Indexing
Once the layout of the battlefield is determined, the general should be able to precisely identify which are the key parts of the enemy possessions that must be captured. It is exactly the same with information systems. The crucial data to be retrieved will determine the most efficient access paths into the data system. Here, the fundamental tactic is indexing. It is a complex area, and one in which competing priorities must be resolved. In this chapter, we discuss various aspects of indexes and indexing strategy, which, taken together, provide general guidelines for database access strategies. |