This parameter contains the default file path used to create databases under the database manager. If no path is specified when a database is created, the database is created under the path specified by the dftdbpath parameter.
In a partitioned database environment, you should ensure that the path on which the database is being created is not an NFS-mounted path (on UNIX-based platforms), or a network drive (in the Windows NT environment). The specified path must physically exist on each database partition server. To avoid confusion, it is best to specify a path that is locally mounted on each database partition server. The maximum length of the path is 205 characters. The system appends the node name to the end of the path.
Given that databases can grow to a large size and that many users could be creating databases (depending on your environment and intentions), it is often convenient to be able to have all databases created and stored in a specified location. It is also good to be able to isolate databases from other applications and data both for integrity reasons and for ease of backup and recovery.
For UNIX-based environments, the length of the dftdbpath name cannot exceed 215 characters and must be a valid, absolute, path name. For OS/2 and Windows NT, the dftdbpath can be a drive letter, optionally followed by a colon.
Recommendation: If possible, put high volume databases on a different disk than other frequently accessed data, such as the operating system files and the database logs.