1. A system, comprising: a database client at a first location on a network; a database server at a second location on the network distinct from the first location on the network; a database appliance at a third location on the network distinct from and between both the first location and the second location, wherein the database appliance is configured to: operate in a proxy mode in which the database appliance is located between the database client and the database server, wherein the database client sends requests to the database appliance and wherein the database server sends responses to the database appliance, receive database communications from the database client or database server as the database communications pass between the database client at the first location and the database server at the second location, decode the database communications, extract statements in a database protocol used by the database server from the database communications, and generate database performance data from the database communications or database statements, the database performance data including data related to a performance of the database client at the first location, a performance of the database server at the second location, the database communications passing between the first and second locations, or the database statements extracted from the data communications; wherein the database appliance includes a computer readable storage medium integrated with the database appliance, accessible by and a processor, wherein the computer readable storage medium stores and storing a set of computer instructions, the set of computer instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform a service manager function including: obtain a job description, wherein the job description comprises a set of database performance data, one or more tasks that are performed using the set of database performance data and one or more actions that are performed in response to results of the one or more tasks; access the set of database performance data specified in the job description from the database appliance; perform the one or more tasks specified by the job description using the set of database performance data accessed from the database appliance; and perform a control action specified in the job description based on the performance of the one or more tasks, wherein the job description comprises: an indication of the database performance data that are retrieved; an indication of the tasks that are performed on the database performance data; and a frequency for retrieving the database performance data; and wherein the control action includes: comparing an item of data collected from the database appliance to a control rule; and in response to results of the comparing, logging into one of the database server and the database client from the third network location and changing a configuration of the one of the database server and the database client.