in reply to Member profiles - file or db?

Yes use a database. I prefer PostgreSQL, but I'll let you slide.

Make sure you look into indexes at that volume. They will improve performance a lot if you implement them correctly. Do your homework though because they can degrade perfromance if you don't use them correctly.

If you are really concerned about growth, put the profiles in a separate database from your session table, etc. That way you can move it to another machine someday without rewriting.