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Database Gateways

While basic database networking middleware implemented in an organization may support only one proprietary RDBMS, a database gateway can link those clients to other hosts.

Database gateways are typically intermediate devices that accept connections from clients using one set of APIs and network protocols, and connect to a remote data source using a completely different set of APIs and protocols. The gateway device translates between the client and the server systems. Take a look at our diagram:

[Diagram: Database Gateway Components]

A database gateway is most often implemented on an intermediate device to offload both the client and the server from the heavy work of translating between different SQL dialects and data formats.

They are also an easy way to provide more data sources to clients without adding other vendor's proprietary middleware. Otherwise, the only choice for supporting say both Oracle and Sybase in the same shop means implementing both Oracle and Sybase database networking middleware on each client. For three RDBMSs, this approach would require three separate middleware implementations on each client. Clearly, this everything at the client approach won't scale. (One might consider a bunch of ODBC drivers along with more than one proprietary middleware solution all at each client as a client-side database gateway.)

November 15, 1995