What is virtDB?

To facilitate JSON/q adoption, we have created an abstraction layer called virtDB. Since JSON/q is simply a specification, virtual layers can easily be integrated. VirtDB allows building drivers for any data source which does not have native JSON/q support.

At its most basic, virtDB is a pair of APIs: DatabaseProvider and StoreProvider. These describe the interaction between JSON/q messages and the underlying storage system.

DatabaseProvider

The DatabaseProvider accepts a JSON/q message, returns a transaction ID, and fires a callback (containing a JSON/q response) when the operation is complete. Remember, all JSON/q operations are message-based, so the APIs should be asynchronous where possible.

DatabaseProvider is responsible for parsing the JSON/q request, assembling results from the store(s), and returning results to the caller. The results are in the form of a JSON/q message, and can contain either data or an error, depending on whether or not the operation succeeded.

StoreProvider

The StoreProvider is an internal API to be used by the DatabaseProvider. It allows the DatabaseProvider to provision it, query capabilities, and perform basic CRUD operations. Based on the capabilities of the StoreProvider, other operations including searching, indexing, and transaction management may be provided.