Universal Access versus Universal Storage

Modern data-intensive applications require the integration of information stored not only in traditional database management systems, but also in file systems, indexed-sequential files, desktop databases, spread sheets, project management tools, electronic mail, directory services, multimedia data stores, spatial data stores, and more. Several database companies are predictably pursuing a traditional database-centric approach generally called universal storage. In this approach, the database vendor extends the database engine and programming interface to support. new data types, including text, spatial, video and audio. They require their customer to move all interesting data inside the corporation into their database implementation. Universal access is an interesting and exciting alternative to the universal storage approach. The key to universal access is to allow applications to access data where it lives without replication, transformation, conversion or delay. Industry standard interfaces allow any-to-any data connectivity. Independent engines provide for cross-data-source transaction control (heterogeneous two-phase commit) and content indexing. The universal access approach attempts to be data source and tool agnostic. This presentation will cover the wide range of corporate data, the data access requirements of fast-moving, competitive corporations, the advantages and disadvantages of the universal storage strategy, the advantages and disadvantages of the universal access approach, key technical requirements on data clients and data providers to participate in universal access and details of an existing universal access implementation. The presentation builds heavily on the work of Vaskevjtch [I] and Blakeley [2]. References 1. D. Vaskevitch. “Database in Crisis and Transition: A Technical Agenda for the Year 2001, ” Proc. of the ACM Sigmod 1994 Conf., pp. 484-489 2. J.A. Blakeley. “Data Access for the Masses through OLE DB, ” Proc. of the ACM Sigmod 1996 Conf., pp. 161-172. 1063-6382/97 $10.00