Gregory Burd

Developers tend to use the most familiar technologies. For data storage, that is the relational database. During design it's easy to see tables of data everywhere; however, not everything is relational in nature. When dealing with XML data or data easily expressed as XML, XQuery-based native XML databases (NXDs) present a viable and cost-effective alternative to relational databases, file system storage, or custom developed storage implementations. So, when is it time to consider an NXD? Can native XML databases really provide a better answer for your data storage needs? In this article we'll examine some guidelines to help answer that question. When to Consider a Native XML Database Do you have thousands of XML files? Is your XML data larger than 200MB? Are you trying to build a hierarchy into tables? Could your data change over time? Have you spent more that $100... (more)

i-Technology Viewpoint: OpenSolaris, Get It While It's Hot!

Go ahead, download the source code for Sun's amazing operating system, Solaris. It's now been released. I just downloaded it in under 5 minutes using BitTorrent. Why? I have no idea. Because I could I guess. Or because I didn't believe it would ever happen. I used to work at Sun at one point, so I have some appreciation for what it took politically, not technically, to get to this point. Congratulations, Sun. The code to Solaris is now available to everyone. Why would Sun give up such an asset and is it too late for Solaris? Is this move going to bolster Sun, and turn around thi... (more)