Re: when to use multiple databases

The only time I would say is when you are using MSDE and you have a 2 gig limit per database. Otherwise, it seems daft to keep each users data in a separate database. You would find it very difficult to generate queries about users with multiple database when you cannot perform a cross DB query (and even if you could, it would be much slower).

"Michiel van der Kraats" <michiel_at_backup.nl> wrote in message news:michiel-CC1182.00201801042004_at_corp.supernews.com...
> I have an application which tracks backed up files using a very simple
> schema:
>
> table session(sess_id, date,totalsize)
>
> table files(filename,size,date, sess_id)
>
> Now, I need to relate sessions to users. Each user has a different
> collection of files. I would normally just add a table to hold user
> information and the necessary foreign/primary keys to relate users to
> sessions. Some of my colleagues want to use a different, seperate
> database for each user and a 'main' database for tracking user
> information (which would contain just one table, the one with user
> information, presently only a userid and name/password).
>
> The DBMS I'm using (Postgresql) doesn't allow cross-database queries,
> querying data accross the main and 'per-user' databases can get quite
> difficult. I'm also not very comfortable with this because the
> relationship between my 'main' database and per-user databases is not
> directly visible in the database schema.
>
> Putting the file information in a seperate database would be somewhat
> more secure as errors to each users' 'files' table would be isolated.
> Removing all of a users information would be as easy as dropping that
> users's database.
>
> When is it wise/practical to use multiple databases if all those
> databases have the same schema?
>
> --
> Michiel
Received on Tue Jun 22 2004 - 18:44:16 CEST