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NSWInformation Processes and TechnologyQuick questions
Option: Transaction Processing Systems
Quick questions on Storage and retrieval in transaction processing systems for HSC Information Processes and Technology
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is updating the master file?Show answer
In batch processing, transactions accumulate in the transaction file and are applied to the master file together in a scheduled run, often overnight. In real time processing, each transaction updates the master file the moment it occurs, so the master file is always current. The choice affects how fresh the stored data is and how heavy the processing load is at any moment; the characteristics dot point compares the two in full.
What is the storage hierarchy?Show answer
A TPS uses different storage for different jobs. Fast online storage (solid state and hard disk, live database servers) holds the active master file so transactions can be applied quickly. Slower, cheaper media (high capacity disk, the cloud, tape) hold backups and archived transaction files where instant access is not needed. Matching the storage to the access need keeps the system both fast and affordable.
What are processing logs?Show answer
A processing log (or transaction log) records every transaction the system processes, in order, as it happens. The log serves recovery by providing the list of transactions to replay after restoring a backup. It also supports auditing, letting the organisation trace exactly what happened and when, and it underpins data integrity by giving an authoritative record independent of the master file.
What is retrieving data?Show answer
Retrieval in a TPS must be fast and reliable, because operators and customers query current data constantly (a balance, a stock level, an order status). Indexes on key fields speed these lookups, and the live master file in online storage ensures the answer reflects all processed transactions. The reliability of retrieval is part of why data integrity and concurrency control matter so much in this option.
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