Re: Single Database or Multiple Database

Wendy Zheng wrote: > > Dear Informixer, > > I am doing a project(A) which needs to access data that currently > scattered in several different INFORMIX databases(X, Y, Z). Those > databases were designed for some other projects(B, C, D) and work well. > But, from the new project (A) point of view, it make sense to have all > data be integrated and stored in one single database(W). This way there > is minimal redundancy and integrated information may easily be get by > joining tables within the database(W). Agreed? > My question is which is a better solution: Single database to contain > all kinds of data or Multiple database to handle data of some specific > area? If you think Multiple database is the answer, what is the normal > way to get information which will get by joining tables resides in > different databases? If the Single database is the answer, How will the > performance be affected, since the database is shared by more > applications. > This question might look easy for you. But please help me to make the > right choice. Thanks in advance. Wendy, You have just described the classical distributed database, as interpreted by the Informix-eye view of the world. Based on what you have told us, it would seem more practical to leave databases X, Y, and Z where they and do NOT duplicate the data. You can pretend the tables from X, Y, and Z are in your W databases by judicious use of SYNONYMs. Only your engine (and performance stats) will know which tables are really in your database and which are pretenders that are actually on another database. See the CREATE SYNONYM command in the Guide to SQL - Syntax. -- -- Jake (Lost in thought and won't ask for directions) . . _..-'( )`-.._ ./'. '||\\\\. }\\_/{ .//||` .`\\. ./'.|'.'||||\\\\|.. )o o( ..|//||||`.`|.`\\. ./'..|'.|| |||||\\`````` \\,@,/ ''''''/||||| ||.`|..`\\. ./'.||'.|||| ||||||||||||. ||| .|||||||||||| ||||.`||.`\\. /'|||'.|||||| ||||||||||||{ | }|||||||||||| ||||||.`|||`\\ '.|||'.||||||| ||||||||||||{ | }|||||||||||| |||||||.`|||.` '.||| ||||||||| |/' ``\\||`` | ''||/'' `\\| ||||||||| |||.` |/' \\./' `\\./ \\!|\\ /|!/ \\./' `\\./ `\\| V V V }' `\\ /' `{ V V V \\ \\ \\ V / / / +-----------------------------------------------------------+ | Impeccable Logic: A thought process which successfully | | resists chicken bites | +-----------------------------------------------------------+