> From: Jeromie Clark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > I'm not saying that other approaches aren't valid -- but I do know > first-hand that this approach works in a large-scale installation.
Sorry, I did not mean to imply you didn't know what you were doing -- just that you were only representing one side of the argument! I do not have current experience with such huge systems. I did, however, benchmark smallish images from both the file system and from MySQL, and in no case did I see more than a 10% performance hit. In many cases, the performance hit was "in the noise" -- the average difference between the middle three of five trials was less than the difference between trials of the same method. People who laud serving images from a filesystem generally tout performance while glossing over practical concerns and potential problems, such as files getting lost or having permissions changed, either of which can happen when restoring a backup or if multiple people have access. Personally, I also think the code is cleaner and more easily understood -- it sure is easier to encapsulate if you don't have implementation details "leaking" into the file system! From a cohesion and coupling point of view, images in the actual record are closer to "normal form" than having references to files, which essentially represents a de-normalization of the design. Certainly, if you ever have to move the entire thing, having one database is a joy, compared to hunting down various bits and pieces. (And for any largish file-based design, there will be many directories and complicated hashing to keep track of them -- keeping gazillions of images in one directory is CERTAINLY a performance disaster!) Images in files make sense for a lot of people -- perhaps most of them! I only objected to the "it's been discussed many times" with the implied consensus that images in files are universally "better" in all possible situations. :::: We need an energy policy that encourages consumption. -- George W. Bush :::: Jan Steinman <http://www.Bytesmiths.com/Item/99BD07> The php_mysql group is dedicated to learn more about the PHP/MySQL web database possibilities through group learning. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/php_mysql/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
