <ramwater (AT) uk2 (DOT) net> wrote:

On Nov 1, 12:17*pm, Art Kagel <art.ka... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:
Have done that (SQL then IDS into a new directory) and it has moved
things forward. I am not sure why as whilst originally I installed
IDS then SQL, I then installed IDS 11.7 on top... Never mind. Copied
the onconfig and sqlhosts files in, and thankfully the existing
instance was happy to start up and I can access the database.

Attempting to initialize the new instance got a lot further:

....
Initializing Dictionary Cache and SPL Routine Cache...succeeded
Bringing up ADM VP...succeeded
Creating VP classes...succeeded
Onlining 0 additional cpu vps...succeeded
Onlining 2 IO vps...succeeded
Forking main_loop thread...succeeded
Initializing DR structures...succeeded
Forking 1 'tlitcp' listener threads...succeeded
Starting tracing...succeeded
Initializing 8 flushers...succeeded
oninit: Fatal error in shared memory initialization

WARNING: server initialization failed, or possibly timed out (if -w
was used).
Check the message log, online.log, for errors.


And from the log file:
15:41:13 IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.70.FC3 Software
Serial Number AAA#B000000)
15:41:13 Memory sizes:resident:393216 KB, virtual:160768 KB, no
SHMTOTAL limit
15:41:17 Assert Warning: chunk failed sanity check

15:41:17 IBM Informix Dynamic Server Version 11.70.FC3
15:41:17 Who: Thread(8, main_loop(), 12237c028, 1)3bf028)
File: rspartn.c Line: 10573
15:41:17 Results: Chunk 1 is being taken OFFLINE.
15:41:17 Action: For all spaces other than temporary dbspaces,
restore the space
temporary dbspace and if it is not the only chunk in that
dbspace,
then drop and re-create the chunk. Otherwise drop and re-
create
the temporary dbspace.
15:41:17 stack trace for pid 4038 written to /housing/informix/
ids11_7/tmp/af.3f0131d
15:41:17 See Also: /housing/informix/ids11_7/tmp/af.3f0131d
15:41:17 chunk failed sanity check

15:41:18 I/O error, Primary Chunk '/dev/online/live/root_dbs' --
Offline (sanity)
15:41:18 oninit: Fatal error in shared memory initialization

15:41:18 IBM Informix Dynamic Server Stopped.

15:41:18 mt_shm_remove: WARNING: may not have removed all/correct
segments



I have done the chown -R and chrgrp -R on the directory holding the
symbolic links to the actual disk, plus chmod -R 664.

The concept of restoring a space before one has managed to initialize
the instance is amusing!

Unfortunately I know nothing about Solstice Volum Manager, might my
feeling that might be where the problem now lies correct?

See my reply on the IIUG IDS forum.

Art

Art S. Kagel
Advanced DataTools (www.advancedatatools.com)
Blog: http://informix-myview.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions
and do not reflect on my employer, Advanced DataTools, the IIUG, nor any
other organization with which I am associated either explicitly,
implicitly, or by inference. Neither do those opinions reflect those of
other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor
those of the entities themselves.



On Tue, Nov 1, 2011 at 11:47 AM, Cats <ramwater (AT) uk2 (DOT) net> wrote:

On Nov 1, 4:52*pm, Art Kagel <art.ka... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:
OK, it's initialized now.

1st problem was that despite installing IDS 11.7 on top of
INFORMIXDIR, it still needed new directory creating with just the
correct SQL and IDS installing into it.

2nd problem was my typo of oninit -v rather than oninit -vi.... Doh!

Loads of thanks to all who helped.

Moral: Never be afraid to ask a really basic question...