Website Database - for blog AND forum?

TriedandTested · 26 Apr 2009 at 16:57

Do I need separate databases to run both or one database for each?

I paid for one a short while back for a blog.

tsinc80697 · 26 Apr 2009 at 17:03

Technically you could run them in 1 database but I'd have them seperate.

It's separate data that doesn't need to interact with each other and depending on the amount of forum use it could slow your blog down by adding to the already (possibly) large number of database queries.

TriedandTested · 26 Apr 2009 at 17:08

The blog is only used by three people currently.

The forum will, initially, have around 10 users.

Does that change things?

Basically, I can use the same database but if lots more users started using the forum it may start to struggle? That the gist of it?

tsinc80697 · 26 Apr 2009 at 17:32

Basically yes, and theres no reason to keep them in 1 database really and things might get confusing trying to run 2 separate sites from 1 database, if it doesnt cost anything to get another db, Id do that

TriedandTested · 26 Apr 2009 at 17:54

It's on the same website.

Also, it does cost! Annoying. I might use the same one and go with that - I don't expect either to have massive usage.

Pulseammo · 26 Apr 2009 at 18:49

If you decide to use a single database make sure you enable the "table prefix" option in whatever blog and forum software you are using just to ensure that the tables don't clash and so that it is easy to navigate should you ever decide to export a specific part of the database.

TriedandTested · 26 Apr 2009 at 18:56

Thanks.

It's Wordpress for the blog and phpbb3 for the forum - not installed the latter yet. Any pointers about the table prefix you refer to for Wordpress?

furnace · 26 Apr 2009 at 19:07

To be honest, it sounds like you're on a crap/ripoff host if you're paying extra per database and are only using one.

If you have Wordpress installed already without a table prefix, just make sure PHPBB is installed *with* a table prefix and you'll be fine. I expect it's just a question during the install process.

Pulseammo · 26 Apr 2009 at 20:09

Like furnace says, basically when you go to the site for the first time it usually asks you for details such as the database server, name, username etc. The table prefix is usually one of the questions. It can be anything of your choosing however, I'd pick something like "phpbb_" or "forum_" or something to that effect. Make sure that you use an underscore or something in the middle though because the tables will come out like "forum_users" etc, without the underscore it looks more of a mess, for instance, "forumusers".

TriedandTested · 26 Apr 2009 at 20:34

Thanks all. I'm on my way with both now..prefixed the phpbb3 during install.

Nirvana · 27 Apr 2009 at 21:35

I'd recommend you have a look at bbPress. It might not have all the features of vb or phpbb but you might find you don't use 90% of those features anyway.

Nice thing about bbPress is that the code is extremely lightweight, and you can integrate it with your wordpress blog. Users registered on the blog are automatically registered on the forum with the same persmissions and vice versa. A nice touch if you plan to expand... it would be annoying for users to have to have two accounts for one web site!

suarve · 27 Apr 2009 at 23:06

TriedandTested said:
The blog is only used by three people currently.

The forum will, initially, have around 10 users.

Does that change things?

Basically, I can use the same database but if lots more users started using the forum it may start to struggle? That the gist of it?

In all honesty you'd have to have ato have a lot of traffic/use to see a MySQL database 'stuggle', especially for such few users.

If you were using an Access database then maybe - although again I made an eCommerce using one (and ASP) a while ago, that has pretty much 15 sustained users on throughout the day (bridal shoes are popular apparently, sigh) and the site was just normal. That was using the classic ASP too. Even at my last job there was a huge table held in an access database that people used to access via the interant - that was close to 35 users at once. Being access it slowed a little, but nothing hugely noticeable.

Imo, you'd need a hell of a lot of concurren users on a MySQL database to see noticeable slow downs.

Enough whine, Family Guy is on soon!