XML data mediation and collaboration: a proposed comprehensive architecture and query requirements for using XML to mediate heterogeneous data sources and targets

The paper discusses the potential of using XML technologies as mediators for accessing and processing structured, relational data and semi-structured data over the Internet. Because significant gaps exist in all the reviewed XML data mediation approaches, a more comprehensive framework is presented. Some of the potential benefits of this architecture include: provides a clean abstraction of heterogeneous data for end users, applications, and Internet applications; supports all major data formats; uses one standard query language for all XML data queries; thus, optimizing and simplifying query writing; can be implemented in phases; consistent query language regardless of data source; returns all data results in XML format; provides different views of data according to different application needs; improves Internet spidering; continues to support all necessary DBMS functions; provides a platform for future growth; and encourages coherent and comprehensive data management and data modeling with organizations.