Thanks for your reply. Given several thousand files is my current threshold, I should be safe for a long while. If and when I reach that mark I am assuming the threshold will higher. Thanks again, Keith Darrin Chandler wrote: On Sun, Nov 19, 2006 at 08:00:11PM -0800, keith smith wrote: > > About 18 years ago I was working on the file/server (not client/server) based desktop database that ran in DOS. > > The maker of the product suggested that we put no more than 300 files in each directory because DOS would slow and we would experience a degradation in performance. > > I was thinking of this and wondering if such a limit would exist in Linux in a web server environment. In other words if say I have 500 pages in one directory is that or some other quantity of pages going to cause the web server to slow? *nix has less of a problem with this than DOS did. For any filesystem and operating system there are parameters than can affect performance. You usually won't need to tweak these at all, even with a couple of thousand files. This falls under the Rules of Optimization (paraphrased from memory, sorry): 1. Don't do it. 2. Don't do it yet. 3. Profile. (optimize the right thing) 3. Measure before and after. (did you help or hurt?) If you want to see examples of a NEED to tweak, and how to do it, Google for what people have done for running NNTP servers (absolutely HUGE numbers of small files, which are added and removed continuously). *IF* you need to tweak, you must take into account your particular situation. -- Darrin Chandler | Phoenix BSD Users Group dwchandler@stilyagin.com | http://bsd.phoenix.az.us/ http://www.stilyagin.com/ | --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss - - - - - - - Keith Smith - - - - - - - http://travelingcheese.com/search_engine/increase-search-engine-traffic.html - - - - - - - --------------------------------- Sponsored Link Don't quit your job - take classes online and earn your degree in 1 year. Start Today