The “hiperfile concept” encompasses numerous system software and hardware enhancements in BS2000 that are designed to accelerate file access and prevent a possible I/O bottleneck by “caching” files. High-speed semiconductor memory with short access times is used as a buffer (or cache) that enables adjustments to be made between the time required to access main memory and the (slower) access to external hard disks.
The HIPERFILE concept in BS2000 provides caching both via the command interface of the associated subsystem and via a uniform command interface that is integrated into DMS:
ADM-PFA (Administrator Performant File Access): Caching in the medium main memory via privileged DAB commands
PFA (User Performant File Access): Caching by embedding the hiperfiles in DMS
ADM-PFA caching designates the use of the concepts, methods and commands of the DAB cache handling system (START-DAB-CACHING) in order to differentiate this terminologically from the embedding of hiperfiles in DMS, i.e. the so-called PFA concept. ADM-PFA caching is described in the “DAB” manual [5 (Related publications)].
Within the PFA concept, BS2000 supports main memory storage as a cache medium. The driver software necessary to operate this medium has to be the DAB subsystem as cache handler:
Embedding of hiperfiles in DMS is achieved by enabling each pubset to be assigned a cache medium, and by allowing the user to declare his or her files as hiperfiles using appropriate attributes for high-performance processing.