1. A processor-implemented method for processing data, comprising: establishing and providing access to a relational database with a database management system (DBMS), the relational database including a plurality of first type data items and associated second type data items; and transmitting an access request from a requester to the DBMS; determining by the DBMS whether the access request references a first type or second type data item, wherein the access request with the second type data item includes a relational database access command and a file path name that references a source file or a destination file that is accessible to the requester by the file path name; bypassing requester memory in providing access to the second type data item in the relational database; wherein for a retrieve-type access request the providing access comprises reading from the relational database the second type data item referenced in the retrieve-type request without occupying memory allocated to the DBMS and writing the second type data item to the destination file referenced by the file path without occupying memory allocated to the DBMS; wherein the providing access to the second type data item includes transferring data between the database and the source file or the destination file referenced by the file path name; in response to the access request referencing a first type data item, storing the first type data item in memory allocated to the requester; wherein for an update-type access request for the first type data item, the storing of the first type data item includes writing the first type data item from requester memory to the relational database; and wherein for the retrieve-type access request for the first type data item, the storing of the first type data item includes writing the first type data item from the relational database to requester memory.