Design And Development Of A Database Management System For Student Registration

2.11    MODES OF RESULT PROCESSING
1.    Batch Processing: It is a technique by which items to be processed must be coded and collected into groups or batches prior to processing. A batch consists of either a convenient number of records or a collection of records relating to a given period, i.e. daily, weekly, monthly, etc. accumulated until a sufficient number are present to justify mass updating of master file. Each batch is used to update master file using a file maintenance program and an output produced. This type of processing is suitable for semester result and business applications, in which output is produced according to a predetermined processing cycle. The processing for this type of system is ordinary defined by the frequency with which the aster file must be updated. The average cost of processing results is low. No additional hardware, such as terminals or direct access storage devices, is needed. The system lends itself to control, as trailer records can be input which contain totals of important fields. The methods are secure as updating by coping can be used. It does, however, impose rigidity on the school. Weekly or monthly deadlines have to be met and peaks of work occur. Result is only up-to-date as the time of the result collection of the past update run; result is only produced once a period.
2.    Real time Processing: Real-time = immediately. The processing of result in a sufficiently rapid manner so that the results of the processing are available in time to influence the current activity or process being monitored or controlled. The processing is applied to the master file as they happen and result is obtained from the system on demand.
3.    On-line Processing: It concerns the equipment which is connected or re-engaged and functioning with the CPU and main program e.g. teletype units, consoles, card-reader, OCR readers, VDU etc. it is at least a one-way communication between operators at terminal and the CPU.
4.    Time-sharing Processing: The system interacts with many users, giving each of them fast individual attention on a time slice basis. Multiprogramming is necessary in a time-sharing system (Murdick, 1971).
2.12    RESULT TRANSMISSION
Result can be fed into the computer in any one of three modes:
a).    Simplex: A simplex line allows result to be transmitted in one
direction and one direction only. These simplex lines may be used to connect result collection terminals to distant computer systems, thus speeding the flow of result from these on-line input terminals.
b).    Half-Duplex: A half-duplex line is one in which result can be transmitted in either direction, but in only one direction at a time, the flow of result in one direction must stop before result may flow in the opposite direction. Such lines may be used in time sharing operations.
c).    Full Duplex: A duplex line is one in which result can be transmitted simultaneously both direction. Input/output (I/O) operations can be completed simultaneously. Such lines serve best in real time systems handling large volume of I/O transmission encouraging rapid distribution of result.
2.13    CENTRALISED RESULT PROCESSING
Centralized result refers to as data processing which is carried out by a centralized location, such as head office. The data for processing might be gathered from a wide area, such as from all local offices the output might be sent out over a wide area too. But the actual processing and the possession of the data files are centralized. Data might be fed in to the central processing system either by physical
transporting data records from their source to the central location, or electronically, to a remote terminal in the local office, linked to the central computer. Centralized processing is generally associated with a single computer, perhaps a mainframe or minicomputer being used for all the computer data processing in a school. It has the advantage of simplicity, low cost, elimination of duplicate computer hardware and efficient use of data processing resources.