The chief advantage of an Enterprise database is that there is no effective size limit. Managed by Oracle Server, a track database can hold 50,000 track miles tested ten or twenty times if there is sufficient server capacity.
When you are planning how to organize your MS Access databases, it is important to consider the size to which they may ultimately grow. This is of particular concern if you are planning to distribute databases on some fixed-size medium, such as CD-ROM (usually 700 Mb.). Also, database performance degrades slightly as databases grow larger. A target database size of 650 MB is likely to work well. If the size of the medium is the main constraint, remember that all four files are required for a working database: measrail.mdb, measrail.hsh, permrail.mdb, and permrail.hsh (see Database Size Limits for more details).
When considering database size, allow for the accumulation of historical data. You may be able to get 200 miles of data easily into a 500 MB database. But when you want to add data for next year and the year after that you will have a problem. In order to compare rail wear over time, calculate wear trends and forecast rail replacement needs, Rangecam needs to have the data in a single database. Generally speaking, the more years of historical data you acquire, the more valuable the database will be in helping you answer such questions as which curves are the best and worst performers, and why.
If database size is a constraint, you are usually better off to divide your databases geographically, so as to make room for several years of data. It may be necessary to use two or more databases for a large subdivision.
Although databases can be divided after they are built, it is easier to plan an optimal geographic division of databases at the outset.
The amount of space actually required to store a 10-mile profile data collection run may vary considerably. The main factors affecting size are: