title: Accessing data in internal production databases from a web server in DMZ
body: <p>I'm working on an external web site (in DMZ) that needs to get data from our internal production database.</p>
  
  <p>All of the designs that I have come up with are rejected because the network department will not allow a connection of any sort (WCF, Oracle, etc.) to come inside from the DMZ.</p>
  
  <p>The suggestions that have come from the networking side generally fall under two categories -</p>
  
  <p>1) Export the required data to a server in the DMZ and export modified/inserted records eventually somehow, or </p>
  
  <p>2) Poll from inside, continually asking a service in the DMZ whether it has any requests that need serviced.</p>
  
  <p>I'm averse to suggestion 1 because I don't like the idea of a database sitting in the DMZ.  Option 2 seems like a ridiculous amount of extra complication for the nature of what's being done.</p>
  
  <p>Are these the only legitimate solutions?  Is there an obvious solution I'm missing?  Is the "No connections in from DMZ" decree practical?</p>
  
  <p>Edit: One line I'm constantly hearing is that "no large company allows a web site to connect inside to get live production data.  That's why they send confirmation emails".  Is that really how it works?</p>