mySQL max rows?

**dollars5** · 02-23-2007, 08:58 AM

Hello All,

Just was wondering what is the maximum rows allowed in mySQL DB?

Since for each comment we create a new row, there is more possibility it would exceed the max allowed over a period of time. I have a gaming like implementation using comments, which would even count to 1 million counts within a month (just in case it takes off) and was just wondering is there any alternatives to handle such situations?

Pls help by providing suggestions and ideas for such situation.

**savant** · 02-23-2007, 09:24 AM

in the installtables

`comment_id` int(20) NOT NULL auto_increment,

the int has a range of -2147483648 to 2,147,483,647

by making it unsigned we can get 0 to 4,294,967,295 as we can't have a negative id.

dunno why it asks for a size (20) tho.

a big int will be 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615. but will a database with that many records really possible?

**kbeeveer46** · 02-23-2007, 09:32 AM

I remember slashdot ran into this problem in the last year or so. They hit so many comments that their database hit its limit and I believe what caused it is the exact same thing Savant was talking about. They probably had over 2,147,483,647 comments (4,294,967,295 if they were using an unsigned int) and they had to make some changes to their database for their site to be able to function again.

**dollars5** · 02-23-2007, 09:57 AM

Yep, I asked this keeping slashdot problem at the end of last year.

So if we ran into this, if we just change the type of comment_id to unsigned or big int would solve the problem or something serious is needed?

**kbeeveer46** · 02-23-2007, 10:00 AM

basically, yes. INT should be the only thing you'll ever need for quite some time.

**dollars5** · 02-23-2007, 10:07 AM

Thanks, will test to the limits and let know the results - I just wanted to be sure that if I get into troubles, I know how to get out. (Similar to knowing swimming first, instead of trying to learn after you fell into the sea

)