DB Design Q

[mramazen]

Hey,

I haven't taken a database design class, so tell me what you guys think about this.

I have a database that contains about 6 tables.
What are your opinons about creating (on registration) a new database for each client, instead of them sharing those 6 tables?

Each client can have multiple users, so I except 20 - 40 users logging in per client.

Im thinking this would have faster queries and better security.
But, I would like to know what you think? Is it all those things or just dumb?

And, does anyone know of some good books or links for db design?

Thanks

[Roger_Ramjet]

Loads of books out there, good and bad. You should start with the articles on this site here; just go to the home page and select Articles from the top menu.

As to your DB design, it all depends on your needs: mostly your needs for security and protection of client data. Having multiple databases will involve more coding and have a greater maintenance overhead all the way down the line: but it could make your clients feel more secure about their data. It will not actually make a great deal of difference to the real security of the DB though. That will depend on the quality of your security code, which should make it impossible for any user to see another client's data anyway.

It is not going to make any noticeable difference in speed unless you are dealing with tens of millions of records per client.

[mramazen]

Thanks for the reply. I assumed it would boost the query speed, but im surprised to find out it wouldn't (in my case).

Thanks