Alternate datasource for django model?

Question

I'm trying to seamlessly integrate some legacy data into a django application. I would like to know if it's possible to use an alternate datasource for a django model. For example, can I contact a server to populate a list of a model? The server would not be SQL based at all. Instead it uses some proprietary tcp based protocol.

Copying the data is not an option, as the legacy application will continue to be used for some time. Would a custom manager allow me to do this?

This model should behave just like any other django model. It should even pluggable to the admin interface.

What do you think?

Thanks, Pete

Answer 1

This is not possible in current Django, short of reimplementing the entire Django ORM API on top of your custom data retrieval code.

There has been quite a bit of talk among Django developers about separating the ORM API (QuerySet, basically) from the SQL-specific Query backend in order to make it possible to write pluggable backends for non-relational data stores. It seems clear that this is the direction things are headed in, but there is no timeline for when it will be doable; even then you'd likely be in for quite a lot of work writing that pluggable backend for your system.

Answer 2

So basically this is a two tier problem:

1-MultiDB support >> Search for Mike Malone & MultiDB @ GITHUB

2-Non sql backend support >>NonSqlBackends