On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 06:30:07 +0000 (UTC), Venus Software Operations wrote:

> I have just recently tried a few samples with FireBird and now will be
> going for a small app.
> Could you tell me what kind of maintenance/tuning will I be required for
> a FireBird database?

Hardly any tuning is required, and there isn't much to tune.
Choose a page size that suits your data (size of database) - 4KB or 8KB is
fine for most situations.
Choose a buffer size (depending on architecture: CS or SS), number of
active databases, and available RAM (and for CS: active users).
With SS, start at 5000-10000 pages for cache size if this fits with RAM
size etc. I don't know whether the old 'truth' that one should not exceed
about 10.000 cache pages (which makes for about 80MB RAM with 8KB page
size) for a database still holds.
Use gbak regularly, and occasionally do a restore to a new database to
check that backups are OK.
That's it.
Make sure that transaction numbers advance properly (no stuck or
everlasting transactions) - if you have a period of inactivity (no users
connected) you might schedule a SWEEP to clean up transaction numbers and
garbage.
Check that you don't have indexes with very bad selectivity on large
tables. ("bad' selecticity means 'low' selectivity which in IB/Fb is
indicated by a high number - IIRC).
I don't us CS, so ...

--
Aage J.