A computing system provides database access to a plurality of users, for example, over a computer network such as the Internet. The computing system includes an established database engine and accompanying database files containing data that the users may query. The computing system further includes an alternate database engine that may intercept and execute such database commands submitted by the users. The alternate database engine may translate and recognize commands submitted in the format of the established database engine. The alternate database engine may further provide results in the format of the established database engine. In this manner, an alternate database engine can be implemented to provide further or more efficient processing capabilities. At the same time, users may continue to interact with the data maintained by the established database engine in a manner with which they are familiar, and data providers may switch to the alternate database engine without reformatting the data stored in the established database engine.
Method, Apparatus And System For Screening Database Queries Prior To Submission To A Database
To maintain the integrity and operability of enterprise database systems, queries intended for a particular database engine are intercepted, preferably by a separate processing system, prior to being acted upon by the database engine. The query is evaluated to determine its projected impact on available database system resources. The variables evaluated include user rights, administrator-imposed limits to searches, the amount of presently-available system resources, the cost of query and the like. If the query's potential impact does not surpass a predetermined threshold, it is submitted to the search engine. If the query is too resource-intensive or costly, the query may be (i) optimized by a query-optimization system, (ii) stored until more system resources are available, or (iii) rejected.