Read and delete input/output operation for database management

A system for database management, the system comprising:

• A computing device having a processor and a memory;
• wherein the memory stores a query processor and a storage engine, wherein the query processor and the storage engine, when executed by the processor, are operable to:
• select one or more database records that are requested based on a query statement;
• read the one or more database records from a first database file, wherein the one or more database records are copied from the first database file and stored to a memory;
• and
• delete the one or more database records from the first database file at substantially the same time as the reading the one or more database records, wherein the reading and the deleting occur through a single read and delete input/output (I/O) operation, the single read and delete I/O operation is compiled as a single instruction;
• wherein the deleting the one or more database records includes:
• indicating, at a first time and before the selecting, when a delete flag will be set for any request,
• setting the delete flag at a second time to lock the one or more database records from being queried, and
• permanently deleting the one or more database records from the first database file and the memory by overwriting the one or more database records from the first database file and the memory at a third time, the third time being subsequent to the second time, the second time being subsequent to the first time.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising computer readable program code configured for:

• selecting one or more database records that are requested based on a query statement;
• reading the one or more database records from a first database file, wherein the one or more database records are copied from the first database file and stored to a memory;
• and
• deleting the one or more database records from the first database file at substantially the same time as the reading the one or more database records, wherein the reading and the deleting occur through a single read and delete input/output (I/O) operation, the single read and delete I/O operation reducing an amount of movement of a read/write head of a disk storage device;
• wherein the deleting includes deleting the one or more database records from the first database file by setting a delete flag at a first time and later overwriting the one or more database records from the database file, and
• sending, in response to a user request to view the one or more database records and subsequent to the reading the one or more database records, the one or more database records from the memory to a display screen memory, wherein the one or more database records are shown on a display screen, and wherein after a particular quantity of time after the showing the deleting occurs such that a subsequent user cannot view the one or more database records on the display screen.