Database virtualization
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate database virtualization. In aspects, clusters of database servers may be located at various locations of the Internet. When a client seeks to access a logical database, the client may send a logical server and logical database name in a data structure. These names may be used to find a physical server(s) and database(s) that correspond to the logical database. Once the location is determined, a proxy component is used to intercept and/or forward communications between the client and the physical server(s) and database(s) corresponding to the logical database. Using this system, a client may access data from a logical database without knowing the physical address of the logical user database.
1. At a computer system, a method comprising:
encoding a logical server name and logical database name in a data structure to send to access a physical database or partition corresponding to the logical database;
providing at least the logical server name to a domain name system server;
receiving a network address corresponding to the logical server name from the domain name system server;
sending the data structure to a gateway reachable via the network address, the gateway operable to determine a physical server that hosts the physical database and to act as a proxy in obtaining data from the physical database;
negotiating one or more parameters of a connection with the gateway;
receiving, via the connection, a request to provide credentials; and
providing the credentials via the connection.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein encoding a logical server name into a data structure comprises encoding the logical server name into a domain name recognizable by the domain name system server.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein encoding a logical server name into a data structure comprises encoding the logical server name into a database connection string.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein encoding a logical server name into a data structure comprises encoding the logical server name into a user name field.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a network address corresponding to the logical server name from the domain name system server comprises receiving a network address for a load balancer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, via the connection, a request to provide credentials comprises receiving a request to provide credentials for accessing a logical database corresponding to the logical database name.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing the data via the gateway, the gateway functioning as a proxy.
8. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:
encode a logical server name and logical database name in a data structure to send to access a physical database or partition corresponding to the logical database;
provide at least the logical server name to a domain name system server
receive a network address corresponding to the logical server name from the domain name system server;
send the data structure to a gateway reachable via the network address, the gateway operable to determine a physical server that hosts the physical database and to act as a proxy in obtaining data from the physical database;
negotiate one or more parameters of a connection with the gateway;
receive via the connection, a request to provide credentials; and
provide the credentials via the connection.
9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to encode a logical server name into a data structure comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to encode the logical server name into a domain name recognizable by the domain name system server.
10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to encode a logical server name into a data structure comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to encode the logical server name into a database connection string.
11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to encode a logical server name into a data structure comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to encode the logical server name into a user name field.
12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive a network address corresponding to the logical server name from the domain name system server comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive a network address for a load balancer.
13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive, via the connection, a request to provide credentials comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to receive a request to provide credentials for accessing a logical database corresponding to the logical database name.
14. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to access the data via the gateway, the gateway functioning as a proxy.
15. A computer system, the computer system comprising
one or more processors;
system memory; and
one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions a client process, the client process configured to:
encode a logical server name and logical database name in a data structure to send to access a physical database or partition corresponding to the logical database;
provide at least the logical server name to a domain name system server
receive a network address corresponding to the logical server name from the domain name system server;
send the data structure to a gateway reachable via the network address, the gateway operable to determine a physical server that hosts the physical database and to act as a proxy in obtaining data from the physical database;
negotiate one or more parameters of a connection with the gateway;
receive via the connection, a request to provide credentials; and
provide the credentials via the connection.
16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the client process being configured to encode a logical server name into a data structure comprises the client process being configured to encode the logical server name into a database connection string.
17. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the client process being configured to encode a logical server name into a data structure comprises the client process being configured to encode the logical server name into a user name field.
18. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the client process being configured to receive a network address corresponding to the logical server name from the domain name system server comprises the client process being configured to receive a network address for a load balancer.
19. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the client process being configured to receive, via the connection, a request to provide credentials comprises wherein the client process being configured to receive a request to provide credentials for accessing a logical database corresponding to the logical database name.
20. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising the client process being configured to access the data via the gateway, the gateway functioning as a proxy.