Pooled Success:Shonkh Technology achieves breakthrough in data storage,retrieval technology
shonkh.com
greenuniverse.com
K C Krishnadas
BANGALORE 17 NOVEMBER (et)
THIS is the stuff that dreams of start-up companies are made of, and if all goes well, will be a landmark contribution to the global information technology (IT) industry.
A Bangalore-based information technology start-up, Shonkh Technologies, on Monday said it had achieved a breakthrough in data storage and retrieval by developing a new file format that hikes storage capacity by 50-98 per cent and nearly doubles data retrieval speed. Neither is compression used in data storage, nor is additional hardware needed.
Shonkh's invention revolves around its 'D-Pol' (data pooling) and 'The Ladder' techniques. D-Pol is a new storage concept while The Ladder is an indexing technique, said B R Badrinath, director, projects, Shonkh Technologies.
The new technique, worked upon for seven years, will enhance the performance of databases in general. "We are suggesting a new file format to the world. 'D-Pol' and 'The Ladder' technique can accommodate large as well as multiple databases having smaller number of rows without affecting the efficiency. The inherent nature of the 'file structure' optimises data storage and retrieval," Mr Badrinath said.
Shonkh's technique allows data definitions, index definitions, report format definitions to be stored on the same file, unlike in the existing method, where it has to be on different files.
The advantages this technique has, according to Mr Badrinath, are:
**providing direct data access;
**updating across multiple structure simultaneously;
**building relational database with ease;
**avoiding redundancy of data, since it is not repeated even in indexes;
**does not need re-indexing; and
**reducing file handling process
**decreasing overhead on hard disk.
Says JVR Sharma, head of information technology, Jasubhai Digital Media (publishers of 'Chip' and 'Network Computing':
"Shonkh's new technique is very much workable. The data stored in this format occupies very little disk space compared to any other data file structure formats available today."
Samyeer Metrani, group manager, software development, Ncore Technology, says: "A first opinion is that it is quite like the Microsoft Access file format where all the code, data, indexes, reports, etc are stored together in a single file. A good effort nevertheless."
Mr Badrinath said Microsoft Access however needed different databases for different information. "In our technique, a single database can accommodate multiple tables, whether related or not, and yet we maintain the access of data from the same table," he said.
The larger question is about the invention itself. "If it is true, then it's really great," said Vinay Deshpande, chairman and CEO, Ncore.
Shonkh will extend the capability from the current text and still images to video too. It is putting it on other platforms and working at other products incorporating this technology. It has a technology demonstrator for those unconvinced about its claims.
Binay Kumar, director, corporate planning and development, Shonkh, said, "the new technique offers accurate information at costs that relate to savings in time, besides the advantage of data storage in smaller spaces." He said a financial institution had valued the potential for the technology in the Indian market itself at Rs 200 crore annually.
Shonkh has filed for a patent in India and will file for a worldwide patent soon. Some multinational companies have wanted to buy the technology, but Shonkh believes it deserves everything it can derive from its invention. |
