(temorary) solution for the database index problems ?!?!

RIPE Database Manager <ripe-dbm at ripe.net> writes
 * 
 * Dear all,
 * 
 * The last days I did some further research with Benoit Grange and Willi
 * Huber (they both run SUN OS, so we could use each others binaries) on the
 * recent indexing problems. This morning I found out that the problems
 * disappear when you don't use the '-p' prime option in netdbm. This option
 * adds dummy objects to the database to make the lookups faster.
 * 
 * So for the temporary solution:
 * 
 * Do *NOT* use the '-p' option in netdbm !!!
 * 
 * I am not sure yet if there is a bug in the code or that certain 'dbm'
 * versions cause the problems. I will investigate further ...

Why didn't anyone ask me? It is definately an DBM bug, or rather the
way DBM grows its datafiles. It basically is rather stupid when it needs
more space and will take an increasing chunk of disk space for the
index. Not using the -p option will only be a temporary measure, only
because you make the database smaller (no prime entries) but you do
make it flatter. Try and make or run a perl with sdbm or gdbm. These
two have better size control than the standard dbm (esp gdbm) but are
slower when indexing.

-Marten