Just what is 'A big database'?

Question

Ok, dumb question I know but I see the nebulous comment \'a large database\' as well as small and medium and I wonder just what that means. Can someone define what a small, medi

Answer 1

One way to figure it is by observing your test queries.

A small database is one where indexes don't matter.

A medium database is one where queries take longer than one second if you don't have an appropriate index in place.

A big database is one where queries often take hours to optimize, using a combination of query design, index modification, and many test cycles.