>Since the  LISTS Database already  exists on some  LISTSERVs I'd like  to have
>numbers on  the resources (esp.  DASD space) needed to  house it. If  they are
>reasonable I'd also take it.
>Christian
>P.S.:
>I got complaints from several users saying  "I've read the MEMO but it doesn't
>tell me the name of any Database to  start with". I must agree that this point
>is not very clear in the description.
>What if your first  'SELECT *' with no additional parms would  give you a list
>of available  databases ? (Even if  you're smart enough  to use the name  of a
>list you'd never find BITEARN or LISTS)
><CR
 
Ross, Eric and myself have recently been talking a little about the LISTS
database, since all 3 of us run it, and several questions have come up
about it.  I don't have enough experience with it yet to give any performance
numbers, however I can give size of DASD space required.
 
There are on my server as of today 734 files in the database.  They
are named $nnnnnnn LDBASE.  They are the bulk of the space required.
I have tried several different blocksizes on 3380s to see how much
space is required.  Using a 20 cyl 3380, I copied all the $* files
to this disk from my A-disk.  Using the following blocksize, here are
the numbers I got.
 
                 4K          2K           1K
#blocks        3000        5400         9300
#blocks used    780         871         1505
% used           26          16           16
Largest file      2           3            6
Distribution     14-2B       14-3B         3-6B
                720-1B       33-2B        11-5B
                            687-1B         5-4B
                                          28-3B
                                         270-2B
                                         417-1B
 
 
The largest files dealt with I-KERMIT or IBMPC-L, and were generally
90-110 lines long.  Updating time doesn't seem to be much more than
the normal update for the network wide lists.  All servers get the material,
its just that those of you without the LISTS database, just throw it
away.  If I get a chance and can get some performance numbers, I'll
post them.  As it stands, Eric had reccomended a 2K blocksize, and from
the above, I tend to agree with him.
 
Harry