How to use a foreign database in extbase/fluid - fluid

Question

I have a simple extbase extension (typo3) with one controller and one model/view. Now i want to "select *" a MSSQL database and output the results in my view. I have not found any reference on how to realize this.
How can i connect to a foreign database from within my extbase/fluid extension and use the data from this database (MSSQL)? How do i execute a query on the "extDB" and how to i print out the result IN my fluid-view.
This is how i integrate the DB (dbal/adodb):
$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['EXTCONF']['dbal']['handlerCfg'] = array(
'extDB' => array(
'type' => 'adodb',
'config' => array(
'driver' => 'mssql',
'username' => 'DB_username',
'password' => 'DB_password',
'host' => 'DB_host',
'database' => 'DB_used',
)
)
);
$TYPO3_CONF_VARS['EXTCONF']['dbal']['table2handlerKeys'] = array (
'VIEW_TABLE1' => 'extDB',
'VIEW_TABLE2' => 'extDB',
);
Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

You can try extension Database Abstraction Layer (dbal).

Answer 2

Example use global variable $GLOBALS. This is tested on Typo3 4.x, but with little updates(?) maybe working on Typo 6.2 (eg. remove deprecated t3lib_div, and use GeneralUtility...).
class Abstract {
/**
* Access to database
*
*/
private
$msdbHost = 'localhost',
$msdb = 'database-name',
$msdbUsername = 'xxx',
$msdbPassword = 'xxx';
/**
* Connect to MS database
*
*/
public function connectDatabaseMs() {
$GLOBALS['MS_DB'] = t3lib_div::makeInstance('t3lib_DB');
$GLOBALS['MS_DB']->sql_pconnect($this->msdbHost, $this->msdbUsername, $this->msdbPassword);
if($GLOBALS['MS_DB']->link) {
if($GLOBALS['MS_DB']->sql_select_db($this->msdb)) {
return $GLOBALS['MS_DB'];
} else {
t3lib_div::devLog('[tx_rtgms_lib::connectDatabaseUsers] Can not select database "'.$this->msdb.'".', $this->extKey, 3);
}
} else {
t3lib_div::devLog('[tx_rtgms_lib::connectDatabaseUsers] Can not connect to database "'.$this->msdb.'".', $this->extKey, 3);
}
$GLOBALS['MS_DB'] = FALSE;
return FALSE;
}
/**
* Example
*
*/
public function getData() {
$query = 'SELECT ...';
$res = $GLOBALS['HOSTAFF_DB']->sql_query($query);
...
}
}