I'd build the system to be able to store binary content in either the database OR a filesystem. Conceptually it's no different, and it allows more deployment flexibility. It really depends on the *amount* of binary data your system intends to store. While it's nice to have all data packaged in one place, if you plan on scaling to terabytes of files, you'd be crazy to physically store them in the database itself. The filesystem locations and paths should be private to your application, meaning you treat the filesystem as an extension to the database (and thus NO ONE EVER touches the filesystem where the content resides).
-Dave Ross >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:4:231985 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
