Implementing DB2 support in APIC for GraphQL has been a rewarding challenge that opens up exciting possibilities for customers looking to integrate legacy systems with modern APIs. One of the key hurdles was the lack of native Go (Golang) driver support for DB2, which made direct integration difficult. To address this, we engineered a custom solution using a Go-based driver that communicates with a JDBC proxy, effectively bridging the gap between our Go infrastructure and the DB2 database. This approach not only enabled seamless connectivity but also demonstrated how creative problem-solving can overcome platform limitations and deliver real value.
Why DB2?
DB2 is a widely adopted enterprise-grade database with a strong customer base. Supporting DB2 in APIC for GraphQL was driven by several key factors:
- Customer Demand: Many existing customers rely on DB2 and have requested GraphQL support for their DB2 workloads.
- Business Value: Enabling DB2 support expands our product’s reach, unlocking new customer opportunities and increasing revenue potential.
- Market Differentiation: Few platforms offer flexible GraphQL access to legacy enterprise databases like DB2 this sets us apart.
Integration Challenges
Adding DB2 support to a Go-based system like APIC for GraphQL presented unique technical hurdles:
- No Native Go Driver for DB2: The Go ecosystem lacks official or stable DB2 drivers.
- JDBC Proxy Development: To bridge this gap, we built a JDBC proxy that interfaces with DB2 using standard Java connectors.
- Custom Go Driver: A custom Go client was developed to interact with the JDBC proxy, simulating a native database connection.
- Connection Pooling: Efficient connection pooling mechanisms were implemented to manage DB connections within the proxy-based architecture.
- Data Mapping:
- JSON to Go Types: Parsed and mapped data from the JDBC proxy into native Go structures.
- JSON to DB2 Types: Handled conversion of JSON data types to DB2 column types, ensuring compatibility between GraphQL inputs and the DB2 schema.
How We Integrated DB2 with APIC for GraphQL
Here’s a step-by-step overview of the integration process:
- Developed a JDBC Proxy A lightweight Scala service capable of executing DB2 queries and returning JSON responses over HTTP or a custom protocol.
- Built a Custom Go SQL-Based Driver Using Go’s database/sql interface, we created a driver that converts SQL queries and arguments into HTTP requests to the JDBC proxy. The JSON responses are parsed to emulate standard SQL query results, allowing it to behave like a native SQL driver within our GraphQL layer.
- Mapped Data Types
- From JSON to Go structs for query processing.
- From JSON to DB2-compatible types for mutation and insertion support.
- Connection Pooling Strategy Designed to optimize performance, reduce latency, and ensure scalability in a proxy-based architecture.
This architecture allows us to support any database compatible with JDBC, enabling broader database integration without being limited by Go’s native driver ecosystem.
Looking Ahead:
Future-Ready Integration With the foundation now in place, this proxy-based approach opens the door to supporting other enterprise databases especially those with JDBC drivers. One of the next logical steps is adding Oracle DB support using the same model.
Final Thoughts
Bringing DB2 support into APIC for GraphQL was both technically challenging and strategically valuable. It highlights the adaptability and extensibility of our platform, even in the absence of direct language support. This effort not only addresses immediate customer needs but also positions us for broader enterprise database support in the future accelerating adoption and driving business growth.