CodeIgniter-将数据保存在模型中

基本上，我拥有的是：

class Database extends CI_Model
{
    function __construct()
    {
        parent::__construct();
    }
    function connect($connection_infos)
    {
        $db = @new mysqli($connection_infos['host'], $connection_infos['username'],
                $connection_infos['password'], $connection_infos['database']);
        if (mysqli_connect_errno())
            return FALSE;
        else
            return TRUE;
    }
}

该模型加载在控制器的功能中：

class Management extends CI_Controller
{
    static $dbs = array(
                'ref' => array(
                    'connected' => FALSE,
                ),
                'dest' => array(
                    'connected' => FALSE,
                )
            );
    function connection()
    {
        $this->load->library('form_validation');
        $data = array();
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('host', 'Hostname', 'required');
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('username', 'Username', 'required');
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('database', 'Database', 'required');
        if (!$this->form_validation->run()) {
            $data['dbs'] = self::$dbs;
        } else {
            $this->load->model('database'); // Here I load the model
            $connection_infos = array(
                    'host' => $this->input->post('host'),
                    'username' => $this->input->post('username'),
                    'password' => $this->input->post('password'),
                    'database' => $this->input->post('database'),
                );
            if ($this->database->connect($connection_infos)) {
                self::$dbs['ref']['connected'] = TRUE;
                $data['dbs'] = self::$dbs;
            }
        }
        $this->load->view('dashboard', $data);
    }
}

以下是我所做的：

在我视图中的表单验证中，我从控制器中调用函数connection。此函数加载Database模型，并调用该模型的函数connect。

我的问题是：如果我想让我的模型中的其他函数发出其他人的请求，我会被迫每次打开一个连接吗？如果是，我如何"存储"连接凭据？

谢谢！