Explain the drawbacks / Pitfalls of Conventional File Processing System Over DBMS?
https://www.computersprofessor.com/2016/06/explain-drawbacks-pitfalls-of.html
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.