BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE (XPS)

The BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE environment variable functions the same as the FET_BUF_SIZE environment variable, but supports a larger cursor buffer.

>>-setenv--BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE--size------------------------------><
 

size

is a positive integer that is larger than the default buffer size.

The size can be no greater than 4 gigabytes and specifies the size (in bytes) of the fetch buffer that holds data retrieved by a query. For example, to set a buffer size to 5,000 bytes on a UNIX system that uses the C shell, set the BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE environment variable with the following command:

setenv BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE 5000

When BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE is set to a valid value, the new value overrides the default value (or any previously set value of BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE). The default setting for the fetch buffer is dependent on row size. The processing of BYTE and TEXT values is not affected by BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE.

No error is raised if BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE is set to a value less than the default size or out of the range of SMALLINT values. In these cases, however, the invalid fetch buffer size is ignored and the default size is in effect.

If you set BIG_FET_BUF_SIZE to a valid value, that value is in effect for the local database server as well as for any remote database server from which you retrieve rows through a distributed query in which the local server is the coordinator and the remote server is subordinate. The greater the size of the buffer, the more rows can be returned and the less frequently the client application must wait for returned rows. A large buffer can improve performance by reducing the overhead of filling the client-side buffer.