Re: Access to heterogeneous data sources - XML

Andrea M. Segovia wrote:
> Hello, everyone:
>
> We have a Oracle 3 tier application (using Oracle iAs to a back-end
> Oracle database on an Tru64 UNIX server) which also incorporates
> custom written analysis and mapping tools for fisheries-related data.
>
> There is interest in broadening the scope of this application to also
> gather data from other data sources. The problem is that the other
> data sources are not Oracle databases (some are MS-SQL Server, others
> are MS-Access databases). Moving data to an Oracle format is not a
> possibility, as some of these data sources are out of our
> organization's control. To complicate matters even further, some of
> the data sources are not local (ie. in remote locations in either
> internal or external networks from one end of the country to another).
>
> Is XML a possibility for this? What XML functionality is available
> through Oracle, MS-SQL server? How would I do this using XML?
>
> Regards,
> Andrea

Oracle 9i includes XML DB, as well as a number of utilities for parsing and writing XML files.

With a free, one-time resgistration to OTN (Oracle Technology Network) go to the following link and look for books start with "XML" for documentation on the former. Also look inside the "Supplied PL/SQL Packages" book for procedures starting with "DBMS_XML" for documentation on the latter.

http://download-west.oracle.com/docs/cd/B10501_01/nav/docindex.htm?remark=homepage

If you can get the data exported from the other sources in XML, you should be able to import it one way or another into your Oracle backend, using Oracle-supplied tools. My guess is this will involve a joint design and programming effort between your team and the owners of the external data.

--Mark Bole Received on Mon Mar 08 2004 - 10:11:49 CST