[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message]

Re: are native XML databases needed?

• To: Owen Walcher <xpriori@o...>
• Subject: Re: are native XML databases needed?
• From: "Chiusano Joseph" <chiusano_joseph@b...>
• Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 22:17:02 -0400
• Cc: xml-dev@l...
• Organization: Booz Allen Hamilton
• References: <1E0CC447E59C974CA5C7160D2A2854EC097E87@S...> <000101c48a39$f6046a70$d001a8c0@Hagrid>

Owen Walcher wrote:
> 
> > etc. (Possibly at this point you add in database constraints that didn't
> > previously exist, turn certain fields non-null, etc.)
> 
> Sounds like you are using a relational database to store your XML. Talk
> about an impedance mismatch.  Why even bother with XML in the first place if
> you are shredding it or clobbing it? 

Perhaps because you have a system based on a relational database that
has been in use for quite some time, and are using XML to exchange
information with some or all of your trading partners - and you may not
be able to justify ripping and replacing your relational system simply
because an XML database is "better data management technology".

Kind Regards,
Joe Chiusano
Booz Allen Hamilton
Strategy and Technology Consultants to the World

> (I know, because that is what the
> design says, or that is what is delivered to you -- but does that mean you
> have to live in the XML world? And if you are, then move up to better data
> management technology than something invented 20 years before XML)
> 
> In order to realize the real-time XML document delivery as actionable item
> [taken from previous post], you really need to have the XML in its native
> form, and be able to not only query within a document, but between and
> across documents as well.  Being able to do inserts, updates and deletes
> within and across documents with a single command (server side) without
> round tripping the XML documents (to the client) is the only way this will
> scale. I don't know any way to do this without a self-constructing XML
> database.
> 
> I say self-constructing, because in real life situations, you don't
> necessarily know the structure/values in an XML document (as has been
> pointed out numerous times by many people in this forum) that you are
> receiving, but may need to store it (and raise an exception) for later
> processing.
> 
> This is traditionally the breakdown when constraints are violated (like
> hiring a 14 year old when the rules says 16) in an RDBMS, because you cannot
> simply store the "almost good" data due to field constraints, and although
> you may have checked it against multiple schemas, I have never met a DBA who
> wouldn't also implement the rule in the DB, "to make sure the data is always
> correct".
> 
> "Data integrity" is an oxymoron.
> 
> Owen
> http://www.xpriori.com/developers/html/downloads.html
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> The xml-dev list is sponsored by XML.org <http://www.xml.org>, an
> initiative of OASIS <http://www.oasis-open.org>
> 
> The list archives are at http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/
> 
> To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list use the subscription
> manager: <http://www.oasis-open.org/mlmanage/index.php>

-- 
Kind Regards,
Joseph Chiusano
Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: are native XML databases needed?
    • From: "Owen Walcher" <xpriori@o...>

• References:
  • RE: Are people really using Identity constraints specif ied in XML schema?
    • From: "Hunsberger, Peter" <Peter.Hunsberger@S...>
  • are native XML databases needed?
    • From: "Owen Walcher" <xpriori@o...>

• Prev by Date: are native XML databases needed?
• Next by Date: Re: are native XML databases needed?
• Previous by thread: are native XML databases needed?
• Next by thread: Re: are native XML databases needed?
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread