Databases

[FrankSpencer]

The X4 package states that it has twelve databases available-that is complete databases and not just tables, correct? I've always been able to cope with just one database with many, well organised tables, having that many would seem to make life easier.

[trying hard]

I can't imagine why a blog site would need that many databases. Maybe a marketing website would be comfortable with that many databases and more, but for one or two blog sites like mine I think the x1 would do.

[dave]

The problem with using 1 database with separate prefix's is security and sprawl. If your joomla installation is old and gets hacked do you want them to be able to wipe out your forums as well?

Also reading entries in smaller databases is faster for most applications so keeping them separated allows your scripts to run faster.

[Webguy]

So it sounds like the primary benefits are redundancy for security purposes and speed when it comes to programming.  That's good to know and useful information to consider when getting a site set up.

[FrankSpencer]

Yes that makes sense, though I haven't noticed any slow down in mine yet-perhaps they are just not large enough yet for it to matter.

[annamae]

The problem with using 1 database with separate prefix's is security and sprawl. If your joomla installation is old and gets hacked do you want them to be able to wipe out your forums as well?

Also reading entries in smaller databases is faster for most applications so keeping them separated allows your scripts to run faster.

Am I understand correctly, Dave, that you would recommend a separate database for each site?  Would you need separate databases if you are running a forum and a blog from the same website?

[dave]

It is standard to use a separate database for every piece of software that you install on your site.

[abender]

I'm a bit embarrassed on this question of mine because it sure is a newbie question. Can we create more database than what hosting company provided? Is there an extra charge for having more database? Can we setup our own database in our computer instead on the server of the hosting company?

[greeny]

The problem with using 1 database with separate prefix's is security and sprawl. If your joomla installation is old and gets hacked do you want them to be able to wipe out your forums as well?

Also reading entries in smaller databases is faster for most applications so keeping them separated allows your scripts to run faster.

Thanks. I know about the security reason but I am not aware that having different databases for different applications will make your website run faster. Does it take more resources for more databases so that the users are charged accordingly?

[dave]

The size of the database is the issue. The bigger your database is the longer it will take the server to process certain actions. If you are combining multiple applications in 1 database then your database is going to be larger and therefore slower than a native single application database.

[FrankSpencer]

So really, it is a matter of convenience and processing and not so much an issue of security? Depending on the software you are running, I know that your database can be hacked simply because certain things are set up badly. So that being the case would it make all of your other data vulnerable too?