Connection handler and method for providing applications with heterogeneous connection objects

1. A computing apparatus for providing at least one connection object to at least one application, the apparatus comprising:

a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to:

maintain a plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools, wherein each one of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools has a configuration, wherein each one of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools includes at least one connection object with a configuration that is unique for the respective heterogeneous internal connection pool;

receive at least one request from the at least one application, the at least one request including an identification of a requested configuration;

match the requested configuration to the configuration of a matched heterogeneous internal connection pool of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

store related pool information that identifies one or more related internal connection pools;

refresh a first internal connection pool out of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

refresh, in dependence upon refresh of the first internal connection pool, at least one related internal connection pool based on the stored related pool information, the at least one related internal connection pool being different from the first internal connection pool; and

provide the at least one application with a connection object from the matched heterogeneous internal connection pool in accordance with the received at least one request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

create, during runtime, a new internal connection pool in accordance with the at least one request, depending on an evaluation of whether the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools already includes a respective internal connection pool; and

keep the created internal connection pool after the at least one request has been processed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the creation of the new internal connection pool further depends on an evaluation of the amount of connection objects currently in use in all existing internal connection pools and/or on an evaluation of the total amount of connection objects comprised in all existing internal connection pools.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to remove one or more of the existing connection objects from the one or more internal connection pools during runtime.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the removing of one or more of the existing connection objects comprises removing the least recently used, the most recently used, the least frequently used and/or the least frequently recently used connection object(s).

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the removing of one or more of the existing connection objects depends on an evaluation of the total amount of connection objects comprised in all existing internal connection pools.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the evaluation comprises evaluating whether the total amount of connection objects comprised in all existing internal connection pools exceeds a predefined threshold defined during configuration of the connection handler.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive at least one second request from the at least one application, wherein the at least one second request does not comprise an identification of a configured connection object; and

provide the at least one application with a connection object from a preconfigured internal connection pool.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connection objects in each internal connection pool are configured with a set of connection properties and wherein the at least one request received includes a requested set of connection properties.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connection objects in each internal connection pool are configured with a set of connection properties, wherein the processing system is further configured to store one or more aliases comprising a predefined set of connection properties, and

wherein the at least one request includes one of the aliases.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each internal connection pool is configured with a set of connection properties comprising key/value pairs and wherein the information identifying one or more related internal connection pools comprises a subset of the keys.

12. A method executed on a computer system that includes at least one hardware processor, the method comprising:

storing, to memory that is coupled to the at least one hardware processor, a plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools, wherein each one of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools has a configuration, wherein each one of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools includes at least one connection object with a configuration that is unique for the respective heterogeneous internal connection pool;

receiving at least one request from the at least one application, the at least one request including an identification of a requested configuration;

matching the requested configuration to the configuration of a matched heterogeneous internal connection pool of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

storing related pool information that identifies one or more related internal connection pools;

refreshing a first internal connection pool out of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

refreshing, as a result of determining that the first internal connection pool has been refreshed, at least one related internal connection pool based on the stored related pool information, the at least one related internal connection pool being different from the first internal connection pool; and

providing the at least one application with a connection object from the matched heterogeneous internal connection pool in accordance with the received at least one request.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions for use with a computing system that includes at least one process, the stored instructions comprising instructions configured to:

maintain a plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools, wherein each one of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools has a configuration, wherein each one of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools includes at least one connection object with a configuration that is unique for the respective heterogeneous internal connection pool;

receive at least one request from an application, the at least one request including an identification of a requested connection object configuration;

match the requested connection object configuration to the configuration of a matched heterogeneous internal connection pool of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

store related pool information that identifies one or more related internal connection pools for the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

refresh a first internal connection pool out of the plurality of heterogeneous internal connection pools;

refresh, in dependence upon refresh of the first internal connection pool, at least one related internal connection pool(s) that are related to the first internal connection pool based on the stored related pool information, the at least one related internal connection pool(s) being separate from the first internal connection pool; and

provide the at least one application with a connection object from the matched heterogeneous internal connection pool in accordance with the received at least one request.