A critical appraisal of data base management

Abstract

The original purpose of the thesis was to compare the popular data base management systems in existence:- IMS, TOTAL, SYSTEM 2000, IDMS, ADABAS and DMS 1100.At the commencement of the exercise it became clear that a set of data base management characteristics and user requirements were needed as a basis for the comparison, and indeed, the documenting of the characteristics forms a major part of the exercise, bearing in mind the necessity to become familiar with the concepts and with the views of the experts in the subject. The bibliography presents the basis for this education process. In the course of this learning process, it became clear that data base management systems are only part of the data management 'picture' in any data processing environment. The way that data processing management regard the use of such software; the importance of influencing user management and personnel; the way the structure of data processing staffing may change and the whole evolutionary process that commences when data is regarded as an organisation's resource rather than the object of processing. With the expected impact of future technological change in computing hardware and the numerous and varied solutions that become available to data processing management, it will be necessary for future data base systems to provide flexibility in data handling. It is the main purpose of this thesis to set out the requirements of the management of data, in its structuring, organisation, access and support, and to describe how the DATA MANAGEMENT environment of the 1980's and 1990's may evolve from the DATA PROCESSING environment of the 1960's and 1970's.In this context, the comparing of present day software packages which are first steps along the path to this new environment becomes less relevant.