I'd like to add to this that another reason for not storing client va riables in the registry is for the original reason of this topic: Clustering and Load Balancing. You run right into the same problem that is caused b y using session variables -- use sticky sessions for pseudo-load balancing or nix them and go to client variable storage, using one or more database se rvers with replication.
> -----Original Message----- > From: Dave Watts [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 3:33 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: RE: Clustering and CF variables. > > > > I would like to add that Ken's *not necessarily* right - if the > > server is a dedicated CF server then DO USE THE REGISTRY for > > client variables. The registry provides the greatest performance > > when using client variables, which is why it is used by default > > and why it is even an option. Do you think MM made it an option > > just because it was possible or because it can be highly useful? > > There are three options for three or more server environments. > > > > Just plan ahead for it. When you build the server, adjust the > > registry to grow to around 100MB and it won't slow down and > > cause the server to crap out. Monitor the size of the registry > > as well, drop the persistance of client variable data from 90 > > if the registry grows to large or allow the registry to grow > > larger. > > > > Just my two cents. I've said it before I'll say it again the > > next time some SCREAMS that the registry won't work. One users > > bad experience shouldn't deter all others from the truth. > > I guess that the problem with "the truth" is that it can be perceiv ed so > subjectively. I've had quite a few bad experiences with using the r egistry > for Client variable storage, though - and they haven't all been min e, > personally, but several have been with clients for whom it failed i n a > relatively dramatic fashion. > > The reason MM (or, more accurately, Allaire) made it an option is t hat, at > the time, they didn't necessarily know how bad this could be, or mo re > likely, at the time, you weren't likely to get enough traffic for i t to be > so bad. Client variables were introduced in CF 2.0, and they could only be > stored in the registry then. The ability to store them in other pla ces > wasn't introduced until CF 4, I think. Back in those days, heavy > use didn't > mean the same as it does now, and very few people were building > line-of-business apps on the web. > > As for best performance, yes, the registry may be faster than using a > database. Using cookies will be just as fast, though. > Performance, however, > is probably not the only metric most people care about. Reliability is > pretty important to most people, and registry storage is far less r eliable > than database storage. > > The Windows registry is not your typical database. It's a > hierarchical data > store, like an LDAP server, rather than a relational data store. It 's not > designed for transactional processing, like a relational database > typically > is. The registry is designed to be read often, and written to > infrequently. > The typical usage pattern for a Windows app using the registry is t o read > the appropriate keys on startup, then write changes to those keys i f > necessary on shutdown. That's quite a bit different from > constantly writing > to the registry. > > There are several weak points with using the registry. It can becom e > fragmented, just like other files in general. This will slow perfor mance > after time. It can become corrupted - and I've encountered this > personally - > requiring a restore and consequently losing all of the client > data. It makes > it difficult to migrate an application from one server to another. > > In summary, I strongly recommend against using the Registry as a Cl ient > variable data store. I recommend against using a file-based databas e like > Access for this also - that has its own, very serious, problems. > > Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software > http://www.figleaf.com/ > voice: (202) 797-5496 > fax: (202) 797-5444 > ___________________________________________________________________ ___ > Get Your Own Dedicated Windows 2000 Server > PIII 800 / 256 MB RAM / 40 GB HD / 20 GB MO/XFER > Instant Activation � $99/Month � Free Setup > http://www.pennyhost.com/redirect.cfm?adcode=coldfusionb > FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq > Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists ______________________________________________________________________ Get Your Own Dedicated Windows 2000 Server PIII 800 / 256 MB RAM / 40 GB HD / 20 GB MO/XFER Instant Activation � $99/Month � Free Setup http://www.pennyhost.com/redirect.cfm?adcode=coldfusionb FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
