Re: Blobs in Postgresql

On 8/15/07, Ron Olson <tachoknight(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> Hi all-
>
> I am evaluating databases for use in a large project that will hold image
> data as blobs. I know, everybody says to just store pointers to files on the
> disk...can't do it here...the images are of a confidential nature and access
> to the database (and resulting client app) will be highly restricted. The
> underlying platform will likely be Linux though Solaris x86-64 has been
> suggested as well.
>
> I did some tests with MySQL and found the results very sub-par...the
> standard blob field only holds 64k (they have three types of blobs for
> whatever reason) and the real problem is that my uploads and downloads have
> failed because of packet size issues...this can be solved somewhat with
> server settings, but I get the impression that blobs are barely supported.
>
> So turning to Postgresql, can I get any recommendations, suggestions and
> tips on blob handling in the database? The image sizes will be pretty
> variable, from a few kilobytes to several hundred megabytes, so I need
> something that will handle the various file sizes, hopefully transparently.

for fast performance, you should make sure to use the parameterized
interface and send in the results as binary (or use a language that
accesses the database that way). I would be nervous about storing
blobs if they were very large.

regarding the security issue, have you looked at encryption?

merlin