It seems like you've hit the most logical solution. After reviewing the situation (there were a few more nasties in the works than just the database hits issue) it looks like I'll be using both a relational db and spectra in the application.

Thanks again for your help, I feel very much relieved!

Vaughan

> Here's a radical (and possibly useless response)! > > It SOUNDS like the data you are trying to manage and display is highly > relational. That can be a signal that it is not appropriate for storing in > the Spectra CODB. > > IMHO, the Spectra CODB is great at managing content but it is less valuable > and adept at handling highly relational data. > > It is NOT necessary to put all data managed by Spectra into the CODB, nor is > it advisable. I would not try to move data into the CODB on which users need > to make many relational type of joins because that is not what the CODB is > good at. > > How about storing your data in a regular, normalized database structure and > use Spectra as a front end to get to it or present it? > > You could use a Spectra object as the means for accessing it by storing a > Product ID in the object and then use a method to access a stored procedure > that actually gets the data. That way you offload the database-heavy type of > work to the proper place but get the advantages of security, personalization > and easy programming that come from using Spectra objects. > > Wrap the code in a cfa_generatedcontentcache and you get the advantages of > Spectra caching -- if your application allows you to cache data, i.e. it > doesn't have to be real time dynamic each time the page is hit. > > In addition to Product information, your site probably has what would more > usually be considered "content" -- articles, press releases, etc. Store > those in the CODB and access them using methods as usual. > > This gives you one paradigm for accessing data -- Spectra methods -- and the > data lives where it can be most efficiently accessed and manipulated. > > I'm obviously missing lots of data about your exact situation, but I do > think it is a common mistake to try to shoe-horn everything into Spectra > when it doesn't need to be. (At least I like to think it's a common mistake > since I made it! :-) ) > > David > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vaughan Evans [mailto:vaughan.evans@sai.com.au] > Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 1:33 AM > To: Spectra-Talk > Subject: too many database hits... > > > Hi all, > > because of reasons I have not been able to control I have had to strip all > shared embedded objects from my object model instead > opting for the reference id option. The problem is that I have about 60 > types. There is one 'master' type called Product and > everything else is in some way related to it, by fully embedded or reference > ids. > > Because my data for each Product is spread across so many objects I'm now > being forced to do loads and loads of > cfa_contentObjectGet's per page. On a page where I used to have only one > trip to the database I now have to do about 10 and this > only provides about 7 summary pieces of info about the Product. > > Also since its taking 10-ish (possibly more for larger Products) trips to > the database for each product summary I'm concerned that > if a search returns 20 products and this summary info is used as a search > result (which it is going to be) then I'm up for 200 trips > to the database!! I'm I hearing alarm bells? > > Admittedly these objects are very large but I'm thinking that 10 quick trips > per product must surely be a lot slower than 1 > large-ish one. > > I've thought of duplicating the properties that I need to display within the > product object as well as a reference id so that if I > only need basic info then I don't need all DB trips. This of course causes > issues when objects are getting updated later on. eg. > I'll have to keep the properties of my Product in synch with the object > that's reference id is also part of that product. If someone > updates one of the referenced objects how do I then synchronise that update > with all the 'simplifyed' versions of it I have in my > Product's? > > Hmm this is all hurting my brain a bit! > > Can anyone suggest any resolution to my problem? Are there any design/coding > changes I can make to speed things up a bit? Any help > on this will be greatly appreciated. > > Thanks for your help as always, > Vaughan > > p.s. hope you're all having a great festive season > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paid Sponsorship ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get Your Own Dedicated Win2K Server! Instant Activation for $99/month w/Free Setup from SoloServer PIII600 / 128 MB RAM / 20 GB HD / 24/7/365 Tech Support Visit SoloServer, https://secure.irides.com/clientsetup.cfm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To Unsubscribe visit http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists&body=lists/spectra_talk or send a message to spectra-talk-request@houseoffusion.com with 'unsubscribe' in the body.