We are migrating our MS-Access database to SQL Server Compact 4.0 using the Entity Framework 5 Code First approach. We found that using Database generated Integer ID’s is very slow and to make it worse, the delay increases exponentially with the size of the database. This makes using an Identity column impossible and it seems there is a bad implementation of this feature in SQL Server Compact 4.0 paired with the Entity Framework.
So, we ran some tests and found that using a client side generated key speeds op insertion by at least 20 times, the exponential increase in insertion disappears.
Now we are looking at a the best way to generate client side ID’s. Using GUID’s seems the most secure option, but I read that this negatively impacts read actions. Is there a strategy in using auto-incremented Integers that are client side generated?
EDIT:
I will investigate the underlying problem that lead to the question further. In the mean time can my real question be answered please? 🙂
EDIT2:
It is pretty exasperating that nobody seems to believe the assertion that using auto-id’s with EF and SQL Server compact 4.0 is so slow. I posted a separate question about this with a proof of concept that should be easily reproducible.
If you are moving large amounts of data with EF, you are doing it wrong. Use ADO.NET, and for example a BULK COPY approach instead (with SQL CE use SqlCeUpdateableRecord). You could use my SqlCeBulkCopy library to save some coding effort.