Analysis of a complex data management access method by simulation modeling

The typical paper on file organization presents a qualitative discussion of a proposed search structure. In a very few instances, the writer may include one or two numbers to indicate system performance. In reading these papers, one is led to the impression that file design is an extremely simple problem and that intuitive guesses can easily provide optimal answers. However, the sophisticated file designer knows from experience that there are many relevant parameters and that they can drastically affect performance. This knowledge can, however, be frustrating because he cannot afford the machine time and resources to obtain a good design by performing an adequate parametric study on possible file organizations. (For example, setting up a large file in just one configuration can require several hours of machine time and several man days or weeks.)