[Q] DECUS U.S. CHAPTER D ECUS SIGs NEWSLETTERS DATA MANAGEMENT SIG . OMS DATATRIEVE/4GL SIG . DTR LARGE SYSTEMS SIG . LS OFFICE AUTOMATION SIG . OA ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SIG .. ... ....... ............... ..... ............................ Al BUSINESS APPLICATIONS SIG ... .. ....... ........ .... .... ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .... BA COMMERCIAL LANGUAGES SIG .. ... .. .... .. ... ... ... .. .. .. ...... ..... .. CL DAARC SIG . ..... .. .... .. .. ... .. .. ...... .... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... ... ....... .. DAR DATA MA NAGEMENT SIG ............. ... .... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. ...... .. .. ... OMS EDUSIG ... ... .. ...... ..... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ..... .. ... ... ... .... .. .. EDU GRAPHICS SIG . ...... .. .... .. ........... .. .... .... ... ...... ..... .. ... ... ... .... .. GRA HARDWARE MICRO SIG . HMS IASSIG ........................... .. .......................................................... IAS LANGUAGES AND TOOLS SIG ..... ... ..... .. .. .. ... .. ... ... ... .... ... ... ....... L& T MUMPS SIG . ... ... .. ..... .. ....... ...... .... .. ... .. ... .. .......... .. .. .. .. ... MMP NETWORKS SIG . ... .... ..... .. ...... ... ... .. .. ..... ... .......... .... .. ... .. ......... NTW PERSONAL COMPUTER SIG . .. ... .... ... .. ... ..... ... .. ..... ... ...... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. PC RSTS SIG . RST RSX SIG .... ................ ....... ............................... .......................... RSX RTSIG . ... .. : ..... .............. .... .................. .... ..... ....................... ... RT SITE MANAGEMENT & TRA ININ G SIG SIT UNISIG . .. .... .. .... .. .... .. .... ..... ....... .... .. .. ... ... ..... ... ... ... ... .. UNI VAX SYSTEMS SIG . VAX LIBRARY INFORMATION SECTION . LIB " HOW TO" SUBMIT AN ARTICLE ... GROUP FORMS . HOW SIG INFORMATION SECTION . SIC QUESTIONNAIRE SECTION .. .... ................ .......... .. .. ........................... au August 1987 Volume 2, Number 12 GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTIONS PAGE NO. DATA MANAGEMENT SIG .The Religion of Database Model 0 0 I I o I o I O O o 0 0 I I O O I I I I I I I I I I 0 0 I I o ... DMS-1 DATATRIEVE/4GS SIG .Chairman's Corner ................ DTR-2 .Ask the Wombat Wizard ............. DTR-3 .Wombat Magic - Spring DECUS U.S. Symposium. DTR-7 .Ask the WOMBAT Wizard ...... QU-1 .DATATRIEVE/4GL SIG ....... QU-3 .DTR/4GL SIG Spring 1987 PIR Ballot. QU-5 LARGE SYSTEMS SIG .Chairperson's Article . ........... LS-2 .VAX 8700 Support Experiences, Inroduction . LS-2 .VAX 8700 Support Experiences, Presentation . LS-3 .The Times They Are A-Changin' - MARKET Going Away. LS-7 .From the INFO-VAX Mailing List . LS-8 .Input Needed for New White Paper on Large Computers . LS-11 OFFICE AUTOMATION SIG .From The Editor . OA-1 .Announcing OASIS . OA-1 .Feedback to SIR's . ... OA-2 .Time to Vote ... New SIR Listing .OA-11 .OA SIG System Improvement Request Submission Form. QU-19 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SIG .The Linked List . .Al-1 .Digital Launches Summer Workstation Offensive . .AI-1 .Artificial Intelligence and Databases . .AI-3 .Expert System Project Selection and Management .AI-4 .Your Expectations . .AI-8 .End User Considerations ............. AI-10 .Selling AI To Management ............ AI-12 .Automated Reasoning Tool Now Runs on VAX/VMS Systems. AI-14 .Frame-Based PC Expert System Development Tool Debuts .. AI-15 .LISP Toolkit Speeds VAX-Based Al Application Development . AI-17 .Second-Generation Connection Machine Unveiled .. Al-18 .VAX CDD-Compatible Expert System Shell Debuts. AI-19 .IBI Focuses on AI Technology ... AI-20 .A Silver Lining in symbolics' Cloud? ... Al-21 .Three-Pronged Attack .......... AI-22 . Symbolics Unveils New Software . AI-23 .Meeting Portends Common LISP Standard . AI-24 .AISIG Personal Computer Working Group Initialized . AI-25 .AI Event Calendar . AI-25 .Neural Network Demonstration Program Available . AI-30 HMS SIG .From The Editor . HMS-2 .TK50 Problems and Solutions . hms-3 .Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The MicroPDP-11/53 HMS-4 .FCO/ECO Corner . HMS-6 .Submitting Articles to Hard News ... HMS-8 .HMS SIG Hardware Submission Form. QU-7 IAS SIG .Contribution Guidelines. IAS-1 .From The Editor's Terminal . IAS-2 .Ten Years Ago Today . IAS-3 .The Program of the Month Club . IAS-4 .ECR- Enhanced Console Routine . IAS-5 .An Introduction to Writing an IAS Device Driver . IAS-6 .IAS WHIMS ........ QU-9 .IAS SIG Membership Survey. QU-11 RSTS SIG .From The Editor .RST-1 .Newsletter Dialup System Now Available .RST-2 .Readers Desperately Needed ...... .RST-2 .DCL Trick of the Month . .RST-3 .Software Performance Report (SPR) Log. .RST-3 .Software Performance Report (SPR) Log. .RST-3 .Questionnaire .......... .RST-4 . CUSP of the Month - SYSTAT .. .RST-4 .RSTS Newsletter Reader Survey. QU-35 RSX SIG .Food for Thought .......... RSX-1 .The Editor's Corner ......... RSX-1 .A Cheap Way to Monitor Task Status RSX-4 .Erratum: Security of the RSX-11 Operating Systems . RSX-11 .The Hitchhiker's Guide to RSX, Part II ...... RSX-12 RT SIG .From the Editor. RT-1 .Important New Information ........ RT-3 .Exchanging Information with other Systems . RT-19 .The Flot Gun . RT-27 .RT-11 Wish List Survey .......... QU-37 VAX SIG .System Security and Student Operations Do Mix . VAX-3 .VMS User's Network Working Group . VAX-19 .INPUT/OUTPUT . VAX-32 .INPUT/OUTPUT Submission Form . QU-39 .System Improvement Request Submission Form QU-41 .VAX Systems SIG Fall 1987 SIR Ballot. QU-43 LIBRARY .New Library Programs Available. LIB-1 .Revisions to Library Programs .. LIB-7 HOW TO SUBMIT TO A SPECIFIC SECTION OF THE NEWSLETTER .Submitting Articles to the HMS SIG Newsletter ..... HOW-1 .How to Submit to the RSTS Newsletter . HOW-2 .DECUS U.S. Chapter Subscription Service Order Form. HOW-3 .DECUS U.S. Chapter Application for Membership . HOW-5 SIG INFORMATION SECTION .Special Interest Committee Lists .................................... SIC-1 QUESTIONNAIRE SECTION .Ask the WOMBAT Wizard ........... QU-1 .DATATRIEVE/4GL SIG ............ QU-3 .DATATRIEVE/4GL SIG Spring 1987 PIR Ballot QU-5 .HMS SIG Hardware Submission Form. QU-7 .IAS WHIMS ........ QU-9 .IAS SIG Membership Survey. QU-11 .Languages & Tools SIG. QU-13 .Languages & Tools SIG. QU-15 .DATAGRAM ........ QU-17 .OA SIG System Improvement Request Submission Form. QU-19 .DECmate Wish List Ballot .. QU-21 .Professional Wish List Ballot. QU-23 .Rainbow Wish List Ballot .. QU-25 .PC Postscript ........ QU-27 .DECUS Personal Computer SIG Questionnaire QU-29 .Information Resource Sign Up Sheet PC SIG . QU-31 .Personal Computing Special Interest Group Volunteer Form QU-33 . RSTS Newsletter Reader Survey . QU-35 .RT-11 Wish List Survey ............ QU-37 .INPUT/OUTPUT Submission Form ...... QU-39 .System Improvement Request Submission Form QU-41 .VAX System SIG Fall 1987 SIR Ballot..... QU-43 INFO-the OMS SIG NEWSLETTER JOIN THE WISE THE RELIGION OF DATABASE MODEL Mark S. Crego Abstract Somewhere in my past I recall being instructed that there are two taboos that you must never discuss in a business environment, politics and religion. However, I note that when database management systems are discussed, the topic of model invariably is debated in a manner not unlike a heated religious argument. On one hand, you have the "Old Religion", the adherents to the CODASYL Network model, who claim performance and integrity as the tenets of their religion. On the other, there are the relational disciples of E.F. Codd, who, by their adherence to his 12 commandments, claim flexibility and elegance of data structure. The purpose of this brief article is to open up the discussion to readers of this DECUS SIG Newsletter, and to try to bring some sanity and objectivity to the debate. As the first article in a series. some basic evaluation concepts will be proposed. The Concept of Application Suitability In debating the concept of database model, the notion of whether a particular data model is suitable for an application is often lost in the rhetoric. While it is fundamentally true that certain models and hence database management systems can implement virtually any data structure, it is not necessarily the case that they do so in the "best" manner for any application. From a statistical point of view, it has been my observation that less than 5% of data on VAX computers is stored in formal databases, even at those sites where database management is fully understood and facilitated using a DBMS. Although this is not a bullet-proof justification for non-use of a DBMS, it does say that either the database concept is not yet fully accepted by all developers or it is simply not suitable for the vast majority of applications. For the minority of data that resides in formal databases, it will be found that sites using relational products far outnumber those using their network competitors. Does this tell us that the relational model is "better"? For some reason I get the feeling that the notion of "better" is really a religious issue and not tangible or objective enough to constitute a reasonable criteria. In lieu of this, I suggest that the differing models are not "better" or "worse" but rather "more suitable" or "less suitable" for a particular applica­ tion. The key, therefore, is to determine the requirements of the application with no preconceived notion of DBMS model, then to evaluate the various alternatives as to their compliance to the requirements. The Concept of Performance Recently I read an article by Codd which evaluated "Non-Stop SQL", a product which is based in a Tandem