Jakarta-commons-dbcp

Apache Commons Database Connection Pool

The DBCP Component

Many Jakarta projects support interaction with a relational database. Creating a new connection for each user can be time consuming often requiring multiple seconds of clock time, in order to perform a database transaction that might take milliseconds. Opening a connection per user can be unfeasible in a publicly-hosted Internet application where the number of simultaneous users can be very large. Accordingly, developers often wish to share a “pool” of open connections between all of the application’s current users. The number of users actually performing a request at any given time is usually a very small percentage of the total number of active users, and during request processing is the only time that a database connection is required. The application itself logs into the DBMS, and handles any user account issues internally. There are several Database Connection Pools already available, both within Jakarta products and elsewhere. This Commons package provides an opportunity to coordinate the efforts required to create and maintain an efficient, feature-rich package under the ASF license. The commons-dbcp package relies on code in the commons-pool package to provide the underlying object pool mechanisms that it utilizes.

WWW http//commons.apache.org/dbcp/

In the vast world of FreeBSD, a variety of ports exist to aid in productivity and simplify your work as a developer or system administrator. Today, we delve into one of these ports Jakarta Commons DBCP Database Connection Pooling. This Java-based software library provides a good illustration of the power and convenience that FreeBSD ports offer.

Before we commence, if you are new to FreeBSD or require some background information about ports, please check out our other articles [here]https//freebsdsoftware.org/ports_intro.html.

Why Jakarta Commons DBCP?

Jakarta Commons DBCP is a Java library that allows you to manage a database connection pooling system. Creating a new connection each time an application requires access to a database can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Connection pooling mitigates this by maintaining a pool of connections that can be reused. When an application needs to access a database, instead of establishing a new connection, it borrows one from the pool.

For production environments where multiple concurrent requests need to access the database, a library like Jakarta Commons DBCP is indispensable. It reduces latency, increases throughput, and generally enhances the system’s performance.

Installing Jakarta Commons DBCP

Installing this port on FreeBSD is a straightforward process. First, ensure your ports collection is up to date. Open a terminal and use the following command

portsnap fetch update

With the ports tree updated, navigate to the Jakarta Commons DBCP directory

cd /usr/ports/java/jakarta-commons-dbcp

Finally, install the port with these commands

make install clean

Upon successful installation, Jakarta Commons DBCP should be available on your system. Check this using the following command

pkg info | grep jakarta-commons-dbcp

Integrating Jakarta Commons DBCP

To use Jakarta Commons DBCP in your Java applications, you need to include the library in your Java project classpath.

If you’re using a build tool like Maven, add the following dependency in your pom.xml

<dependency>
    <groupId>commons-dbcp</groupId>
    <artifactId>commons-dbcp</artifactId>
    <version>1.4</version>
</dependency>

Establishing a Connection pool

Below is an example of how to establish a connection pool utilizing Jakarta Commons DBCP.

import org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource;
import javax.sql.DataSource;

public class ConnectionPool 
  public DataSource setupDataSource 
    BasicDataSource ds = new BasicDataSource;
    ds.setDriverClassName"org.postgresql.Driver";
    ds.setUrl"jdbcpostgresql//localhost/databaseName";
    ds.setUsername"username";
    ds.setPassword"password";
    return ds;
  

Here we have created a simple DataSource object using BasicDataSource. We have specified the JDBC driver, the database URL, and the credentials.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your Java application can now leverage our FreeBSD port, Jakarta Commons DBCP.

Keeping Your System Secure

While DBCP handles database connections, FreeBSD’s security tools handle system security. It’s always crucial to audit your packages regularly and keep them updated to prevent any security incidents. Tools like nmap are indispensable and can be easily installed from the ports collection. You can find more about nmap [here]https//freebsdsoftware.org/security/nmap.html.

Conclusion

Jakarta Commons DBCP is a powerful tool in a developer’s arsenal. It optimizes system performance by managing database connections efficiently with connection pooling under the hood. Built on the robust foundation of FreeBSD, it’s a reliable choice for managing database connections for any Java application.

The broad FreeBSD Ports Collection, including Jakarta Commons DBCP and many others, gives FreeBSD its immense flexibility and power. Remember, as you use these tools, it’s crucial to use security tools like nmap to ensure the software environment’s safety alongside performance.

Try it out today, and experience the difference yourself!