As per our last blogs on Remote Blob Storage (RBS) with SharePoint 2013, RBS with Encryption and when to use Remote Blob Storage (RBS), RBS implementation can help you to overcome size limitations and can eliminate performance issues. However there are always advantages and disadvantages associated with everything, but RBS can definitely help you in certain scenarios.

Advantages of using RBS with SharePoint

Reduces you Database size: If you’re having trouble with disk space with your SQL Server and don’t have facility to add additional disks? RBS can definitely help you, as having compact database is always beneficial.

Extend your SQL Express: if you are using SharePoint with SQL Express, then you might be facing database size limitations (4GB for 2008 & 10GB for R2) along with SQL Server free edition. RBS implementation can offload your data, as data will not be directly stored into your database.

Performance advantage for large BLOB: you can stream data directly from a database, but configuring SQL Server to use remote file streaming is an added overheads. RBS allows you to configure specific file size threshold that can store small files directly in the database and large files can be stored using RBS, storing large files in a different location can provide optimal performance.

Reduced DB backup time: RBS can offload your database that means reduced database size and time associated with database back up. However you still need to take back up of the BLOB Store, but that can be performed as a parallel process and saves lots of time.

Cost effective file storage: Storing barely accessed files on database hard drives is an expensive approach and waste of resources, because DB drives are tend to be fast access and they are expensive. RBS provides another approach to move these BLOBs to BLOB store, allows moving these files to cheaper hard drives with performance boost.

Disadvantages of using RBS with SharePoint

• With the FILESTREAM RBS provider, securing BLOB store data is very important practice. You need to plan and implement appropriate security measures that needs resources and added overheads.
• You should always consider negative performance impact issues, i.e. if you move your BLOB store to a slower hard drive.
• RBS with FILESTREAM doesn’t support Direct Attached Storage (DAS) and database mirroring.
• If you are using System Center Data Protection Manager 2010 to back up, then you can’t use it to back up your RBS data.
• You need to configure individual per content database settings instead of per library or site.
• RBS implementation increases overall IT operational costs, as your IT department needs put more efforts to running and monitoring RBS.

According to Microsoft, there is no guarantee that existing RBS will seamlessly migrate to the next version of SharePoint, however you have always got an option to pull everything back from RBS to the database and implement RBS again as per the systems.

Call us at 484-892-5713 or Contact Us now to learn more about usage of Remote Blob Storage (RBS) with SharePoint.