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Entity
A person, place, thing, or event on which we maintain information.
Accessing Records from Computer Files
• Computer stores files on secondary storage devices.
• Records can be arranged in several ways on storage media.
• How individual record scan be accessed or retrieved depends on
how they are arranged on storage media.
• There are mainly two ways to organize records: sequentially or
randomly.
• In sequential file organization, data records must be retrieved in the
same physical sequence in which they are stored.
• In direct or random file organization, data records can be accessed
in any sequence as users desire, without regard to actual physical
order on the storage media.
• Sequential file organization is the only file organization that can be
used on magnetic tape. Example: Payroll
• Direct or random file organization is utilized with magnetic disk.
Most computer applications utilize this method.
Indexed Sequential Access Method
• The indexed sequential access method is a way of
storing data records on a physical storage device
in sequential order for sequential processing.
• Example payroll applications.
• However, ISAM also allows any specific record to
be directly accessed without searching through the
file sequentially by using the record’s key field to
find its storage address in an index.
Direct File Access Method
• The direct file access method does not store the records
in sequential order, as with ISAM.
• It uses a key field to determine the location of each
record.
• However, rather than carrying that location in an index,
the location is calculated each time using an algorithm
that translates the key field directly into the record’s
physical storage address.
• Transformation algorithm: Divide key field by the
prime number closest to max. number of records in the
field. The remainder determines the address location
for the record. Divide 2367 by 997=> remainder is 373.
• So, the record address is 373.
Problems of the Traditional File Environment
• Data redundancy is the presence of duplicate data in multiple data files.
• In this situation confusion results because the data can have different
meanings in different files.
• Program-data dependence is the tight relationship between data stored
in files and the specific programs required to update and maintain those
files. This dependency is very inefficient, resulting in the need to make
changes in many programs when a common piece of data (such as zip
code) changes.
• Lack of flexibility refers to the fact that it is very difficult to create new
reports from the data when needed. Ad hoc reports are impossible; a
new report could require several weeks of work by more than one
programmer and the creation of intermediate files to combine data
from disparate files.
• Poor security is a problem resulting from the lack of control over the
data because it is widespread and distributed into so many files.
Database and Database Management System