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DB2 Viper, XML and XQUERY - IBM attack with venom

Article by William Hoffman, mainframe-upgrade.com
Published April 2006, Copyright © 2006 mainframe-upgrade.com

DB2 Viper, XML and XQUERY

	IBM's next DB2 release (some time later this year) is code-named DB2 Viper and there are a number of significant advances. But here I am going to concentrate on the one I think is the most revolutionary – the support for XML data. This is something worth getting your teeth into, so read on and then browse through the extensive link list at the end of this article to get fully up to speed – included is the link straight through toIBM's Viper Test Drive page. XML data is the lifeblood of Service Orientated Architectures (SOA). It facilitates accesses to varied data formats across multiple platforms – and that is why IBM is pushing in this direction, SOA is their number one strategic direction and they know that enhanced XML support could (and probably will !) steal them a significant lead. ORACLE's response will be interesting. Current estimates suggest that only 20% of Enterprise data is stored in relational databases while 35-40% and rising is held in unstructured XML. Unstructured XML in DB2 – CLOB and Shred Some of you are already storing XML data in DB2. Using CLOBs XML Extender and Shredding. Queries are efficient but the structure is inflexible and CLOBs are by no means the best objects to parse every time you want to access your XML. Alos XML schema changes can take hours or days under CLOB and Shred whereas DB2 Viper should drop that down to minutes. XML in DB2 Viper DB2 Viper holds the XML in a hierarchical model, not relational and the XML storage engine resides alongside the relational engine within the same DB2 data server. Just imagine! you could have your XML transaction data sitting next to your relational Client information – opening up super efficient cross querying possibilities, keeping your IT and Business Analysts happy dreaming up new exciting innovative ways to leverage corporate data and of course making SOA implementations technically easier and effective. Third party companies are already gearing up – here are a few: Skytide have big Viper plans, JustSystems is working closely with IBM, bringing its xfy front end native XML technology together with DB2 Viper's data storage. Exegenix has seen an opening in conversion technology – converting unstructured data into structured Viper XML. The XML is held in Viper XML tables and it will be possible to create Indexes on components of the XML schema that will hit be frequently by queries, just as we do now with relational tables. XQUERY The XML query language supported by Viper's native XML technology is XQUERY. XQUERY is now widely accepted to be the industry standard XML Query language. However, Standard SQL will also be available for querying Viper stored XML. Will your website be Viperised! One key use which is bound to proliferate will be "Viperised" websites – where DB2 Viper will function as a unifier of content, transaction data, site technical data, etc served on websites. IBM has targeted PHP (maybe the 30 million or so PHP domains had something to with that!) and plans to extend early support for PHP using ZEND CORE for IBM. Zend Technologies ZEND CORE for IBM will be bundled with DB2 Viper allowing PHP to access DB2 through the ZEND CORE DB2 driver. Also Viper will be able to interpret PHP web services. Coming soon – ZEND CORE will include DB2 Express with no extra licence charge. DB2 Viper Links Test Drive Viper at the Early DB2 Viper community Querying Viper XML data with SQL – Get off to a fast start with DB2 Viper (IBM) XQUERY Tutorials Good online tutorial at http://www.w3schools.com/xquery/default.asp Learn XQUERY in 10 minutes: http://www.stylusstudio.com/xquery_primer.html XQUERY information at W3C: http://www.w3.org/XML/Query/ ZEND CORE for IBM The zend home page is http://www.zend.com/ The ZEND CORE for IBM page is http://www.zend.com/products/zend_core/zend_core_for_ibm DB2 Viper Articles http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/ibm_db2_viper/ http://www.db2mag.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=180205729 http://xml.coverpages.org/Viper-XML2005.html http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3564796 http://www.digitalproducer.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=38732
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