Re: Advice: Simple, fast, large # of records db server (env: mod_perl and DBI/DBD)?

M. Benjamin Mehling wrote:
>
> Sorry for the cross posts.
>
> I was hoping to solicite some adivce on a database server choice. I am
> working on a fairly simple project logging website "logins" to a database
> and allowing users to view their stats online.
>
> I had planned on doing this using apache/mod_perl, DBI/DBD, and mySQL (in
> Solaris 2.7, ehem, I mean "Solaris 7"), however the client has estimated 100
> million "logins" within the next year. Even if I estimate a single login
> record at 1k, I quickly find myself dead in the water w/ mySQL (100,000,000
> * 1k > 95GB -- mySQL's current table size limit is 4GB). The schema is
> really quite simple, not more than 5 tables and pretty much no complicated
> statements, just simple inserts...
>
> So now I am off to search for a new database server that can handle that
> many records, yet isn't over spec'd compared to the simplicity of the data.
> I would like to work in the same mod_perl and DBD environment, however it
> appears that quite a few of the DBDs have version limitations and other
> issues dealing with Oracle, Sybase, or Informix servers (of which I have
> limited experience). The "major" db vendor websites are less then helpful
> about which product does what and what the REAL version numbers are...
 

> Main concerns:
>
> - Stability.
> - Speed.
> - Abiltiy to handle 100 million records in a single table.
> - SW: Apache/mod_perl, DBI/DBD. HW: Solaris (sparc).
 

> Any advice about a direction to go start searching or stories about what
> combinations you have gotten working and how stable they really are?
> Specifically:
>
> - Are the DBDs really unstable or is that more of a "scare the feeble
> newbie away" warning..?
> - The client does not have a ton of money, so the cheaper the engine the
> better -- the "light" versions may work for us?
> - Any ideas on pricing of products? Ballpark?

Informix IDS can certainly handle the load and the table size. IDS is limited to 1024 2GB datafiles or about 2TB per instance (if you need more you can get IDS with the Extended Parallel Option which will permit multiple instances on the same or different machines act as a single server making capacity and scaleability almost unlimited). A single IDS table fragment (horizontal partition in Date's terminology) is limited to ~32GB but a table may be comprised of as many fragments as you require which helps spread the load across many disks, so again no real limit there either.

Informix has WEB Intergration options that will help you configure the database to work more closely with Apache also. They also have a developers' program (Informix Developers Network) through which you can acquire free and reduced cost products for development for your own use. Also IDS is available for NT/95/98 and will be available for Linux by the end of the year so you can even set up a trouble shooting site at your home or office to better support the client.

Informix's performance is outstanding and their licensing is reasonable.
Informix's headquarters # is 650-926-6300 and their WEB site has numbers for local offices so you can check pricing for your installation (www.informix.com/contact/iffices/us.htm).

Certainly Oracle and Sybase can also handle the load, though I am less familiar with their products so I'll leave any detailed discussions to others.

Art S. Kagel Received on Wed Dec 09 1998 - 00:00:00 CST