One or multiple databases?

[david7777777777]

I'm using SQL 2000 on Windows 2000 Server. I already have a database named ITNet, which is the back end of a simple web application I made for managing our computer inventory at my company.

I'm now building another web app that will serve as an employee directory. I'm looking down the road as I design this system and I'm wondering what the pro's and con's are of adding more tables to the existing ITNet database for the employee directory vs. creating a new database for the employee directory data.

I know there will be shared data between the two applications (Employee name = a PC serial number, etc.) and I'm trying to figure out how hard it is to share data across databases on the same SQL server, or if it would be easier to just keep all of this company data in one database. Thank you in advance for your advice and opinions.

 

[JayKusch]

Remember ... you loose referential integrity by having tables in diffrent DBs. If possible, keep all your tables in on DB. saves alot of headaches. You can also preface your tables to describ/link them to the main application that will be uning them such as ...

Inv_table1
Inv_table2
Inv_....

Then

Emp_table1
Emp_table2
Emp_table...

Just a thought!

Thanks

J. Kusch