# innodb\_data\_file\_path

**URL:** <https://forums.percona.com/t/innodb-data-file-path/1301>\
**Category:** Other MySQL® Questions\
**Created:** [December 6, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/innodb-data-file-path/1301 "2009-12-06T20:34:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bealdrid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@bealdrid](https://forums.percona.com/u/bealdrid)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/innodb-data-file-path/1301/1 "2009-12-06T20:34:34Z")

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Hello,

I’ve been reading a lot of the posts lately and have enjoyed my time here. I’d like to ask about the innodb\_data\_file\_path parameter in my.cnf. I have a database with mostly MyISAM tables with the exception of one InnoDB table. I am getting ready to load the data into the InnoDB table and have roughly a 100GB .sql file. My question is how should I set up my innodb\_data\_file\_path parameter. Should I split it up into 4 25GB chunks with an autoextend on the last one? 2 50GB chunks? 1 100GB one? Basically is there any benefit to having multiple ibdata files as opposed to one huge one?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![xaprb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/49beb7/32.png) [@xaprb](https://forums.percona.com/u/xaprb)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/innodb-data-file-path/1301/2 "2009-12-07T20:20:42Z")

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These days I would suggest not specifying this parameter at all. Instead, just specify innodb\_file\_per\_table. If you look around Google for this, you’ll see all the arguments in its favor: more manageability, ability to reclaim space after dropping a table…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bealdrid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@bealdrid](https://forums.percona.com/u/bealdrid)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/innodb-data-file-path/1301/3 "2009-12-08T10:38:15Z")

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Thanks Baron for the reply! I will plan to do this. With this method, will an “OPTIMIZE TABLE” reclaim the lost disk space from the transactions over time?

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**Author:** ![xaprb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/49beb7/32.png) [@xaprb](https://forums.percona.com/u/xaprb)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 1:13pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/innodb-data-file-path/1301/4 "2009-12-08T13:13:55Z")

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Yes, with innodb\_file\_per\_table, OPTIMIZE TABLE will rebuild the table and shrink the .ibd file to fit.