SQL Server: How to store binary data (e.g. Word file)?

Question

I\'m not a DBA, so I just don\'t know the upsides and downsides of using various methods of storing binary data in an SQL Server.

• varbinary(n) sto

Answer 1

There is 'FILESTREAM' storage in SQL Server 2008. It allows storage of and efficient access to BLOB data using a combination of SQL Server 2008 and the NTFS file system.

You can check these out:

FILESTREAM Storage in SQL Server 2008
Saving and Retrieving File Using FileStream SQL Server 2008

EDIT:
Objects smaller than 256K are best stored in a database while objects larger than 1M are best stored in the filesystem.

Performance: Varbinary vs FILESTREAM

http://www.sqlskills.com/BLOGS/PAUL/post/SQL-Server-2008-FILESTREAM-performance.aspx
To BLOB or Not To BLOB: Large Object Storage in a Database or a Filesystem
SQL Server 2008 FILESTREAM performance