This topic compares the influences of the immediate, rebuild, and delayed maintenances on opening and processing files.
| Function | Immediate maintenance | Rebuild maintenance | Delayed maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Fast open because the access path is current. | Slow open because access path must be rebuilt. | Moderately fast open because the access path does not have to be rebuilt, but it must still be changed. Slow open if extensive changes are needed. |
| Process | Slower update/output operations when many access paths with immediate maintenance are built over changing data (the system must maintain the access paths). | Faster update/output operations when many access paths with rebuild maintenance are built over changing data and are not open (the system does not have to maintain the access paths). | Moderately fast update/output operations when many access paths with delayed maintenance are built over changing data and are not open, (the system records the changes, but the access path itself is not maintained). |