Model 204
| Industry | Software, Database management systems |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Model 204 (M204) database management system |
Model 204 (M204) is a database management system designed for IBM mainframes and compatible systems, created by Computer Corporation of America. Initially announced in 1965 and launched in 1972, it features its own programming language alongside an application development framework. Written in assembly language targeting the IBM System/360 series and its successors, M204 is capable of managing very large databases and supports transaction rates reaching up to 1000 TPS.
Product description
The core of Model 204 relies on a unique bitmap index technology developed by Bill Mann, which integrates elements of hash table, B-tree, and partitioned record list methodologies to enhance the speed and efficiency of database retrieval.[1][2]
It stands as one of the three principal inverted-list database systems, alongside ADABAS and ADR’s Datacom/DB.[3]
Although developed before the advent of SQL and relational models, M204 databases can be manually structured to resemble SQL-like schemas, permitting limited SQL access through the Model 204 SQL Server interface.[4]
Users
Model 204 has found extensive application within government and defense organizations, including Australia's social security infrastructure. Commercially, it has been adopted by entities such as the UK’s Marks & Spencer, Ventura County's Property Tax system in California, Harris County Justice Information Management System in Texas, and New York City's Department of Education through their Automate The Schools platform. An informal survey from 2010 reported over 140 organizations worldwide still employing Model 204. Since 1986, it has also served the US Navy Fleet Intelligence Center Europe and Atlantic (FICEURLANT).
In Australia, Model 204 has played a crucial role over several decades via Services Australia's ISIS platform, which administers welfare payments exceeding $110 billion annually to approximately six million recipients. A replacement project valued at AUD 1.5 billion was ultimately abandoned in July 2023 after spending AUD 191 million, due to the Pegasystems-based alternative underperforming compared to Model 204.
In a 2014 statement, then Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey remarked that only Australia’s social security system and the Pentagon remained active users of Model 204 globally.
Corporate information
Additional tools for Model 204 were previously marketed by Sirius Software, Inc., headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2012, Rocket Software acquired Sirius Software, thereby broadening Rocket's offerings within mainframe database technologies.
See also
External links
- Model 204 at Rocket Software
- Model 204 at Sirius Software
- Sample of Model 204 User Language programming
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