tablespace

Some database programs, such as Oracle, automatically create a tablespace called SYSTEM that contains general information about the structure and contents of the database. A small database can be entirely contained in the SYSTEM tablespace, but in most cases, user data is placed in other tablespaces.

The files in a tablespace usually share a common characteristic. For example, a database for a wholesale distributor might consist of tablespaces entitled ACCOUNTING, ORDERS, SHIPPING, SERVICE, and SYSTEM. Each tablespace might contain only one data file, or thousands of files, or anything in between. Tablespaces can be created, deleted, and merged, just as can the folders on the hard drive of a computer.

Read more about tablespace: - ZDNet has an article, "Tablespace creation is a snap with Oracle Managed Files." - A Sybase manual compares tablespace commands in various database management systems.

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