Large Images Database Management

Question

 I want to know that can I store my images (of size nearly 1 GB each with JPEG 2000 extension) directly in database (SQL server)? or will I store them in server directory,
like in folder structure by year vice order? which one is better? In SQL server option what implementation strategy will be preferable?
Engr. Mudassar Ali Software Engineer

Answer 1

You can map a drive letter to the UNC path as you can any other share.  For example:
NET USE D:
\\YourServer\ServerShare\DatabaseDirectory\FileTableName
Below is a tested example of triggers to maintain the meta data table.  Slightly different than the example David provided but you get the idea.  This will associate the meta data with the parent folder and images within whenever an image
file is created, updated or deleted.  The expectation is that the XML file is created/updated before the image file.
CREATE TABLE dbo.LocationImage AS FILETABLE
WITH
FILETABLE_DIRECTORY = 'LocationImage',
FILETABLE_COLLATE_FILENAME = SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
GO
CREATE TABLE dbo.LocationImageMetaData(
image_folder_path_locator hierarchyid
,vertex_id int IDENTITY
,longitude decimal(18,14)
,latitude decimal(18,14)
,CONSTRAINT PK_LocationImageMetaData PRIMARY KEY(image_folder_path_locator, vertex_id)
GO
CREATE TRIGGER TR_I_U_LocationImage
ON dbo.LocationImage
FOR INSERT, UPDATE
AS
BEGIN TRY
DECLARE @ImageFolder TABLE(
path_locator hierarchyid PRIMARY KEY);
--get list of folders with inserted or updated images
INSERT INTO @ImageFolder
SELECT DISTINCT parent_path_locator AS path_locator
FROM inserted
WHERE
is_directory = 0
AND file_type = 'jpg2000';
--remove existing meta-data for modified folders
DELETE dbo.LocationImageMetaData
WHERE image_folder_path_locator IN(
SELECT path_locator
FROM @ImageFolder
--insert meta-data for new and changed images
WITH
meta_data_files AS (
SELECT
image_folder.path_locator
,CAST(file_stream AS xml) AS meta_data_xml
FROM dbo.LocationImage
JOIN @ImageFolder AS image_folder ON
image_folder.path_locator = LocationImage.parent_path_locator
WHERE
LocationImage.file_type = 'xml'
INSERT INTO dbo.LocationImageMetaData(
image_folder_path_locator
,longitude
,latitude
SELECT
meta_data_files.path_locator
,Vertex.value('./LON[1]', 'decimal(18,14)')
,Vertex.value('./LAT[1]', 'decimal(18,14)')
FROM meta_data_files
CROSS APPLY meta_data_files.meta_data_xml.nodes('//Dataset_Extent/Vertex') AS Dataset_Extent(Vertex);
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
THROW;
END CATCH;
GO
CREATE TRIGGER TR_D_LocationImage
ON dbo.LocationImage
FOR DELETE
AS
BEGIN TRY
DECLARE @ImageFolder TABLE(
path_locator hierarchyid PRIMARY KEY);
--get list of folders with deleted images
INSERT INTO @ImageFolder
SELECT DISTINCT parent_path_locator AS path_locator
FROM deleted
WHERE
is_directory = 0
AND file_type = 'jpg2000';
--remove existing meta-data for folders with no images
DELETE limd
FROM @ImageFolder AS image_folder
JOIN LocationImageMetaData AS limd ON
limd.image_folder_path_locator = image_folder.path_locator
WHERE NOT EXISTS(
SELECT *
FROM dbo.LocationImage
WHERE
LocationImage.parent_path_locator = limd.image_folder_path_locator
AND LocationImage.is_directory = 0
AND LocationImage.file_type = 'jpg2000'
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
THROW;
END CATCH;
GO
Dan Guzman, SQL Server MVP, http://www.dbdelta.com