VLSI and optical technologies for mass data processing

The authors discuss several technologies that can improve the performance of database systems. They identify several issues that must be addressed for the commercialization of these technologies. The study is summarized as follows: (i) VLSI circuits are not the bottleneck for associative search and aggregation operations; (ii) holographical technology is promising for high-density, high-speed, and nonvolatile random access storage (further research on visible semiconductor lasers and holographical material is needed for a read-write-erase device); and (iii) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology can solve the data communication problem with less power consumption and cable complexity than electrical technology