Fast/Unload

Fast/Unload provides an extremely high speed and efficient method for extracting, formatting, outputting , and analyzing data contained in a Model 204 file. Fast/Unload accomplishes esssentially the same function as a User Language program that loops over a set of records and produces structured flat file output records (either by a series of PRINT statements or with a WRITE IMAGE statement). However, Fast/Unload executes over ten times faster than the equivalent User Language program, and requires less than one tenth as much CPU time.

Because of the CPU efficiency offered by Fast/Unload, one user is saving $40,000 per month since installing Fast/Unload to replace large sequential processing jobs previously written in User Language. In addition, that site is now providing a greater amount of functionality to its end users because of the increases in performance. Jobs that used to run overnight are now running during the day.

Fast/Unload provides the Fast Unload Extraction Language (FUEL). It is an easy to use language for declaring the relationship between input Model 204 records and output flat file records. This language is very similar to User Language. It supports a variety of output formats, conditional statements, assignment statements, multiple output records for each input Model 204 record, and sophisticated logical consistency checks. Of course, Fast/Unload also supports the Print All Information (PAI) statement for simple file reorganizations.

To achieve its speed Fast/Unload employs sophisticated I/O management and buffering techniques that enable it to operate at channel speeds for most files, even if the file contains a significant number of extension records. The Fast Unload Extraction Language is compiled directly into machine language, providing unequaled performance for data extraction and formatting.

FUEL programs may be maintained in Model 204 procedure files or in standard operating system sequential data sets.

File Analysis for Year 2000, Data Integrity

In addition, Fast/Unload can provide analysis of Model 204 files and their data structure. It can identify the format of all date fields in a file, as well as the range of years encompassed for that field, both of which can be tremendously valuable in performing Year 2000 conversion. It can also report inconsistent data structures, such as records having an unusual number of repeating groups, or incorrect structures in files having multiple records types.

Fast/Unload Structure

Fast/Unload has several modules, depending upon the specific requirement.

1. Fast/Unload - Unload All Information

Fast/Unload is a highly optimized replacement for the PAI User Language statement. In addition to being more compact than PAI, the UAI format allows you to sort the output data, otherwise impossible with the FIELDNAME=VALUE pair structure of the PAI output.

2. FUEL Compiler

The FUEL compiler allows the user to define the relationship between the Model 204 data and the structure of the flat output file. The FUEL language contains the ability to define output records, format the fields, handle multiple data types, and check error conditions. Values can be easily manipulated with variables, assignment statements, and #functions, as well as statements to ADD, CHANGE, or DELETE field values. Invisible fields can be unloaded or created.

3. User Language Interface

Fast/Unload can be called from a User Language procedure. Using this interface you can write a query that creates a found set of records, and take advantage of Fast/Unload's high speed to off-load the data.

Fast/Unload may be used in several different ways depending upon the application

1. Data Sharing External to Model 204 Applications

Many applications programmers would like to combine the power and flexibility of the Model 204 User Language and index processing with an ability for rapid sequential output to select large numbers of records for output. For example, a demographics application may use extremely complex Boolean FIND logic to determine a potentially large set of households for a targeted mailing. Model 204 can process the FIND in seconds, only to have the formatting of the mailing list take hours. Fast/Unload can reduce this formatting time to minutes. Another example of Fast/Unload usage involves moving data that is maintained by Model 204 to existing applications that work from flat files.

2. Date Field Analysis for Year 2000 Conversion

As the millennium approaches, Model 204 shops face daunting efforts to support years into 2000 and beyond. Such efforts may involve conversion of fields to hold 4-digit years, or use of century splitting features to assume the century for dates kept as 2-digit years. In either case, such application modifications must necessarily begin with an analysis of the date fields in a file: are there any? how many? what is their format? is that format consistent among all records in the file? and what is the earliest year found for each field? Fast Unload's DATESTAT feature performs just this type of analysis, reporting each of these facets in a simple summary or detailed report.

3. Logical and Physical Model 204 File Analysis

Not all Fast/Unload jobs produce unloaded flat files. Fast/Unload supports a mode of operation where the logical and physical aspects of a Model 204 file can be analyzed with output produced only for exceptions. For example, if NAME and BIRTHDAY were fields in a repeating group, a FUEL program could be used to identify all of the records that contained a different number of occurrences of these fields.

Fast/Unload may be used to determine the maximum number of occurrences of fields, as well as maximum lengths of field occurrences. FUEL programs may also be used to verify the correct structure of Model 204 files that contain multiple record types.

4. Database Reorganization

The efficiency of Fast/Unload provides significant reductions in the time required for reorganizing Model 204 database files. Used in conjunction with Sirius Software's Fast/Reload product Fast/Unload can reduce reorganization times by a factor of five while eliminating the need to write special reorganization programs.

The ability to quickly process data sequentially with Fast/Unload has been changing the way people are addressing their Model 204 applications. You may want to consider how your organization would benefit from using Fast/Unload.