Device Requirements

SAP ASE devices and databases are subject to maximum and minimum values.

  • The maximum device size is 4TB.

  • The minimum usable device size depends on the server's logical page size. Databases manage space in groups of 256 logical pages, and the smallest specifiable disk piece size is 1MB, so the smallest usable device is the larger of 1MB or 256 logical pages:

    • The minimum device size for a 2K page server is 1MB.

    • The minimum device size for a 4K page server is 1MB.

    • The minimum device size for an 8K page server is 2MB.

    • The minimum device size for a 16K page server is 4MB.

  • The maximum number of database devices is 2,147,483,647. However, SAP ASE must retain a description of each device in memory, so in practice this number is limited by your system’s memory. Your operating system also limits how many devices one program can open simultaneously.

  • A database can contain up to 2,147,483,648 logical pages, so its maximum size depends on its logical page size:

    • The maximum database size on a 2K page server is 8TB.

    • The maximum database size on a 4K page server is 16TB.

    • The maximum database size on an 8K page server is 32TB.

    • The maximum database size on a 16K page server is 64TB.

  • The minimum database size is the size of the installation’s model database.

  • Each database is stored on one or more database devices, in one or more disk pieces. The maximum number of disk pieces in one database is 8,388,608. However, SAP ASE must retain a description of all active databases, so in practice this number is also limited by your operating system memory.

Note: By default, srvbuild creates the devices in $SYBASE/data directory.
Parent topic: Manage Database Devices