pureXML is the native

XML Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing arbitrary data. It defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. ...

storage feature in the

IBM Db2 Db2 is a family of data management products, including database servers, developed by IBM. It initially supported the relational model, but was extended to support object–relational features and non-relational structures like JSON and ...

data server. pureXML provides

query language Query languages, data query languages or database query languages (DQL) are computer languages used to make queries in databases and information systems. A well known example is the Structured Query Language (SQL). Types Broadly, query language ...

s, storage technologies, indexing technologies, and other features to support XML data. The word ''pure'' in pureXML was chosen to indicate that Db2 natively stores and natively processes XML data in its inherent hierarchical structure, as opposed to treating XML data as plain text or converting it into a relational format.

Technical information

Db2 includes two distinct storage mechanisms: one for efficiently managing traditional SQL data types, and another for managing XML data. The underlying storage mechanism is transparent to users and applications; they simply use SQL (including SQL with XML extensions or SQL/XML) or

XQuery XQuery (XML Query) is a query and functional programming language that queries and transforms collections of structured and unstructured data, usually in the form of XML, text and with vendor-specific extensions for other data formats (JSON, bi ...

to work with the data. XML data is stored in columns of Db2 tables that have the XML data type. XML data is stored in a parsed format that reflects the hierarchical nature of the original XML data. As such, pureXML uses trees and nodes as its model for storing and processing XML data. If you instruct Db2 to validate XML data against an XML schema prior to storage, Db2 annotates all nodes in the XML hierarchy with information about the schema types; otherwise, it will annotate the nodes with default type information. Upon storage, Db2 preserves the internal structure of XML data, converting its tag names and other information into integer values. Doing so helps conserve disk space and also improves the performance of queries that use navigational expressions. However, users aren't aware of this internal representation. Finally, Db2 automatically splits XML nodes across multiple database pages, as needed. XML schemas specify which XML elements are valid, in what order these elements should appear in XML data, which XML data types are associated with each element, and so on. pureXML allows you to validate the cells in a column of XML data against no schema, one schema, or multiple schemas. pureXML also provides tools to support evolving XML schemas. IBM has enhanced its

programming language A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language. The description of a programming l ...

interfaces to support access to its XML data. These enhancements span

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

(

JDBC Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is an application programming interface (API) for the programming language Java, which defines how a client may access a database. It is a Java-based data access technology used for Java database connectivity. ...

), C (embedded SQL and call-level interface),

COBOL COBOL (; an acronym for "common business-oriented language") is a compiled English-like computer programming language designed for business use. It is an imperative, procedural and, since 2002, object-oriented language. COBOL is primarily ...

(embedded SQL),

PHP PHP is a General-purpose programming language, general-purpose scripting language geared toward web development. It was originally created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1993 and released in 1995. The PHP reference implementati ...

, and

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational technology company, technology corporation producing Software, computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at th ...

.NET Framework The .NET Framework (pronounced as "''dot net"'') is a proprietary software framework developed by Microsoft that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It was the predominant implementation of the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) until bein ...

(through the DB2.NET provider).

History

pureXML was first included in the DB2 9 for

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which i ...

Unix Unix (; trademarked as UNIX) is a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems that derive from the original AT&T Unix, whose development started in 1969 at the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, a ...

, and Microsoft Windows release, which was codenamed Viper, in June 2006. It was available on DB2 9 for

z/OS z/OS is a 64-bit operating system for IBM z/Architecture mainframes, introduced by IBM in October 2000. It derives from and is the successor to OS/390, which in turn was preceded by a string of MVS versions.Starting with the earliest: ...

in March 2007. In October 2007, IBM released DB2 9.5 with improved XML data transaction performance and improved storage savings. In June 2009, IBM released DB2 9.7 with XML supported for database-partitioned, range-partitioned, and multi-dimensionally clustered tables as well as compression of XML data and indices.

Competition

Db2 is a hybrid data server—it offers data management for traditional relational data, as well as providing native XML data management. Other vendors that offer data management for both relational data and native XML storage include

Oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The wor ...

with its 11g product and Microsoft with its SQL Server product. pureXML also competes with native XML databases like

BaseX BaseX is a native and light-weight XML database management system and XQuery processor, developed as a community project on GitHub. It is specialized in storing, querying, and visualizing large XML documents and collections. BaseX is platform-i ...

eXist eXist-db (or eXist for short) is an open source software project for NoSQL databases built on XML technology. It is classified as both a NoSQL document-oriented database system and a native XML database (and it provides support for XML, JSON, HT ...

MarkLogic MarkLogic Corporation is an American software business that develops and provides an enterprise NoSQL database, also named ''MarkLogic''. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in San Carlos, California. MarkLogic is a privately held compa ...

or Sedna.

Books

IBM International Technical Support Organization (ITSO) has published the following books, which are available in print or as free e-books:
DB2 9: pureXML Overview and Fast Start

The following books are also available for purchase:
DB2 pureXML Cookbook: Master the Power of IBM Hybrid Data Server

Education and training

The following pureXML classroom and online courses are available from IBM Education:
Query and Manage XML Data with DB2 9
IBM course CG130. Classroom. Duration: 4 days.
Query XML Data with DB2 9
IBM course CG100. Classroom. Duration: 2 days (first 2 days of CG130). * Managing XML Data in DB2 9. IBM course CG160. Classroom. Duration: 2 days (last 2 days of CG130).
DB2 pureXML
IBM Course CT140. Self-paced study plus Live Virtual Classroom.

References

External links

*
pureXML Wiki

pureXML Forum

pureXML Team Blog

Native XML Database Blog

Blog with pureXML Topics

Online communities

Online communities allow pureXML users to network with fellow professionals.
pureXML Group on LinkedIn
{{IBM Db2 product family XML software Data management Data modeling IBM DB2 IBM software XML databases