title: SQL Server Express database size / BLOB storage
body: <p>I was reading about external blob storage in SQL Server and was wondering how this relates to the database size. When talking SQL Server Express, you have a limit in database size (for 2008 it's 10GB I believe). So how about your ESB storage? Is that taken into account for this limit, or does it only count the actual <code>.mdf</code> file itself? Thinking about it, what about the <code>.ldf</code> log file? </p>
  
  <p>I was thinking about this related to SharePoint. Since the major part of a content database usually consists of larger blob objects (documents), it could be very cost effective to move those to ESB if that saves you fullsize SQL Server licenses.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Update:</strong> Posted about a possible savings option for SharePoint Foundation - SQL Express here: <a href="http://blog.repsaj.nl/index.php/2012/09/sp2010-saving-yourself-a-full-sql-license/" rel="nofollow">http://blog.repsaj.nl/index.php/2012/09/sp2010-saving-yourself-a-full-sql-license/</a></p>