limits?

Questions about the MySQL, PostgreSQL, and most other databases, as well as using it with PHP can be asked here.

Moderator: General Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
s.dot
Tranquility In Moderation
Posts: 5001
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 7:18 pm
Location: Indiana

limits?

Post by s.dot »

I've seen several statements saying something like "databases have the potential to store possibly millions of records".

Is there a theoretical upper limit on the number of records a database can have?

[[mostly just talking mysql databases]]
Set Search Time - A google chrome extension. When you search only results from the past year (or set time period) are displayed. Helps tremendously when using new technologies to avoid outdated results.
User avatar
feyd
Neighborhood Spidermoddy
Posts: 31559
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:24 pm
Location: Bothell, Washington, USA

Post by feyd »

Not really, no. I remember some text on MySQL's documentation and such that said they have had reports of people having millions of records in tables with no problems or something..

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/features.html (Handles large databases)
User avatar
s.dot
Tranquility In Moderation
Posts: 5001
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 7:18 pm
Location: Indiana

Post by s.dot »

So I guess the maximum size is not determined upon # of records, but the size of data.

After reading the following excerpt though, I don't think anyone should be concerned about database sizes. :P
MySQL 3.22 had a 4GB (4 gigabyte) limit on table size. With the MyISAM storage engine in MySQL 3.23, the maximum table size was increased to 65536 terabytes (2567 – 1 bytes). With this larger allowed table size, the maximum effective table size for MySQL databases is usually determined by operating system constraints on file sizes, not by MySQL internal limits.
I mostly just asked because I was curious. Food for me brainnn.
Set Search Time - A google chrome extension. When you search only results from the past year (or set time period) are displayed. Helps tremendously when using new technologies to avoid outdated results.
User avatar
s.dot
Tranquility In Moderation
Posts: 5001
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 7:18 pm
Location: Indiana

Post by s.dot »

although I can't find the limits for filesizes on a freebsd system (would probably have to search around on freebsd.org)

i can see my database possibly reaching a 2gb size in a couple of years.. nothing to be immediately concerned about though.
Set Search Time - A google chrome extension. When you search only results from the past year (or set time period) are displayed. Helps tremendously when using new technologies to avoid outdated results.
Post Reply