BaseX Native XML Database

AWS Databases

A lightweight, high performance native XML and JSON database with an XQuery 3.1 engine, a REST API and the DBA web admin console.

Base
Hardened build
minimal ports, security patches applied at build time
Access
Unique credentials
generated on first boot, readable only by root
Verified
Boots working
services pass a health gate before release
Support
24/7, 365 days
by email and live chat, 24 hour response SLA

Overview

BaseX is a lightweight, high performance native XML and JSON database and a fully compliant XQuery 3.1, XPath and XSLT processor. It stores documents in an efficient native store, indexes them for fast full text and structural queries, and answers queries and updates in milliseconds through a clean REST and RESTXQ HTTP API. The bundled DBA web application lets you browse databases and resources, run interactive XQuery, and manage users, sessions and settings from the browser.

It suits any team that needs a fast, self hosted document store for XML or JSON, a query engine for content repositories and configuration data, or a RESTXQ platform for building web applications and services, run and owned inside their own cloud account rather than a hosted service.

Why the cloudimg image

The cloudimg image installs BaseX on a headless Java runtime behind an nginx reverse proxy that binds the server to loopback and terminates TLS, so the REST API and the DBA web admin are reachable securely within minutes. Security is enforced from the first request: BaseX ships no known or default administrator credential, the REST API requires authentication and the DBA enforces its own login, and a unique admin password is generated on each instance's first boot, applied to the database and written to a root only file, with the service configured so it cannot start before that password is set. Database content lives on a dedicated data volume. The paired deployment guide covers reading your credentials, signing in to the DBA, creating a database, running your first XQuery and enabling a real TLS certificate, and every deployment carries 24/7 support.

Common uses

  • A fast, self hosted native XML and JSON document database in your own cloud account
  • Query and transform content with XQuery 3.1, XPath, XSLT and full text search
  • Build web applications and services on the RESTXQ framework with a REST API

Key features

  • Zero-setup native XML database: BaseX launches as a systemd-managed service with the DBA web admin, REST and RESTXQ API behind nginx TLS. Skip installing a Java 21 runtime, verifying the distribution, writing systemd units, binding to loopback, provisioning a data disk and configuring a TLS proxy. The database answers XQuery within minutes of instance launch.
  • XML and JSON on a dedicated data volume: A fully compliant XQuery 3.1, XPath and XSLT engine over a native store whose databases, admin credential store and logs live on a dedicated EBS volume you can resize independently for IOPS and capacity. This enables safer instance replacement and predictable storage scaling without risking your data.
  • Hardened security from first boot: Stock BaseX ships a well known default administrator credential; this image ships none. Every instance generates a unique admin password stored in a root-only file, the REST API and DBA console require authentication from the first request, and all access is over TLS. Backed by 24/7 cloudimg technical support via email and live chat.

See it running

Real screenshots taken while testing this image against its deployment guide.

BaseX Native XML Database screenshot 1 BaseX Native XML Database screenshot 2 BaseX Native XML Database screenshot 3

Description

This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for cloudimg support services.

## BaseX - Production-Ready Native XML Database AMI

Deploy a fully configured native XML and JSON database and XQuery 3.1 processor on AWS in minutes, not hours. This AMI delivers BaseX preinstalled and running as a managed system service behind an nginx TLS reverse proxy, so you can create databases, store documents and run XQuery and XPath the moment the instance boots.

### Why This AMI Instead of a DIY Install

  • Versus manual EC2 setup: Skip installing a Java 21 runtime, downloading and checksum-verifying the BaseX distribution, writing systemd units, binding the server to loopback, provisioning a data disk, and configuring a TLS reverse proxy. This image does all of that at launch.
  • Versus a raw upstream install: Stock BaseX ships a well known default administrator credential and can expose an unauthenticated HTTP surface. This image ships no known credential: the REST API and DBA console require authentication from the very first request, and a unique administrator password is generated on every instance.
  • Versus other community AMIs: Benefit from a hardened first boot that generates a per-instance administrator password, a dedicated data volume for your XML data, TLS on the wire, and 24/7 professional support from cloudimg.

### Application Stack

  • BaseX installed under /opt/basex, run by a dedicated unprivileged service account bound to loopback only
  • Headless OpenJDK 21 Java runtime
  • A native XML and JSON store on a dedicated EBS data volume holding the databases, the admin credential store and logs, independently resizable for IOPS and capacity
  • systemd services that start the database and proxy on boot and restart on failure
  • nginx reverse proxy terminating TLS and publishing the DBA web admin, REST and RESTXQ API on port 443

### Native XML, JSON and XQuery 3.1

BaseX stores documents in an efficient native store, indexes them for fast full text and structural queries, and answers queries and updates in milliseconds through a clean REST and RESTXQ HTTP API. Capabilities include native XML and JSON storage, XQuery 3.1 with full text search, XQuery Update, the RESTXQ framework for building web applications and services, WebSockets, and client libraries for many languages, making it a strong foundation for content repositories, configuration stores, data integration and XML processing pipelines.

### Web Admin and API

The DBA web administration application is served on port 443 through nginx. Browse databases and resources, run interactive XQuery in the built-in editor, and manage users, sessions and settings from the browser. The REST API answers document storage, retrieval and XQuery over HTTP; RESTXQ lets you build full HTTP services in XQuery.

### Security

Secure First Boot: A one-shot service generates a fresh administrator password unique to each instance, applies it to the database and stores it in a root-only file. No shared or default credentials ship in the image, and the database service is configured so it cannot start before that password is set.

Authenticated by Default: The REST API returns 401 to unauthenticated requests and rejects the stock admin credential; the DBA console enforces its own session login. All access is over TLS, so HTTP Basic credentials never cross the wire in plaintext.

Encryption at Rest: The dedicated data volume holding your databases can leverage AWS EBS encryption. Enable EBS encryption when launching the instance or use encrypted snapshots.

Network Isolation: Deploy in a private VPC subnet and use security groups to restrict access to only the ports and source ranges your clients require (443 for the TLS web admin and API, 22 for SSH).

### Use Cases

  • Content repositories and document databases for XML and JSON at scale
  • Configuration and metadata stores queried with XQuery and XPath
  • Data integration and XML transformation pipelines with XQuery Update and RESTXQ

### 24/7 cloudimg Support

Technical support by email and live chat covers deployment, database and endpoint configuration, XQuery and RESTXQ development, backups, authentication and TLS setup, and JVM administration.

All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

Related technologies

xml databasebasexxqueryxpathnative xmljson databaserestxqxsltdocument databasenosqlxquery 3.1rest api