4. Installation Guide

4.8. Oracle 10g Instant Client: Connection String Formats

The Oracle 10g Instant Client can be used in OpenLink single-tier and multi-tier environments. In a three-tier configuration, an OpenLink Oracle 10g agent residing on the middle-tier can use the Instant Client to connect to an Oracle instance on the third tier.

Instant Client allows you to run applications without installing the standard Oracle client (SQL*Net or Net8) or having an ORACLE_HOME. It supports two basic connection string formats:

• //host:[port][/service name]
  • e.g. //dbase-server-5:4321/ORDERS
• an Oracle Net keyword-value pair such as

  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp) (HOST=dlsun242)
      (PORT=5521)) (CONNECT_DATA=(SERVICE_NAME=bjava21)))

Naming methods that require a configuration file (such as tnsnames.ora or sqlnet.ora) for name translation can also be used if the environment variable TNS_ADMIN is set to point to the directory containing the file.

4.8.1. OpenLink Single-Tier Connections using Instant Client

Examples of accepted connection parameters settings are shown below.

4.8.1.1. Defining a DSN using the OpenLink Single Tier DSN Configuration Wizard

1) Using a local NET service name TNS_ADMIN must point a directory containing to a tnsnames.ora file to allow translation of the local NET service name to an Oracle connect descriptor.

2) Using a connect URL string

3) Using an Oracle NET connect descriptor

All the above forms for the 'Connection String' field can also be appended to the Login ID using an '@' separator. The password can be supplied separately, or appended to the Login ID string using '/' as a separator.

4) Using a local NET service name appended to Login ID TNS_ADMIN must point a directory containing to a tnsnames.ora file to allow translation of the local NET service name to an Oracle connect descriptor.

5) Using a connect URL string appended to Login ID

6) Using an Oracle NET connect descriptor appended to Login ID

4.8.2. Oracle Instant Client Related Links