SQL Anywhere Feedback - ASTMP adversely affects portability

Author

ASTMP adversely affects portability

Breck Carter [TeamSybase]

2005-10-27, 7:41 am

When moving a database from one physical server to another, it is all
too EASY to forget setting the location of the temporary file, because
that location is controlled by a steenking environment variable.

It is ALSO easy to miss during initial testing, if the randomly-chosen
path has enough space to accomodate the load. It is only at THE PEAK
OF THE DAY, when big MobiLink sessions start crashing because of
TEMP_SPACE_LIMIT_CHE
CK, that one notices it.

Then, you have to add/change the environment variable and BOUNCE THE
SERVER (a scary alternative might be to simply remove
TEMP_SPACE_LIMIT_CHE
CK and wait for the server to fill the drive and
crash, thus getting the restart without getting the blame :)

I don't have any solution to suggest, just a complaint: environment
variables are so last-millennium, and really have no place in a modern
product. I think SQL Anywhere has a bunch of dirty little crannies to
look for settings, none of which I like (ASASRV.INI comes to mind),
but let's not get off topic: ASTMP has got to go.

Breck

--
SQL Anywhere Studio 9 Developer's Guide
Buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...7/risingroad-20
bcarter@risingroad.com
RisingRoad SQL Anywhere and MobiLink Professional Services
www.risingroad.com

Glenn Paulley

2005-10-27, 7:41 am

In the Jasper release, we will offer the -dt command line switch to
specify a directory for temporary files (this has already been
implemented).

The environment variables will, however, remain.

Glenn

"Breck Carter [TeamSybase]" < NOSPAM__bcarter@risi
ngroad.com> wrote in
news:441tk1tviajanne
rnqra0tvr7gt6tmvgde@
4ax.com:

> When moving a database from one physical server to another, it is all
> too EASY to forget setting the location of the temporary file, because
> that location is controlled by a steenking environment variable.
>
> It is ALSO easy to miss during initial testing, if the randomly-chosen
> path has enough space to accomodate the load. It is only at THE PEAK
> OF THE DAY, when big MobiLink sessions start crashing because of
> TEMP_SPACE_LIMIT_CHE
CK, that one notices it.
>
> Then, you have to add/change the environment variable and BOUNCE THE
> SERVER (a scary alternative might be to simply remove
> TEMP_SPACE_LIMIT_CHE
CK and wait for the server to fill the drive and
> crash, thus getting the restart without getting the blame :)
>
> I don't have any solution to suggest, just a complaint: environment
> variables are so last-millennium, and really have no place in a modern
> product. I think SQL Anywhere has a bunch of dirty little crannies to
> look for settings, none of which I like (ASASRV.INI comes to mind),
> but let's not get off topic: ASTMP has got to go.
>
> Breck
>
> --
> SQL Anywhere Studio 9 Developer's Guide
> Buy the book:
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...7/risingroad-20
> bcarter@risingroad.com RisingRoad SQL Anywhere and MobiLink
> Professional Services www.risingroad.com
>

--
Glenn Paulley
Research and Development Manager, Query Processing
iAnywhere Solutions Engineering

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