[consulting] Question about using Drupal for large searchable database

[Joel Willers]

Option 2. Feeds or Node Import, Views. For sure. 

Joel 

From: consulting-bounces at drupal.org [mailto:consulting-bounces at drupal.org] On Behalf Of Sam Cohen
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 8:26 AM
To: A list for Drupal consultants and Drupal service/hosting providers
Subject: [consulting] Question about using Drupal for large searchable database

This list has sure gone quiet lately.  Is everyone just so busy with work?

(Sorry if this isn't the place to ask this.  If anyone knows a better place, please advise. )

A client of mine with a Drupal site I inherited wants to bring in a very large database into their site.  It's basically over 200,000 genealogical/cemetery records that need to be searchable by users.   I'm struggling over whether to do it (1) as a custom module, with it's own separate database or (2) to do it with views/content type and node import.  The client also needs to be able to edit the records through the site.  

The latter approach would be quicker to set up, but I worry that it would bloat the site, potentially cause performance issues, and perhaps other problems I'm not thinking about.   

It's a D6 site for a relatively small nonprofit without a lot of traffic.

How would you handle it?  Custom module or content type/Views?

Thanks,
Sam

Sam Cohen, Principal
New Media Solutions
Drupal Training & Services
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