Oracle XML Query Service (formerly Oracle XML Data Synthesis or XDS) is designed to solve the problem of accessing disparate information sources like package applications (Oracle 11i, SAP, PeopleSoft), databases (Oracle, DB2, SQL Server), files (MS Excel, XML), and aggregating the information from these sources in real-time. XQS provides an easy-to-use declarative framework to plug-in and query across the information sources.

Instead of writing custom applications to access information from disparate information sources, customers have a choice of using XQS to build their information integration applications. The benefits are similar to what SQL provides when it comes to accessing data from databases. Oracle XQS has been designed to employ both emerging and standards-based technologies like XML, XQuery, JDBC, Web services, and J2EE Connector Architecture.

XQS is part of the Oracle Application Server 10g Release 3 (10.1.3) release. You will need to down CD1. A sample application for XQS is available for download. Comments on XQS can be posted on the following forum.