Re: OS block size

From: Dave Haas <davidh_at_--nospam--hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 00:06:32 GMT
Message-ID: <cW9w6.67821$tr5.7039641@news1.telusplanet.net>

Hi Howard.

> Utter nonsense (and we've been round this one time and time again). See
> Steve Adams' web site for his article 'Why a Large Database Block Size':
> Most Unixes should use 8K blocks, and NT should be using 16K or so. Block
> size is definitely an O/S issue, not a 'what do I want to use this
database
> for' issue.

I disagree. Using 16k blocks in an OLTP environment on an NT system would quite probably introduce contention issues.

>
> Block contention is most definitely a worry for OLTP systems. Curing it
by
> adopting a small block size is rather like curing a headache by cutting
off
> your head. There are other, better and more scientific methods of
managing
> the issue (initrans and maxtrans springs to mind).

That's a little harsh. There are many methods to preventing and curing contention and I would argue that choice of block size is definately one of them.

Regards,

Dave Received on Tue Mar 27 2001 - 18:06:32 CST