IDS (Integrated Data Store) was the first database management system, created by Charles Bachman at General Electric in 1964. It introduced the network database model and established the concept of a DBMS as a distinct software layer.
Historical Significance
Before IDS, programs accessed data directly through file systems. IDS introduced the revolutionary concept of a database management system—a software layer that managed data access and relationships.
Network Data Model
IDS used a network (or CODASYL) data model:
- Records linked by pointers
- Many-to-many relationships supported
- Programs navigated through record links
- More flexible than hierarchical models
Innovations
IDS introduced concepts that became standard:
- Data independence: Programs separated from physical storage
- Schema definition: Formal data structure description
- Navigation: Traversing relationships between records
- Concurrent access: Multiple programs accessing data
Legacy
Though the relational model superseded network databases, IDS established that databases needed management systems. Bachman’s insights about data independence and schemas influenced all subsequent database design.