Re: Creating and saving IDs - is there a theory?

On 1 Apr 1997 19:23:09 -0700, doug@modsoft.com (Doug Dumitru) wrote: >"Lior Messinger" <messingr@netvision.net.il> wrote: > >>Hi, > >>We are designing a project where we need to create, save and then verify >>huge amounts of IDs (or serial numbers), for inventory items. We need to do >>the saving part and the verification very fast, on a server. This is done >>to verify that the items are not faked. The project is done on NT and Unix. >>Is there any theory about doing that? >>We thought of saving the IDs in a database, where each item belongs to one >>user. Have you heard of something that was done in this way? Any ideas of >>your own? If we take the database approach, what is the most suitable >>database to do that? Would it be a relational database, or else? > >>So many questions... > >From a purely theoretical point of view, you need an application that can >maintain a very fast "direct hit" index...... Hashing >is far and away the fastest indexing method when only direct hits are required >(as opposed to sequential access). One further suggestion, put a check digit on your "Id" numbers. A simple calculation can determine if the digits are scrambled proior to look-up. Al