How can I insert over 3400 bytes of text into a field in the Tridion broker?

I have a schema with a lot of metadata fields. We want to be able to search for components based on that schema from the broker via the Tridion API like:

using Tridion.ContentDelivery.DynamicContent.Query;
private static Criteria getSearchCriteria(
        string searchText,
        params BrokerConstants.MetadataField[] fields)
    var searchCriteria = new List<Criteria>();
    foreach (var f in fields)
    {
        var mkcText = new CustomMetaKeyCriteria(f.Name);
        var mvcText = new CustomMetaValueCriteria(
                mkcText, 
                "%" + searchText + "%",
                Criteria.Like);
        searchCriteria.Add(mvcText);
    }
    return new OrCriteria(searchCriteria.ToArray());
}

This works fine so far: the user can type in some search text, we pass the search text through to Tridion via the broker API, and Tridion gives us back the components that match that search text.

But! If I add a lot of text to the content field for any component, the Tridion publishing process fails at the "deploying" phase:

Phase: Deployment Processing Phase failed, Could not deploy component [Component id=tcm:9-2617-16 title=xyz schema=tcm:9-2325-8], CustomMeta field, StringValue, is bigger than the supported size of 3400 bytes!

I tried changing the KEY_STRING_VALUE column in the broker databases's CUSTOM_META table from nvarchar(3400) to nvarchar(MAX), but that doesn't seem to have fixed the problem.

I'm not exceeding the limit by very much at all: "wc" tells me there are 4037 bytes in my text. Around 6000 or so sounds like a comfortable-ish upper limit for my needs.

Is there an easy way to increase the amount of bytes of text I'm allowed in this field?

There is no supported way of doing what you wish to accomplish. Also, keep in mind what is the actual purpose of the custom meta. Seems to me you're misusing it by adding huge content in the column.

Anyways, if you really want to go down that road, then you need to contact Tridion Support or visit sdltridionworld (login required) and download CD_2011.1.1.83467 (or any hotfix containing CD_2011.1.1.81125 except for CD_2011.1.1.83475!!!). What the hotfix changes is it removes a hard check on the size of the metadata done at deployment time. In other words, it allows you to shoot yourself in the leg by letting the database server decide if you are allowed to store that much content in that column. Please do know that changing the database columns is not supported by Tridion.

Hope this helps.