Pk Data Type Choice For Nhibernate?

Question

When I started using nhibernate I just did what I always used an incrementing int. Now that I know more about nhibernate and the unit of work I feel like incrementing ints are not a good way to go(they break the unit of work).

I am wondering what should I use as a primary key? Should I use a GUID or a HILO?

I like GUID ask they are unique but I don't like that they can take up alot of room if you start getting a huge db.

I have not used HILO but I think you need a special hilo table to make it work what kinda sucks.

What are peoples thoughts.

Also eventually when I have time I would like to convert my old code to use this new PK data type so I can start making better use of unit of work.

What is the best way to convert ok data to the PK? Is using one of the 2 datatypes I talked about easier to convert than the other?

Answer 1

GUID should be used in situations where you need cross DB replication for example. And not standard GUID, it will mess your indexes. There is a Guid.Comb in NH.

As for HILO - used it only once for batching. Dont like the idea of using extra table. After that moved to natural keys.

Basicaly I would suggest to use Guid.Comb. Here is some reading about this stuff:
Using The Guid.Comb Identifier Strategy