In computing, an access method is a program or a hardware mechanism that
moves data between the computer and an outlying device such as a hard disk
(or other form of storage) or a display terminal. The term is sometimes
used to refer to the mechanics of placing or locating specific data at a
particular place on a storage medium and then writing the data or reading
it. It is also used to describe the way that data is located within a larger
unit of data such as a data set or file.
