Lesson 6	Overview of the Names control utility
Objective	Use the Names control utility in Oracle.

Oracle Names Control Utility

Oracle Directory Naming does not use the `namesctl` utility from the legacy Oracle Names service.
Oracle Names was an older name resolution service that used the `namesctl` utility to manage network naming, but it has since been deprecated. Directory Naming, on the other hand, leverages LDAP-compliant directory services, such as Oracle Internet Directory (OID) or Microsoft Active Directory. Directory Naming allows Oracle Net Services to resolve net service names by looking them up in a central LDAP directory rather than using local configuration files or the Oracle Names service.
Here's a brief comparison:

Oracle Names (Legacy): Used `namesctl` to manage network names and provided a centralized naming service, which is now obsolete and deprecated.
Directory Naming: Uses LDAP directory services (like OID or Microsoft AD) for centralized name resolution without `namesctl`.

Instead of `namesctl`, Directory Naming configurations are managed through directory service administration tools or Oracle Net Manager, which configures network clients to use the LDAP directory for name resolution.

Configure "Directory Naming" using Directory Service Administration tools

Use Oracle Net Configuration Assistant (NetCA)
- Launch NetCA from the $ORACLE_HOME/bin directory.
- Select "Directory Usage Configuration".
- Choose the directory type (e.g., "Active Directory").
- Provide the directory server details (hostname, port).
- Select a naming context (a location in the directory where Oracle objects will be stored).
NetCA will generate an ldap.ora file in the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin directory, which contains the necessary configuration for clients to use LDAP for name resolution.
Configure the sqlnet.ora file
- On the client machines, locate the sqlnet.ora file (usually in $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin).
- Add or modify the following parameters:
```
NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (LDAP)
NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN = <your_domain>
```
Replace <your_domain> with the actual domain name of your LDAP directory.

Verify the Configuration

Use tools like tnsping or sqlplus to test connectivity to the database using the LDAP name resolution. For example:
```
tnsping <ldap_service_name>
```

Example ldap.ora file:

DIRECTORY_SERVERS = (
    <ldap_server_hostname>:<ldap_server_port>
)
DEFAULT_ADMIN_CONTEXT = "<naming_context>"
DIRECTORY_SERVER_TYPE = OID

Example `sqlnet.ora` file:

NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH= (LDAP)
NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN = example.com

Important Considerations:

Ensure that the client machines have network connectivity to the LDAP directory server.
Properly configure authentication (e.g., Kerberos, simple bind) to allow clients to access the LDAP directory.
Consult the Oracle documentation for detailed information on configuring LDAP name resolution and troubleshooting potential issues.

Remember to replace the placeholders with your actual LDAP server details and naming context. This comprehensive approach ensures that your Oracle network clients can effectively utilize LDAP for name resolution, simplifying database access and management.

Names control utility (namesctl) deprecated since 2001

The Names control utility (namesctl) was a basic utility for controlling Oracle Names servers in Oracle 8i. This utility did not work on Net8 clients and was only used on the Oracle database server that contained the "Names" database. There were several common namesctl commands, including:

NAMESCTL RESTART: Restarts the Names server.
NAMESCTL SET PASSWORD: Registers passwords for privileged Names server operations such as RELOAD and STOP.
NAMESCTL SET SERVER: Changes the current Names server.
NAMESCTL SHOW SERVER: Displays name and version of current Names server.
NAMESCTL SHOW STATUS: Displays general status information about the Names server.
NAMESCTL SHOW TRACE_FILE_ NAME: Shows the name of the file to which the Names server writes the trace information.
NAMESCTL SHUTDOWN or STOP: Stops the Names server.
NAMESCTL START or STARTUP: Starts the Names server.
NAMESCTL STATUS: Displays the status of the current Names server.
NAMESCTL STOP: Stops one or more Names servers.

The namesctl utility was very similar to the lsnrctl utility in syntax.
The example below shows the commands which existed in Oracle 8i.

Gould > NAMESCTL HELP The following operations are available An asterisk (*) denotes a modifier or extended command:
exit	flush	flush_name	log_stats
ping	query	quit	reload
repeat*	reset_stats	restart	set*
show*	shutdown	start	start_up
status stop version

The next lesson looks at how to start and stop a Names server.