Re: Installing Oracle 8i

"Mark Davies" <mdavies_at_tricomtec.com> wrote in message news:998560369.6798.0.nnrp-14.c2dec743_at_news.demon.co.uk...
> I am not sure which Newsgroup to ask this question so I drew straws!
>
> I have a client who has problems with his Oracle 8i database! I deal with
> mobile (Palm) computers and I need to concurrently synchronise the data
from
> several Palmtops with the Oracle backend.

This is a complex task. I can think of two basic approaches One relatively low tech which is to dump the data to a flat file and then use an Oracle utility called sql*loader to load the data. You could probably also write an alternative loading program in your language of choice. If you want to do the job yourself this is the route I'd recommend. Before you buy any book the Oracle documentation is excellent. You would need to read (at a minimum) The oracle concepts guide, the Oracle utilities guide which covers sql*loader and export and import, the Oracle installation guide which should get you a database up and running and the net8 guide which should get you talking to the database. Allow some time for all this lot.

The second approach would be to install a product called 8i (maybe9i now) lite on to the palms and write an application to run on the Oracle application server to handle your business needs. I'd only recommend this if your client is blue chip company with a *lot* of money to spend on major consultants and a major implementation.

If I were advising your client on the other hand I'd recommend that they hire you for tasks which you are experienced in and hire an Oracle consultant for the tasks they are qualified for.

--
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK