Full Text Indexing

I need to store documents in a central location and search them using the features associated with Microsoft Search Service. I can either store them on SQL Server or on the server direct - using either method I can retrieve them using sql (in the case of the later I need to use the openquery method and deploy a linked server).
I am trying to work out which method I should use, at the moment I am inclined towards storing them outside the database as this seems to be quicker. Any advice about the pros and cons associated with each would be much appreciated.Dave,
Well, if you need to search them via the "Microsoft Search Service" and
you're using SQL Server 2000, then you must store the files in SQL Server in
column defined as an IMAGE datatype along with a "binding" column for the
file extension. See SQL Server 2000 Books Online (BOL) title "Filtering
Supported File Types" for more information. Note, this is a new feature of
SQL Server 2000 Full-Text Search (FTS).
If you do not have SQL Server 2000 and are using SQL Server 7.0, you can
store the files on disk with pointers to the doc in a SQL Server table and
then use the "Indexing Service" to FT index the documents and use a
openquery method and deploy a linked server. However, you will find that
compared to storing the files in SQL Server 2000, that this option will not
perform as well.
There are other considerations that may also affect your decision to store
the docs inside or outside the database, such as the number of files, (just
thousands, or millions?) as well as security/transaction control (on disk,
anyone can add, delete or modify the files). There are many factors that can
and do enter into this discussion as I've seen flame wars started over this
issue, so more information on exactly what your requirements are would be
helpful in making this decision...
Note, you can also post FTS related questions to the newsgroup:
microsoft.public.sqlserver.fulltext
Regards,
John
"Dave Walsh" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:41FEB598-76FA-4D1F-9122-144F06922AD5@.microsoft.com...
> I need to store documents in a central location and search them using the
features associated with Microsoft Search Service. I can either store them
on SQL Server or on the server direct - using either method I can retrieve
them using sql (in the case of the later I need to use the openquery method
and deploy a linked server).
> I am trying to work out which method I should use, at the moment I am
inclined towards storing them outside the database as this seems to be
quicker. Any advice about the pros and cons associated with each would be
much appreciated.