Re: Access to heterogeneous data sources - XML

From: Mark Bole <makbo_at_pacbell.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 03:13:25 GMT
Message-ID: <pJv3c.21853$VQ3.202_at_newssvr29.news.prodigy.com>


Glen A Stromquist wrote:
> Andrea M. Segovia wrote:
>

>> Mark Bole <makbo_at_pacbell.net> wrote in message 
>> news:<9X03c.7348$gd2.4732_at_newssvr27.news.prodigy.com>...
>>
>>> Andrea M. Segovia wrote:
>>>

[...]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).
>>>>

[...]
>>
>> Does this solution support real-time access through the Oracle
>> database to other databases with XML support? Since you speak of
>> "exporting" the data, I am thinking you mean the traditional export
>> and import of data into the database.
>>
>> Unfortunately, what I am looking for is real-time access through the
>> Oracle database to the external data sources, that for all intents and
>> purposes looks like the data resides locally.
>>
>> I have looked at a couple of ODBC-type solutions, as well, but these
>> solutions often require software agents/servers on either side of the
>> connection which are vendor specific. I was trying to come up with a
>> "cleaner" solution that we could aim towards.....I believe that these
>> types of problems will keep cropping up in the future.
>>
>> Thanks for the input,
>> Andrea

>
>
> I have set up heterogeneous services on an 8.1.7.4 db residing on a
> windows server thru ODBC to an MSaccess db elsewhere on our network. The
> tables can be queried from within oracle like they are on a regular
> oracle dblink. It's a bit quirky sometimes, especially with the dblink
> you need to set up, but I pointed mine directly to the server rather
> than use the tns alias.
>
> hth
>

Given that your desired source data is out of your control and presumably on the Internet, then a local (internal) data link, such as ODBC, is probably not feasible.

You mentioned "real time" and XML, one standard answer to your need is (are?) web services. Here is a partial definition I found and hung on to for sentimental reasons: ;-)

> 2. Web Services are an attempt to define XML interfaces for applications
and business processes that can be exposed over the Internet.
>
> 3. Web Services are applications that have SOAP interfaces accessible via HTTP.

So, the basic idea is, you enable a web services interface to your data store, and your remote data sources (which will have to cooperate with you) appear with the "real time access" that you are looking for. I'm not aware of Oracle tools that specifically address this need, but that doesn't mean there aren't any....

--Mark Bole Received on Wed Mar 10 2004 - 04:13:25 CET

Original text of this message