12
Sat, Oct
6 New Articles

Down with the Disk Drive! Long Live Memory!

General
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

In the old days, data was stored on punched cards. A file was a deck of cards. Running a job required loading one or more decks of cards in card readers. After some programs ran, the input deck was thrown away and replaced by an output deck. Computer installations used truckloads of cards and had rows and rows of filing cabinets.

The disk drive made cards obsolete because disk drives have many advantages over cards. The computer can read or write to a disk faster than it can read or punch a card. Data occupies less storage on disk than on a card. Record lengths can be greater than 80 or 96 bytes. Files can be processed in random order. You can probably think of more.

If I were to tell you that there’s something that compares to disk drives the way disk drives compare to paper cards, would you get excited? Well, such an animal does exist. It’s called memory.

Memory has advantages over disk drives. For starters, it occupies less physical space. Because it’s not mechanical, memory is less prone to failure than disk drives are, and the computer can access memory much more quickly. Now that memory is getting cheaper and cheaper, people can afford to have more of it in their computers. People who understand these things better than I do tell me the price of memory is going to continue to drop.

Store It in Memory

If you’re not familiar with the acronym IMDS, you should get to know it. IMDS stands for in-memory database system, and it may soon be as much a part of your daily life as DBMS (database management system) is. An IMDS is a database management system that stores data in memory, rather than on disk. IMDSs offer the following advantages over disk- based DBMSs:

• Faster access. Retrieving a row from a table in memory is much faster than retrieving a row from disk.

• Elimination of the middle man. An IMDS accesses memory directly. In a disk- based system, the data is copied from disk into buffers, which are copied into program variables.

• Less overhead. IMDS software requires less memory to run than a DBMS engine does.

Using an IMDS is not much different from using a DBMS. Access is through SQL, either through direct calls to the IMDS software or through an ODBC driver.

It’s Not Vaporware

I am aware of three commercially available IMDSs.

Angara Database Systems (www.angara.com) markets the Angara Data Server, which, it claims, is 20 times faster than the cache of disk-based database management systems.

TimesTen Performance Software’s (www.timesten.com) IMDS product, which is also called TimesTen, is supposed to be able to process thousands of database operations per second. TimesTen also claims that its engine uses one-tenth the CPU instructions of a DBMS.

DataBlitz, from Lucent Technologies, grew from research at Bell Labs. To learn all you ever wanted to know about IMDSs, point your Web browser to www.lucent.com and search the site for “DataBlitz.” You’ll find several white papers there, as well as other information.

Disks Persist

Don’t throw those disk drives away yet. While the existence of IMDSs is wonderful and exciting, the DBMS is not yet obsolete. For one thing, computers don’t yet have enough memory to contain most databases. Perhaps someday we’ll be able to buy a PC with a terabyte of memory, but that day won’t be anytime soon.

IMDSs also have their limitations. For example, a TimesTen database cannot be larger than 2 GB. I expect to see such limitations relaxed in the near future.

There’s also the question of reliability. What happens to the database when the computer goes down? The IMDS packages use disk as backup. As the database is modified, the transactions are logged to disk. In addition, some IMDSs also make snapshots of the database from time to time and copy those to disk. IMDS vendors claim that their systems are as reliable as disk-based systems.

For now, IMDS vendors are targeting their products toward applications that require speed in real time, such as searching a database. For more traditional database applications, such as printing invoices or payroll checks, a DBMS is still the best way to go. Making an IMDS and a DBMS work with one another is not difficult to do, since the IMDS uses the same interface standards that relational DBMSs use.

The Future Looks Good

If you wonder about the future of the information processing industry, as I often do, maybe you share my enthusiasm for in-memory database systems. If so, be sure to read Hector Garcia-Molina’s article, “Fastest in Memory,” in the August 24, 1999, issue of Intelligent Enterprise.

In the late 1980s, one of my former bosses used to predict that memory would someday replace disk drives. I didn’t doubt he was right. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.

TED HOLT

Ted Holt is IT manager of Manufacturing Systems Development for Day-Brite Capri Omega, a manufacturer of lighting fixtures in Tupelo, Mississippi. He has worked in the information processing industry since 1981 and is the author or co-author of seven books. 


MC Press books written by Ted Holt available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

Complete CL: Fifth Edition Complete CL: Fifth Edition
Become a CL guru and fully leverage the abilities of your system.
List Price $79.95

Now On Sale

Complete CL: Sixth Edition Complete CL: Sixth Edition
Now fully updated! Get the master guide to Control Language programming.
List Price $79.95

Now On Sale

IBM i5/iSeries Primer IBM i5/iSeries Primer
Check out the ultimate resource and “must-have” guide for every professional working with the i5/iSeries.
List Price $99.95

Now On Sale

Qshell for iSeries Qshell for iSeries
Check out this Unix-style shell and utilities command interface for OS/400.
List Price $79.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: