Is there an optimum size of the db

[bigjoe]

I'm very new to Filemaker, I have at my company several large datbases. Some of them have increased to 10gb in size as we are scanning a lot of information for past employee files.

I have noticed that these files are getting corrupt often and I have to restore from backup. The problem being is that I don't know when they became corupt. I have tried to rebuild the db through filemaker which takes a long time and says that it is too corrupt to rebuild.

Should I not be using FM with such large files. I'm trying to convnince my employer that we should just use folders withing Windows instead.

Any help or information regarding file limitations is greatly appreciated.

[mr_vodka]

With files embedded into FM, it may be beneficial to reference the file rather than store the actual file in the container field. It should dramatically drop the size.

[bigjoe]

So by reference the file will be stored in a folder system on the hard drive not within the db correct?

[mr_vodka]

Yes, it will reference the file that you insert into the container field.

There is a drawback to this of course. If the file is moved, then the file reference path will no longer be valid of course. However, if the files are on a common network drive that everyone can access, then its fine.

If you have the budget, you may want to check out a plugin such as Troi File plugin. Its a very useful plugin to have because you can script it so that even if the file is local, it can copy it to a cetain network path and then reference that new path in the container field, so that all the files are in one central files area or server.

[bigjoe]

We have thousands of scans that we have everything embeded into the database. Is there a quick way or method to switch to referencing.

Rescanning the files isn't an option as there are thousands of scans.

[mr_vodka]

If you currently have a shared common server location where you can store the images, you can run a script like this. You may want to make a backup of your file prior.

Image_copy.zip