Guide on data models in the selection and use of database management systems
Leonard J Gallagher, Jesse M. Draper · 1984
Selecting a database management system in- volves matching users' requirements and the capa- bilities of available products.One way to sim- plify this task is to define data models identifying both data structures and the operations on those structures.In the past every commercial product has implemented its own data model.Now technical committee X3H2 of the American National Standards Institute is working on specifications for two models that are similar but not identical to many existing products.The network model is a structure-oriented model that is especially suitable for databases with static structures and a high volume of record-at-a-time processing. The relational model depends more heavily on operations than structures and thus provides the flexibility to handle dynamic databases.Examples written in the draft Network Database Language and the Relational Database Language demonstrate that both models can answer complex queries in a straightforward manner.In addition to the issue of data models, prospective buyers of database software need to consider features that affect daily operations.Existing hardware and operating systems sometimes limit the choice to a few commercial products.Systems also vary widely in their facilities for backup and recovery, bulk loading, schema manipulation, concurrency control, and report writers.