The Dialectic Storage Structure

This paper describes a universal storage structure (a dialectic storage structure), which is settled between relational and hierarchical approach. It aims to marry XML files with the TID concept and rowwith column-oriented storage. We support at first glance only nesting level of proper collections of two. Therefore, records are in general greater than in relational model (clustering of data with different types), but smaller than in a hierarchical model (XML, IMS). Besides arbitrary primary data also indexes can be stored with our I-concept. Valueand full text-indexes can be expressed by DIA-file structures whereas parentand path-indexes are not necessary, because the access to subtuples goes always through the head record (parent node). The DIA-storage structure aims to be a base for a universal, simple, and lean information system with our query language OttoQL on top.