can service Broker talk to informix

Hi,

I am very new to Service Broker.

Can I have a Service Broker which will Exchange Message from Informix and service broker sitting on SQL Server Box.

If this is possible, How can we achieve it. Any Pointers will be very helpfull.

Thanks

Hello,

Service Broker can exchange messages only between two SQL Server instances.

However I've heard of customers using linked server capabilities to link a SQL Server instance to another products (like Informix). You can have a SQL Server Express edition to accept messages instead of the Informix server. An activated procedure on the Express will receive the message and, using a linked server connection will 'deliver' the message into the Informix server, i.e. will insert a row in a table with the message payload.

The solution is somehow slower because of the distributed transaction involved in the linked server, but you should be able to send/receive tens of messages per second.

HTH,
~ Remus

|||

Hello Remus,

This seems fine for Informix installed on Windows, but in my case, I can have Informix on Unix Machine also. Therefore I want to have a generic design for both the cases, So that I don't have to do much of change when Informix is on Unix or Windows.

That is the reason why I did not try to use Linked Server. Can a Service Broker Communicate with a service running on informix box.

Thanks

Dharmbir

|||

I am not aware of any restriction that would restrict the linked server to Windows only. This is not an area I'm an expert in, but I believe you can add a linked server connection to any database hosted on any platform, as long as the proper ODBC or OLEDB drivers are provided.

As for the second question, as I said already, Service Broker can communicate only between two instances of SQL Server 2005.

HTH,
~ Remus

|||

even if you connect from Linked server. How are you going to acknoledge those message sent from service broker.

So I think, SB is better to communicate betwwen SQL Server but not with other databases

|||

Hi Dinesh,

Some where I read that we need to have a sql server express at the machine having Informix, then we need to link the informix with express and send the message through express and receive the acknoledgement from express.

I have not yet tested this infrastructure... :( waiting for insatlled Informix.

-Dharmbir

|||

express edition supports Service broker Client services only only

|||

Dinesh Asanka wrote:

express edition supports Service broker Client services only only

No true.

Express fully supports all SQL Service Broker functionality. In SSB there is no such concept as a 'client' service, all services are equal partners. The only restriction is that a message must be handled by a higher version SQL instance in traffic, two Express editions must talk to each other through a licensed fowarder.

HTH,
~ Remus