IMS DB

Information Management System is referred to as IMS. IMS was created in 1966 as part of the Apollo mission to send a man to the moon by IBM, Rockwell, and Caterpillar. It spearheaded the revolution in database management systems and is still developing to satisfy demands for data processing. IMS offers a user-friendly, dependable, and uniform environment for carrying out high-performance transactions. High-level programming languages like COBOL use the IMS database to store and access data organized hierarchically.

A database is a grouping of connected pieces of data. These information elements are arranged and kept in storage such that quick and simple access is possible. Data is stored in a hierarchical format in the IMS database, where each entity relies on higher-level entities. The following diagram depicts the physical components of an application system that utilizes IMS

Management of Databases

A database management system is a collection of software tools used to store, manage, and access data in a database. IMS database management system protects data’s integrity and enables quick recovery by structuring it in a way that makes it simple to find. With the use of its database management system, IMS manages a sizable volume of corporate data for the entire world.

Manager of Transactions

The transaction manager’s job is to act as a platform for communication between the application programs and the database. IMS manages transactions in this way. A transaction manager interacts with the end user to store and retrieve data from the database. IMS can store the data in its back-end database, which is either DB2 or IMS DB.

Data Language Interface (DL/I)

The application applications that make up DL/I provide access to the data kept in the database. The interface language used by programmers to access the database in application software is called DL/I, and IMS DB uses it. 

IMS characteristics to keep in mind

• IMS supports programs written in a variety of languages, including Java and XML.
• Any platform can be used to access IMS apps and data.
• In comparison to DB2, IMS DB processing is extremely quick.

IMS Limitations

• IMS DB implementation is really difficult.
• Reduced flexibility due to IMS’s preset tree structure.
• IMS DB management is challenging.