Explain the drawbacks / Pitfalls of Conventional File Processing System Over DBMS?

The information system can be either a file processing system or database system. In Conventional File Processing System,  each and every sub system of the information system will have it’s own set of files. Therefore, there will be duplication of data in between various Files of the information system. For example, in fourth generation languages, such as C Language, Dbase, Foxpro, Foxbase, etc. will maintain the records in a file. When you maintain the any Application, the Application programs are used to extract the information from different files.

There are some disadvantages of File Processing system, which are as mentioned below.

     1.       Data Redundancy :  Data redundancy means, the same information is repeated in several files. For example, a name of a person, address and telephone number of a particular customer appears in all accounts viz. Saving’s Bank Account, Current Account, Recurring Deposit Account and Loan Accounts etc. in a Bank.

     2.      Data Inconsistency:  Data Inconsistency arises, when there is Data Redundancy. It means, the various copies of the same data in different files is not get updated when changes are made once. Thus the required information cannot get by an Application programs because there is no such programs in the list of Application Programs or the fields of the file may vary at the time of Application Design.

     3.      Data Isolation:  The data is scattered in various files with different formats. Therefore, it is difficult to write a new application program and hence difficult to retrieve appropriate data from the files.

      4.      Integrity Problems:  The data values stored in a file must be satisfied with certain data integrity constraints. The programmers need to provide integrity constraints and data must be validated from time to time. It is having limitations in the file system.

     5.      Concurrent Access:  The system requires to allow multiple users to access and update the data simultaneously, instead of a Single user system. The interaction with concurrency may result inconsistency.

      6.      Security Problems:  The system should not give access to the unauthorized users to operate as the data is important and sensitive data. It should allow only some of the users who have given privileges to access and manipulate data.

The file system have thus drawbacks of

·         Uncontrolled Data Redundancy

·         Inconsistency of data

·         Inflexibility of Design system to meet future needs or demands

·         Limited data sharing

·         Poor enforcement standards

·         Excessive programming maintenance

·         Low programming productivity  and so on.

Keeping in view of all the drawbacks of Conventional file processing system,  there is an alternative system designed to eliminate all the pitfalls. Thus, RDBMS if the solution to meet the requirements. However, the economic justification of the database approach is also an important task before taking a system into development.

The RBDMS provides reasonable cost and benefits for development, maintenance and implementing the database system in a given reality along with economic justifications for any organization. The various costs of using database in a real life application can be categorized as,

  a)  Cost of DBMS Software and its utility

  b)    Cost of Procuring software

 c)  Incrementing cost of employing application development and database administration with        specialized skills

  d)     Cost of training to the user groups, application development to the related application

  e)      Cost od designing, implementation and maintenance of the database.

The different benefits or advantages of using database system thus can be mentioned as,

      1.      Reduced data redundancy

      2.      Reduction in cost due to improved maintenance

      3.      Reduction in the salaries of work groups

      4.      Savings in costs due to reduction of time in generating reports

      5.      Estimated reduction in cost while developing information system to different users

      6.      Flexibility in designed system to meet out the requirements or as per future needs

      7.      Better programming maintenance with security measures

      8.      Consistency of data

      9.      Better enforcement standards

      10.  Increased programming productivity and

     11.  Enhancement and modifications for the application at any time…etc.

One has to carefully analyse the economic justification factors of the database before it’s development and maintenance for better implementation.