
--81--

item: 16 of subboard (1) Suggestions for the future
subj: new message base format - sucks
from: Rubber Ducky
on  : Tue 21-Jul-1992  2:13a

>Too many files used for msgs now...
Ken has to take into account many programming aspects that we don't
see.  Sometimes some extra HD space needs to be sacrificed for benefits
gained in speeds and other things.

Let's say your BBS has 20 bases, each w/100 items, each with 20 responses.

1)  Single, big file methods:
I've seen these.
One data file and 2-3 pointer/index files per base.  (40 files)
Much harder to code.
Very low disk space.
Ultra-fast searches.
(Search 1000 msgs in just a few hits/misses.  The small pointer/index
files are used, not the actual text (the major bulk of any msg) file.)

2)  Individual files for msgs:
1 dir per msg base.  (20 dirs)
Each item is named by it's #. (1_0 2_0 3_0 4_0) (2000 files)
Each response is named by it's item#_response#.  (1_1 1_2 1_3 etc.) (38000)

3) C-net:
Create a dir for each base. (20 dirs)
Create a sub-dir in each, for its data files.  (20 dirs)
Put 4 data files in each dir. (80 files)
Create a dir for item posts for each base. (20 dirs)
Put each post as a separate file within it. (2000 files)
Creat a dir for responses for each base.  (20 dirs)
Create dirs for EACH item in each base. (2000 dirs)
Put each response as a separate file with it. (38000)
(I hope I got that right.)

Method #1: (1 dir, 40 files)
Method #2: (20 dirs, 40,000 files)
Method #3: (2,080 dirs, 40,080 files)

Remember, each dir (even ones with 1 file in them) count as 1 block of
disk space.
And each file (even 1 byte ones) count as 2 blocks of disk space.

Min blocks used, even if all msgs are 1 byte long:
Method #1:     81 blocks
Method #2: 80,020 blocks
Method #3: 82,240 blocks

Backing up to floppy?  1758 blocks per disk?
Method #1:  1 disk
Method #2: 45 disks
Method #3: 47 disks

Backing up at the rate of 20 files or dirs per secs?
Method #1:   2 secs
Method #2:  33 mins
Method #3:  35 mins

It all adds up.
The avg size of msgs on my BBS are only about 500 bytes each.
Hardly worth having (my current) 20,000 of as separate files.

-Bill Allen Beogelein, Amiga ShareWare HQ, 313-473-2020, 1:120/207
