Executive Summary

XML has emerged as a powerful format for representing data in a wide variety of fields, from technical data to finance to healthcare. Unlike traditional data formats, such as relational data, XML has a hierarchical structure that can be used to model virtually any type of data. In addition, XML is far more flexible and forgiving of change than other formats.

XML presents a number of interesting challenges and opportunities for data storage. Relational databases and full-text search mechanisms that have been the backbone of many applications are not designed to manage XML content effectively. A new class of databases has emerged that is designed specifically to manage XML content. Typically called “XML Native Databases” or just “XML databases,” they incorporate functionality that greatly improves the management, searching, and manipulation of XML to produce the most effective XML data management solution.