As XML technologies have become a standard for data representation, it is inevitable to propose and implement efficient techniques for managing XML data. A natural alternative is to exploit tools and functions offered by relational database systems. Unfortunately, this approach has many detractors, especially due to inefficiency caused by structural differences between XML data and relations. But, on the other hand, relational databases represent a mature, verified and reliable technology for managing any kind of data including XML documents. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview and classification of existing approaches to XML data management in relational databases. They view the problem from both state-of-the-practice and state-of-the-art perspectives. The authors describe the current best known solutions, their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, they discuss some open issues and their possible solutions.
Efficient storage and query processing of XML data in relational database systems