[p4] usefulness of a depot other than a top-level directory?

[Jeff Grills]

I'd say that's a Bad Idea.  In general, unless you know you have some
compelling reason to use multiple depots, I wouldn't.  They're not quite the
same as top level directories, and I would highly recommend against trying
to use them as such.  It's much easier to map multiple top level directories
to a single client when there is only one depot and the directories are
created under that depot ("//depot/... //clientname/..." is a very common
clientspec in smaller installations, and you can't do that with lots of
depots).  I think there are some other good reasons as well, but I can't
think of them off the top of my head.

One potential obvious use of multiple depots is to spread your depot files
across multiple devices, but there are better ways to accomplish that on
modern operating systems (symbolic links in Unix flavors, junction points on
Windows flavors, and potentially lots of other ways on high end disk storage
systems).

Remote depots (another type of depot) can also be quite useful, but there
are performance implications related to them - this is certainly a case
where you would know you have a compelling reason.

j

-----Original Message-----
From: perforce-user-bounces at perforce.com
[mailto:perforce-user-bounces at perforce.com] On Behalf Of
Tim.Miller at Reardencommerce.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 9:27 PM
To: perforce-user at perforce.com
Subject: [p4] usefulness of a depot other than a top-level directory?


Hi,

By default p4d creates a depot called 'depot.'  You can create other depots
(and delete the 'depot' depot).  But I'm not sure (other than the spec
depot) what the benefits of a depot are or how to use them to advantage.  Or
should I just think of them as a top-level directory.

To keep pathnames short, I would like to create depots like this (below).
Is this a good idea?  A bad idea?  Pitfalls?

Thanks,
Tim

//app1
	/main
	/branch	(full dev&sub-project branches)
	/rel
//app2		
	/main
	/branch	
	/rel
//user		(sparse task&defect branches, prototypes, non-production
stuff)
	/jdoe
	/jsmith
//mktg
	/fluff

etc.

-- 
Tim Miller
REARDEN commerce

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