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Tech Manager · #9 (**permalink**) 01-24-2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wige

What type of database do you find most efficient for storing the records? Do you use a seperate light database app on the server, or a simple table under your existing database engine, or some other type of solution?

It sounds like whatever solution was implemented would have to be very low on overhead so that new entries could be created with minimal resource impact, overhead from dynamic solutions such as relational features would be eliminated to minimize total file size, but enough power to collate the data for searching and reporting functionality. It would also have to be very efficient for handling a narrow table with few fields but many records.

Wige:

You ask some great questions and offer terrific follow up comments.

I don't think a single-solution answer would be adequate. When I am consulting with a client I will make recommendations that are tailored based on the needs, desires, goals, technical resources and budget of the individual clients.

Low overhead is almost always a goal except in certain very rare situations. Sometimes it is enough to add a single table containing a few fields and have no other relationship to the data other than auto incrementing a primary key. I have several clients who use just such a simple design and then run additional analytical programs on the backed up database.

Some clients want something a little more multidimensional. They want a much more robust solution including better relationships between the relative data.

Many of my dedicated server clients rely on nothing more than analysis of their access and error logs using a third party log analysis program.

For your typical webmaster on a shared hosting platform, where server logs may or may not be available, a flat file or very simple database may be sufficient.

For me, as I do some security consulting, I prefer to log everything. This helps me stay on top of trends, exploits, vulnerabilities, etc., and not just focused on marketing related data. I do my best to design my scripts and databases for ultimate efficiency with very low overhead.