Re: Many small tables vs. Few big tables

From: Hans Forbrich <forbrich_at_tibalt.supernet.ab.ca>
Date: 1996/10/18
Message-ID: <3267411C.F10@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca>#1/1

Douglas Sur wrote:
>
>
> Given one system with many small tables versus a system with a few large
> tables, which design is a more performance hog?

Many answers to this one ... many more questions too.

If the 'many small tables' are of similar structure, and if each one is smaller than 10K-30K, then my experience is that you will generally get a performance and admin benefit by implementing them as 1 table with views. This frequently happens with 'list of values' types of tables (things to verify that Y and N are the right answers for Yes and No, etc.) that you don't want to code into the front-end.

However, there are many, many other considerations as well, not the least of which includes memory, SGA sizability, indexes, whether that access may be table scan vs index, etc.

Since I end up admininstring databases, I generally appreciate fewer tables to worry about.

/Hans Received on Fri Oct 18 1996 - 00:00:00 CDT