Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cbatt!osu-eddie!elwell
From: elwell@osu-eddie.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Relational vs. Network Model Performance
Message-ID: <3412@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 4-Apr-87 14:42:56 EST
Article-I.D.: osu-eddi.3412
Posted: Sat Apr  4 14:42:56 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Apr-87 12:45:34 EST
References: <1361@hou2d.UUCP>
Sender: news@osu-eddie.UUCP
Reply-To: elwell@osu-eddie.UUCP (Clayton Elwell)
Organization: The Ohio State University, CIS Dept.
Lines: 41
Keywords: performance, databases

In article <1361@hou2d.UUCP> sachar@hou2d.UUCP (H.SACHAR) writes:
>Ignoring the user friendly and other issues, network model bases
>databases should have better performance than relational model
>based databases due to presence of links. Is anyone aware of
>any study or published paper where the performance issues of 
>these models are discussed and some results (numbers) are reported.
>I will summarize the responses if anyone else is interested.
>
>Thanks in advance for any information.
>
>                             Harvi Sachar
>                          !ihnp4!speedy!hs

I haven't done much looking around in the literature, so this isn't really an
answer, but I can offer some empirical results from having implemented both
relational and network databases.  Based on my experience so far, the network
model is much faster and more flexible for a given level of (subjective)
implementation complexity.  I must admit that these databases have been
primarily retrieval-oriented, so I was able to play some tricks at the expense
of update speed, but this seemed to affect both models similarly.

I have almost entirely given up on the relational model for real-world
applications, simply because the network model gives better
performance for a comparable investment of effort.  It should not be
forgotten, however, that many applications can be handled by
off-the-shelf software, which is predominantly relational.  If it can be done,
this is often the simplest approach, which is why things like UNIFY and
Informix are successful.  When it comes down to raw performance, though, they
don't quite cut it.  That's the price you pay for the time you save in
developing it.

I'd be interested in hearing about what references you come up with.



-=-


"The greatest warriors are				Clayton Elwell
the ones who fight for peace."			Elwell@Ohio-State.ARPA
		--Holly Near		   ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!elwell