Avoiding redundant record accesses in unsorted multilist file organizations

Abstract

Query retrieval procedures in a multilist organization are briefly reviewed. Existing procedures require that the multilists be sorted so as to facilitate fast query retrieval. But sorted multilists render online file updating tasks more difficult to perform than when no sorting order is imposed on the multilists. An algorithm is proposed in this paper to enable practically the same querying efficiency while the multilists need not be sorted. Hence, efficiencies in on-line querying and updating are simultaneously accomplished.