Connecting Service Builder to an External Database

If you want to use a database separate from Liferay DXP’s, follow these steps:

1. Specify your database and a data source name in your service.xml.

2. Create the database manually.

3. Define the data source.

4. Connect your Service Builder module to the data source.

5. Run Service Builder.

There are two different ways to create the connection:

1. DataSourceProvider: This approach involves implementing a DataSourceProvider ServiceProviderInterface (SPI). This way requires the fewest files and steps and works regardless of whether your Service Builder module uses the ds or spring dependency injector.

2. Spring Beans: Configure the connection using Spring XML files. This approach only works with Service Builder modules that use the spring dependency injection option.

Note: All entities defined in a Service Builder module’s service.xml file are bound to the same data source. Binding different entities to different data sources requires defining the entities in separate Service Builder modules and configuring each of the modules to use a different data source.

Warning: If your Service Builder services require nested transactions, using an external data source may not be appropriate. Transactions between separate data sources cannot be fully nested. Rollbacks may not propagate between services that use an external data source and Liferay DXP services (or another app’s services) that use a different data source.

Since DataSourceProvider is the easiest, most versatile approach, it’s explained first.