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The '''Micro DBMS''' was one of the earliestfirst-large scale set theoretic/relational [[database management system]]s to be used in production.<ref>[http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1095495.1095500 "A set theoretic data structure and retrieval language"], William R. Hershey and Carol H. Easthope, Papers from the Session on Data Structures, Spring Joint Computer Conference, May 1972 in ''ACM SIGIR Forum'', Volume 7, Issue 4 (December 1972), pp. 45-55, DOI=10.1145/1095495.1095500, Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval, Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA</ref> Its major underpinnings and algorithms were based on the set-theoretic model of D. L. Childs of the University of Michigan's CONCOMP (Conversational Use of Computers) Project.<ref name=North2010>[http://drdobbs.com/blogs/database/228700616 "Sets, Data Models and Data Independence"], by Ken North a Dr. Dobb's Blogger, March 10, 2010</ref><ref>[http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/4163 ''Description of a set-theoretic data structure''], D. L. Childs, 1968, Technical Report 3 of the CONCOMP (Research in Conversational Use of Computers) Project, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA</ref><ref>[http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/4164 ''Feasibility of a Set-Theoretic Data Structure : A General Structure Based on a Reconstituted Definition of Relation''], D. L. Childs, 1968, Technical Report 6 of the CONCOMP (Research in Conversational Use of Computers) Project, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA</ref> It was also influenced to a lesser extent by the [[Relational database|relational model]] made famous by [[Edgar F. Codd]], a research scientist at IBM.<ref>[http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/362384.362685 "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks"], E.F. Codd, Communications of the ACM, volume 13, issue 6 (June 1970), pp. 77–387, doi= 10.1145/362384.362685</ref> It usedprovided a natural language interface which allowed non-programmers to use the system.<ref>MICRO: Information Management System (Version 5.0) Reference Manual, M.A. Kahn, D.L. Rumelhart, and B.L. Bronson, October 1977, Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (ILIR), University of Michigan</ref>
TheImplementation underlyingof dataMicro modelbegan andin retrieval1970 algorithmsat werethe deeplyUniversity influencedof by D. L. ChildsMichigan' s SetInstitute Theoreticof DataLabor Model.and AlthoughIndustrial theRelations underlying(ILIR) modelrunning wasunder basedthe on[[Michigan setTerminal theorySystem]], the user[[S/360]] interfaceand utilized[[S/370]] atime-sharing querysystem languagedeveloped subsequentlyat U-M. usedIt inwas relationalfirst databaseused managementfor systems.the Itstudy becameand theanalysis firstof micro- largestatistics scalecontained setin theoretic/relationalthe databaseUnited managementStates systemCensus todata bebase; usedhence inthe productionname of the system. Organizations such as the [[United States Department of Labor|US Department of Labor]], the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|US Environmental Protection Agency]] and researchers from [[University of Alberta]], the [[University of Michigan]], [[Wayne State University]], the [[University of Newcastle upon Tyne]], and [[Durham University]] used itMicro to manage very large scale databases. MicroIt continued to runbe used in production until 1998. ▼Micro permitted users with little programming experience to define, enter, interrogate, manipulate and update collections of data in a relatively unstructured and unconstrained environment. An interactive system, Micro was powerful in terms of the complexity of requests which could be made by users without prior programming language experience.<ref>"[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2581360/pdf/procascamc00021-0314.pdf Use of a Relational Database to Support Clinical Research: Application in a Diabetes Program]", Diane Lomatch, M.P.H., Terry Truax, M.S., Peter Savage, M.D., Diabetes Center Unit, MDRTC, University of Michigan, 1981</ref> Micro includes basic statistical computations such as mean, variance, frequency, median, etc. If more rigorous statistical analysis were desired, the data from a Micro database could be used with Michigan Interactive Data Analysis System (MIDAS), a statistical analysis package available under the [[Michigan Terminal System]] (MTS).<ref>"[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2245120/pdf/procascamc00019-0674.pdf Converting from Traditional File Structures to Database Management Systems: A Powerful Tool for Nursing Management"], Yvonne Marie Abdoo, Ph.D., R.N, Wayne State University College of Nursing, 1987</ref> ▼
The underlying data model and retrieval algorithms used by Micro were deeply influenced by D. L. Childs' Set Theoretic Data Model. The Set Theoretic Data Model also influenced the [[Relational database|relational model]] later made famous by [[Edgar F. Codd]], a research scientist at IBM.<ref>[http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/362384.362685 "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks"], E.F. Codd, Communications of the ACM, volume 13, issue 6 (June 1970), pp. 77–387, doi= 10.1145/362384.362685</ref><ref name=North2010/> Although the underlying model was based on set theory, the Micro user interface provided a query language similar to those subsequently used in [[relational database management systems]].
Implementation of Micro began in 1970 at the University of Michigan's Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (ILIR) and ran under the [[Michigan Terminal System]], the time-sharing system developed at U-M. It was first used for the study and analysis of micro-statistics contained in the United States Census data base; hence the name of the system.
▲Micro permitted users with little programming experience to define, enter, interrogate, manipulate , and update collections of data in a relatively unstructured and unconstrained environment. An interactive system, Micro was powerful in terms of the complexity of requests which could be made by users without prior programming language experience.<ref>"[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2581360/pdf/procascamc00021-0314.pdf Use of a Relational Database to Support Clinical Research: Application in a Diabetes Program]", Diane Lomatch, M.P.H., Terry Truax, M.S., Peter Savage, M.D., Diabetes Center Unit, MDRTC, University of Michigan, 1981</ref> Micro includesincluded basic statistical computations such as mean, variance, frequency, median, etc. If more rigorous statistical analysis were desired, the data from a Micro database could be used with the Michigan Interactive Data Analysis System (MIDAS), <ref>[http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015004498013;page=root;view=image;size=100;seq=3;num=i ''Documentation for MIDAS''], Daniel J. Fox and Kenneth E. Guire, Third Edition (September 1976), Statistical Research Laboratory, University of Michigan, 203 pp.</ref> a statistical analysis package available under the [[Michigan Terminal System]] (MTS).<ref>"[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2245120/pdf/procascamc00019-0674.pdf Converting from Traditional File Structures to Database Management Systems: A Powerful Tool for Nursing Management"], Yvonne Marie Abdoo, Ph.D., R.N, Wayne State University College of Nursing, 1987 </ref><ref>[http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?view=image;size=100;id=mdp.39015014920717;page=root;seq=5 "Chapter 6: MICRO" in ''Introduction to database management systems on MTS''], Rick Rilio, User Guide Series, Computing Center, University of Michigan, March 1986, pages 147-189</ref>
▲The underlying data model and retrieval algorithms were deeply influenced by D. L. Childs' Set Theoretic Data Model. Although the underlying model was based on set theory, the user interface utilized a query language subsequently used in relational database management systems. It became the first-large scale set theoretic/relational database management system to be used in production. Organizations such as the [[United States Department of Labor|US Department of Labor]], the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|US Environmental Protection Agency]] and researchers from [[University of Alberta]], the [[University of Michigan]], [[Wayne State University]], the [[University of Newcastle upon Tyne]], and [[Durham University]] used it to manage very large scale databases. Micro continued to run in production until 1998.
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