Syntax option: BUFFER SIZE IS buffer-blocks BLOCKS Specifies the number of blocks Oracle Rdb allocates per buffer. You need to specify an unsigned integer greater than zero. The default buffer size is 3 times the PAGE SIZE value (6 blocks for the default PAGE SIZE of 2). The buffer size is a global parameter and the number of blocks per page (or buffer) is constrained to 64 blocks per page. The page size can vary by storage area for multifile databases, and the page size should be determined by the sizes of the records that will be stored in each storage area. When choosing the number of blocks per buffer, choose a number so that a round number of pages fits in the buffer. In other words, the buffer size is wholly divisible by all page sizes for all storage areas in your multifile database. For example, if you have three storage areas with page sizes of 2, 3, and 4 blocks each respectively, choosing a buffer size of 12 blocks ensures optimal buffer utilization. In contrast, choosing a buffer size of 8 wastes 2 blocks per buffer for the storage area with a page size of 3 pages. Oracle Rdb reads as many pages as fit into the buffer; in this instance it reads two 3-block pages into the buffer, leaving 2 wasted blocks. The altered buffer size must allow for existing page sizes. You cannot specify a buffer size smaller than the largest existing page size.