We just recently set up a document management system using MS SqlServer. We ended up storing the documents inside the db. The way we structured it was to set up a table that had all of the meta data about the document along with a file id (int) that linked up with a file storage table that consisted of an id and a blob column. This way, we can run queries against the meta data without slowing down the system with large blob columns.
So far, the performance has been suprisingly snappy. Also, security has been a lot easier to work into as we only have to secure one resource instead of both a database and a file system. Another additional benefit is that we've been able to share some documents on our extranet site without having to open another port for file sharing as all documents come from the db. On 2/10/06, Michael T. Tangorre <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have never stored actual documents in SQL Server. I have stored the name > and location and put the document into a directory on the file server. > However, a new "contracts" application I am working on is very document > heavy, mainly for storage... not much retrieval will be done. > > Currently when a new contract comes to be, a directory is created for the > contract and a slew of sub directories are also created over the life of the > contract. Sometimes the sub directories are standard across contracts and > some times they are not. Sub directories can get pretty deep in terms of > nesting. > > It seems it would be much easier (conceptually) to store the documents > directly in the database and let the structure of the database dictate the > "hierarchy" and relationships instead of creating a new directory for each > contract and trying to figure out which subdirectories are needed or already > exist, etc. > > When needed, the documents would be accessed via the application... however > this would restrict direct access to the document outside the system. > Anyway, has anyone taken the approach of storing documents directly in a SQL > DB, and if so, how was performance etc... > > Thanks! > > Tango > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:231965 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
