IMS DB Database Path

A database path refers to the sequence of segments that starts from the root segment and leads to a specific dependent segment. This path represents the hierarchical relationship between segments and is crucial for data retrieval and manipulation.

Example:

  • Company Segment (Parent)
    • Project Segment (Child)
      • Employee Segment (Child)

To access an employee's data, IMS traverses this path: Company → Project → Employee.

Navigating the Database Path

IMS follows a top-down, left-to-right navigation method:

  1. It starts at the Company segment.
  2. Moves into the first Project under that company.
  3. Then continues to the first Employee under that project.
  4. Only after that, it checks for additional employees under the same project, or moves on to the next project.

Example:

If "TechCorp" has two projects — "AI" and "Cloud" — and each project has multiple employees, IMS would first read:

  • TechCorp → AI → Employee 1, 2, 3
  • Then TechCorp → Cloud → Employee 4, 5

Continuous Path: No Skipping!

In IMS DB, paths must be continuous; you cannot skip segments in the hierarchy. This means that to access a lower-level segment, all its parent segments must be traversed.

If you want data from a lower-level segment (like Employee), IMS must pass through all its parent segments (Company → Project → Employee).

Multiple Paths for Multiple Occurrences

Each occurrence of a segment (like multiple companies or multiple projects within a company) creates multiple possible paths. So, if "TechCorp" and "SoftSolutions" each have several projects and employees, IMS will follow separate paths for each one.

Example:

  • TechCorp → Project AI → Employee John
  • TechCorp → Project AI → Employee Jane
  • TechCorp → Project Cloud → Employee Raj
  • SoftSolutions → Project Data → Employee Lily

IMSDB Database path example -

Database Path