Dump / load - storage areas

[ron]

Hi,

I'm at a company with many remote sites, each with a Progress DB. They are (slowly) rolling-out a change from SCO Unix + Progress 9.1D - to Linux + Progress 10.2B. However - the storage areas are not being changed.

I want to put a case to use Type 2 storage areas. I read the Progress docs and many posts in this forum. I understand that Type 2 areas keep associated data clustered ... which means the data won't fragment like it does with Type 1 areas. I've read it said many times that with Type 2 you NEVER need to D/L again (for performance reasons). Is that literally true? Or is it that the rate of degradation is very slow such that you can go much longer in-between D/Ls?

The company also has quite a large number of (local) SQL Server DBs - and as far as I know none of them have ever had a D/L. Does SQL fragment like Progress? I remember many years back with Ingres DBs we had to D/L occasionally. But these days I only ever hear of it with Progress. Does anyone have knowledge about this?

Ron.

 

[Rob Fitzpatrick]

You definitely want to get your databases onto Type II storage with OE 10. If you are going to roll it out (slowly), I would recommend that you D/L your DBs in moving from 9 to 10 rather than just convert them with the existing structure. If you load into a Type II structure, then you get to Type II "for free". The D/L and index rebuild will likely help your performance, in addition to the many inherent performance and future-proofing benefits of being on Type II.

Type II isn't a panacea however. It is not the case that you will never need to D/L again.

I can't advise you on fragmentation in SQL Server.

Also, for a good Type II overview, read this.

 

[TomBascom]

Where have you been reading that you will no longer need to dump & load?

BTW -- the benefit is that *scatter* is reduced because the blocks are "asocial". "Fragmentation" isn't influenced by type 1 vs type 2. (It is unfortunate but what we call scatter is similar to what OS people call fragmentation.) This PPT 1, 2, 3 Scatter! covers the difference and may even explain why scatter can continue to be a problem even if you have type 2 areas.