blobspace versus filesystem

Hello, We currently store our binary data in blobspaces (byte data type) and have begun an evaluation of storing them in a file ststem directory pointed to by the database. So far, performance is generally better, database backups are of course faster since the DB is smaller, and we are using less space to store the blobs. Current version is 10.00.FC4 and will probably be migrating to 11.5.FC4 later in the year. Question is, and I'm sure this has come up before, what would you consider to be the major disadvantage to moving the blobs outside of the DB into a file system? If there are any paper on the subject I would greatly appreciate that info as well. Biggest disadvantage I see so far concerns transactional integrity - which would have to be manually managed for the external blobs; additional steps for maintaining security; and any potential OS limitations for file sizes and number of files. Thanks for your help! Mike

- Data integrity - Matching blob file backups to the database backups - Remote access to the blob files (this could be coded into UDT that returns the file data through the database though) Art On Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 12:38 PM, MICHAEL FAVOLE <mike.favole@ngc.com> wrote: > Hello, > We currently store our binary data in blobspaces (byte data type) and have > begun an evaluation of storing them in a file ststem directory pointed to > by > the database. So far, performance is generally better, database backups are > of > course faster since the DB is smaller, and we are using less space to store > the blobs. Current version is 10.00.FC4 and will probably be migrating to > 11.5.FC4 later in the year. > > Question is, and I'm sure this has come up before, what would you consider > to > be the major disadvantage to moving the blobs outside of the DB into a file > system? If there are any paper on the subject I would greatly appreciate > that > info as well. > > Biggest disadvantage I see so far concerns transactional integrity - which > would have to be manually managed for the external blobs; additional steps > for > maintaining security; and any potential OS limitations for file sizes and > number of files. > > Thanks for your help! > Mike > > > > ******************************************************************************* > Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. > > -- Art S. Kagel Oninit (www.oninit.com) IIUG Board of Directors (art@iiug.org) Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that my own opinions are my own opinions and do not reflect on my employer, Oninit, the IIUG, nor any other organization with which I am associated either explicitly or implicitly. Neither do those opinions reflect those of other individuals affiliated with any entity with which I am affiliated nor those of the entities themselves. --00163646d6a0fed4d50464b2663c