Automation with OSB and ORDS

Oracle REST Data Services implements an Open Service Broker API for each connection pool. More information about the services and plans available through the service broker can be found in the ORDS User Guide – Configuration of Database API with Open Service Broker API Compatible Platforms. This post provides an overview of why an Open Service Broker provided by ORDS could change how you automate the provision of databases and users.

Most software systems require a database for data storage & retrieval and database users to perform operations on that data. Applications can interact with the database through an API specific to the programming language ( such as JDBC ) or REST.

These ORDS OSB services open up new automation possibilities for provisioning databases and users using tools and scripting platforms that developers and system operators will already be familiar with. Scripts to run Oracle DBCA or specific SQL commands can now be replaced with more platform specific artifacts that are used with the tools for that platform. For example, to creat a new User Acceptance Test pluggable database instance by cloning:

kubectl create -f clone-user-acceptance-test-instance.yaml

Where the clone-user-acceptance-test-instance.yaml might look like this:

apiVersion: servicecatalog.k8s.io/v1beta1
   kind: ServiceInstance
   metadata:
     name: pdbtest1-instance
     namespace: ords-osb
   spec:
     clusterServiceClassExternalName: create-pluggable-database
     clusterServicePlanExternalName: clone-database
     parameters:
       pdb_name: pdbtest1
       src_pdb_name: db0918_pdb1

In the above case, the create-pluggable-database service has been defined in the ‘ords-osb’ namespace and the administrator has not had to share the credentials . Sensitive information can be managed in a manner that is more suitable for the platform. The Kubernetes Service Catalog topics for operators provides more information on best practice for this.

Cloning existing pluggable databases is likely to be the fastest way to provision new test environments because the source database can have all the necessary object structures, seed data and users for the application to be tested. Depending on the application there might be more database users required too. ORDS can not only provision pluggable databases through it’s open service broker interface, but also database users and those database users can be REST enabled too!

If you’re already using kubernetes or cloud foundry as part of your development or production infrastructure then take a look at how you can do more with your existing Oracle databases through Oracle REST Database Services.