Maximum Database Storage

[zmack]

Hi Guys,

this is a quikie.

I am planning on using a mysql database to store large volumes of data. In essence allowing students to submit their coursework to it. I assume that each student will have on average a 3MB files to submit. 300 students = 900MB+

Will mysql still function well with this volume of data within it?

Does anybody know that max file capacity of mysql running on a modern System with Windows 2K?

-Abi

[[deleted]]

First, never ever put files in a database, it makes no sense whatsoever. Files are stored in the filesystem, not in a database.

read the MySQL manual: mysql's database size is limited only by the maximum size of it's datafiles, which is usually 2-4 GByte.

Wether MySQL give give any kind of performance when working with 900MB databases... I doubt it.

[zmack]

thanks for your help Vincent. In terms of referencing a file in my 'filesystem' from a database, with basic steps, how would i go about implementing this?

-Abi

[[deleted]]

The principle is very simple: store the file on disk, and store it's filename and location in the database.

SO if a user uploads a file called 'foo.txt' you would save it as '/userdata/foo.txt' and you would put '/userdata/foo.txt' into the database. Then you can still use the database's functionality to find all files that belong to user X, and when you really need the file itself you can access it directly throughthe filename.

The only snag is that you have to create some sort of storage manager that will create new subdirectories so that you don't end up with one directory with 10000 files in it.