An experiment in learning DBTG database administration

摘要

An experiment in optimizing the physical storage structures of a DBTG-like database w.r.t. a given transaction load is described. It was carried out during a practical course on database administration. Logical data structures and transaction programs were kept fixed while the underlying storage structures could be varied according to a rich set of options and parameters. The preferences for certain search key and set mode options leading to surprising time differences are discussed. Properties of good optimization solutions are presented. A number of recommendations for the use of the set modes POINTER-ARRAY and CHAIN are given. Finally, some general observations concerning the learning pattern of the students are summarized.