Has anyone in this list tried to segregate the web front end in
SharePoint from the back end database?

What I wish to accomplish is that I have a web front end in the DMZ and the
database (webstore) somewhere behind the internal firewalls.
I have been looking at the extranet whitepaper, but this scenario is not
described (unfortunately).

I'm thinking of creating the same set of virtual sites on a new website on
the DMZ webserver, but then I need to find a way to have the virtual sites
point to the backofficestore on the back end computer.

Hope anyone can help me out here.