Evolution of data management
Gray, J.
Computer
Volume 29, Issue 10, Oct 1996 Page(s):38 - 46
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/2.539719
Summary:Computers can now store all forms of information: records,
documents, images, sound recordings, videos, scientific data, and many
new data formats. Society has made great strides in capturing, storing,
managing, analyzing, and visualizing this data. These tasks are
generically called data management. This article sketches the evolution
of data management systems. There have been six distinct phases in data
management. Initially, data was manually processed. The next step used
punched-card equipment and electromechanical machines to sort and
tabulate millions of records. The third phase stored data on magnetic
tape and used stored-program computers to perform batch processing on
sequential files. The fourth phase introduced the concept of a database
schema and on-line navigational access to the data. The fifth step
automated access to relational databases and added distributed and
client server processing. We are now in the early stages of
sixth-generation systems that store richer data types, notably
documents, images, voice, and video data. These sixth-generation systems
are the storage engines for the emerging Internet and intranets. Early
data management systems automated traditional information processing.
Today they allow fast, reliable, and secure access to globally
distributed data. Tomorrow's systems will access and summarize richer
forms of data. It is argued that multimedia databases will be a
cornerstone of cyberspace
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