choosing a database

I often only use one or more XML-files as database for my applications since
it is very non-complicated and lets me model my datastructure in any way i
like it to be. But when do I really need to consider moving up to a larger
database-platform?
Today I would load the entire xml-database (<20MB) into memory and use
LINQ-expressions to query the data. Is this really such a bad idea? Is it
only the matter of size i need to consider when choosing between xml and sql?
What size then? And when do I need to step up from MSSQL Server Express to
MSSQL Server?
One more question. Can MSSQL Server Express-files be accessed without SQL
Server Express installed? I mean as through the .NET framework in some way?As long as it works it might not be a bad idea. I am not familiar
with the details of your XML/LINQ approach for dealing with basics
like data integrity, recovery, backups, and all the other things that
SQL Server provides, so I really can't comment.
SQL Server Express is SQL Server with only a few restrictions. As
such it must be installed and the service running for a database to be
used. Nothing else ever accesses the files. Your application sends
commands to the service, which performs all database actions.
Roy Harvey
Beacon Falls, CT
On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:27:00 -0700, Maximilian
<Maximilian@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>I often only use one or more XML-files as database for my applications since
>it is very non-complicated and lets me model my datastructure in any way i
>like it to be. But when do I really need to consider moving up to a larger
>database-platform?
>Today I would load the entire xml-database (<20MB) into memory and use
>LINQ-expressions to query the data. Is this really such a bad idea? Is it
>only the matter of size i need to consider when choosing between xml and sql?
>What size then? And when do I need to step up from MSSQL Server Express to
>MSSQL Server?
>One more question. Can MSSQL Server Express-files be accessed without SQL
>Server Express installed? I mean as through the .NET framework in some way?|||"Maximilian" <Maximilian@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:35BB98FA-2003-4F56-A1A7-0E9A6B898560@.microsoft.com...
> One more question. Can MSSQL Server Express-files be accessed without SQL
> Server Express installed? I mean as through the .NET framework in some
> way?
You may want to take a look at SQL Server Compact Edition. You can deploy it
just by copying the DLL files with your application (no need to install or
have a service running). For more details look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/compact/default.mspx
HTH,
Plamen Ratchev
http://www.SQLStudio.com|||You need to remember that in order for you to work with XML, you have to
load it into memory. If you XML files grow big and your number of records
increase, this becomes a performance issue
"Maximilian" <Maximilian@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:35BB98FA-2003-4F56-A1A7-0E9A6B898560@.microsoft.com...
>I often only use one or more XML-files as database for my applications
>since
> it is very non-complicated and lets me model my datastructure in any way i
> like it to be. But when do I really need to consider moving up to a larger
> database-platform?
> Today I would load the entire xml-database (<20MB) into memory and use
> LINQ-expressions to query the data. Is this really such a bad idea? Is it
> only the matter of size i need to consider when choosing between xml and
> sql?
> What size then? And when do I need to step up from MSSQL Server Express to
> MSSQL Server?
> One more question. Can MSSQL Server Express-files be accessed without SQL
> Server Express installed? I mean as through the .NET framework in some
> way?