Sequential Access

Sequential access is when data is accessed sequentially. If something happens sequentially it happens in a set order.  For instance a cassette tape is sequential. In order to get to a particular track we need to fast forward through a range of other songs first. This is sequential access. Sequential access processes the data in the order in which it was stored. CDs on the other hand are not sequential. With a CD we can go straight to any track we choose. This is called direct access.

 

 

Related Topics (Information Systems) : DBMS, The 5 Types of Information Systems, Expert Systems, TPS, DSS, ES, MIS, OAS, Characteristics, computerised methods, non-computerised methods, flat file databases, relational databases, data modelling, URLs, storyboards, searching, HTML, backups, security methods, encryption, firewalls, virus' and virus scanners, passwords and security levels, social and ethical issues, data accuracy, data integrity, data validation, data bias, data reliability, privacy, ownership and control of data, access to data, data warehousing, data mining, freedom of information, acknowledgement of data sources, issues related to new trends, sequential access, direct access, distributed databases, storage media, querying, operators, wildcards, sorting, SQL, biometrics and ethical issues, face recognition

 

See Also: Knowledge Management, data mining,Information systems