Techniques are provided to allow users to define a global service that is offered across multiple replicated databases. Database clients connect to and use a global service just as they do with regular services on a single database today. Upon receiving a connection request, a collection of components, referred to collectively as the Global Data Service framework (GDS framework), automatically chooses the best database server instances to which to connect a client. Once those connections have been established, the clients determine which database server instance, of those database server instances to which they are connected, to send requests to based, at least in part, on advisory messages sent to the clients by the GDS framework.