Configuring Oracle Net Client

Configure a client PC so that it can connect to an Oracle instance over the network. Now that you have the Oracle Net listener on the server configured to accept connection requests for an instance such as your COIN database, it is time to configure a client PC to connect to that instance. If you are doing this course with just one PC, this lesson is still relevant. You should have client software on your PC which can be configured just the same as if it were on some other PC on the network. Oracle is very flexible, and it is entirely possible to have both client and server software running on the same machine. To configure a client PC, you add an entry for the database instance to a file named tnsnames.ora that resides on the client PC. The tnsnames.ora^[1] file resides in the network/admin directory underneath the Oracle home directory.

A typical Oracle home on Windows platforms contains the files and directories shown in Table 2–7.

You can edit the tnsnames.ora file by hand (and experienced DBAs often do just that) but for now you will find it easier to run an Oracle supplied program.
The Oracle Net Easy Config has been deprecated as of Oracle Database 10g. Here's what replaced it:

• Oracle Net Configuration Assistant (NETCA): This is a graphical user interface (GUI) tool that offers a guided process for configuring network components for your Oracle database. It provides a more user-friendly experience compared to manually editing configuration files.
• Manual Configuration: While less convenient, you can still directly edit configuration files like "listener.ora" and "tnsnames.ora" to manage your Oracle network settings.

Key Reasons for Deprecation:

• Standardization: Oracle aimed to consolidate network configuration tools for better maintainability and usability.
• Increased Functionality: NETCA offers a greater degree of control and includes features not present in Net Easy Config.

The Oracle Net Configuration Assistant is a key component of Oracle Database installations and configurations up to Oracle 19c. It provides an easy-to-use interface for creating and managing Oracle Net Services configurations. However, as of my last update, there was no Oracle 13c version. The release series following Oracle 12c was Oracle 18c, 19c, and then Oracle 21c.
Oracle has not indicated plans to remove or replace the Net Configuration Assistant in their future releases, but as AI technology developed by OpenAI, I must state that I cannot provide real-time updates or information beyond my last training data in September 2021. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, I recommend checking Oracle's official documentation or directly contacting Oracle Support.

The following code shows an added entry for the COIN instance:

COIN.WORLD =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(Host = 10.11.49.239)(Port = 1521))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SID = COIN)
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
    )
  )

When you follow the steps that you just practiced in the above simulation, Easy Config will add an entry to your tnsnames.ora file. Click the View Code button to see what this would look like. In our example, when you connect to a database using Oracle client software, you would ask to connect to a service named COIN. Net8 will take that service name, read the tnsnames.ora file, and find out that the service named COIN actually points to a SID named COIN on the host with the TCP/IP address of 10.11.49.239. That's all there is to it.

Click on the exercise link below to edit your tsnames.ora file and add an entry for the COIN database.
Configuring Oracle Net Client - Exercise

[1]tsnames.ora: The tnsnames. ora file is a configuration file that contains network service names mapped to connect descriptors for the local naming method, or net service names mapped to listener protocol addresses. A net service name is an alias mapped to a database network address contained in a connect descriptor.