Re: Limitation of image files

> prajesh_at_ix.netcom.com (Jim Prajesh) writes:
> Would like to know of any limitations to the volume of data stored of
> image of forms using blobs. We expect to have about a million records
> of data with about that many forms that need to accessed if necessary.
> We are trying to decide if we should use Blobs or use CD ROM juke boxes
> to store the images of forms.
>
>>>>

Images are stored in RAW or LONG RAW columns, to which only the standard Oracle data volume limitations apply, to your platform and version of Oracle. A million rows isn't a big deal at all.

However, note that large image data can usually be retrieved faster from the file system, because it is retrieved as a stream rather than a row of structured data. The performance penalties incurred depend largely on your configuration. Assuming that good procedure is followed (i.e., LONG RAW columns in their own tables and tablespaces) it will generally still be faster to pass a filename and then retrieve the image from the filesystem than to retrieve it from the database, even if only slightly, given the same hardware.

If platform independence is worth the performance penalty, use the database. Otherwise, the file system may be a more appropriate choice.

Michael Stowe
Constellation Engineering
http://www.mcs.net/~stowe Received on Tue May 16 1995 - 00:00:00 CEST