onefilepertable

The concept of “onefilepertable” refers to a storage strategy in which each database table is stored in its own separate file. This technique is common in lightweight or embedded database systems, as well as in some custom file‑based data stores. By partitioning data at the file level, the system can avoid large, monolithic data files and can provide simpler fault isolation; a corruption in one file typically does not affect other tables.

Implementations of the pattern appear in several well‑known systems. Some versions of the H2 database allow configuring a separate file for each table, and certain versions of SQLite can be accessed via “sharding” at the file level by manually opening separate database files. In log‑structured or event‑sourced applications it is also common to serialize each event type into separate log files, effectively achieving a one‑file‑per‑table layout.

The main advantages of onefilepertable are reduced file size and memory footprint for individual tables, easier backup and restoration of selective tables, and the ability to open files in parallel streams for concurrent access. However, the approach incurs overhead for the operating system’s file descriptor limits, may require more complex query routing logic, and can suffer from diminished performance for queries that span many tables.

Typical use cases include embedded devices, mobile applications, and small‑scale analytics pipelines where file‑based storage eliminates the need for a full database server. In larger systems that require high throughput or strict transactional guarantees, the pattern is usually supplanted by conventional relational engines or distributed key‑value stores.