PHP3 and MySql or what else?

[Anon]

Do PHP and MySql have performance limitations when the website database size becomes too large. That is, are PHP and MySql intended for larger sites with lots of traffic?. I realize that performance depends on many factors, but can someone tell me, when it comes to a PHP driven MySql database for a website, how big is too big? What is the largest site running at the moment with PHP/MySql.

If money were no object what would be the best sofware for building a database driven web application?

If money were in question, what would then be the best software?

Of course PHP and Mysql are unbeatable when it comes to a price performance ratio, they cost nothing and work great. But are there any other alternatives?

[Anon]

PHP can, properly used, can handle as large a website as you wish you build.

MySQL does fine as long as the simo connection rate isn't too high, but currently lacks the advanced locking mechanisms needed for use in larger apps like transactional systems, 0r systems where hundreds of people interact at once.

That said, for the intermediate size intranet type application, mySQL can fly at certain tasks, like message database and such.

If money were no object, you could look at db2, oracle, informix or sybase.

For free, you have a choice between mySQL and postgresql. Postgresl is a full featured, nearly SQL92 compliant database, that has made quantum leaps in performance and bug fixes with version 7.0.2. It's multi-backend design with a large shared buffer makes it scale pretty well on multi-CPU hardware, as long as you have the I/O bandwidth to handle it. Our testing found 6.5.3 to be about 10-20% slower than Oracle or db2, and it feels like 7.0.2 is about even with both of them on single CPU machines.

Note that for development or personal use, db2 personal edition is FREE, and I think oracle has an eval version for linux as well.

We'll be getting a dual 750 PIII to test it on soon, so I'll do some benchmarks with it comparing pgsql 7.0.2, 6.5.3, db2, mysql, and a few others.

[Anon]

That sounds great, Scott. I look forward to seeing the results of your benchmaks. Can we expect to see them posted on this site?

-- Rich Rijnders
-- Irvine, CA US

[Anon]

Thanks for the informative answer. I too will be looking forward to seeing your benchmarks.