Re: What is Oracle Name Server?

Oracle Names is the database equivalent of a DNS server.

Effectively it is a central repository for all databases that are available within the corporation, and effectively replaces the TNSNAMES.ORA file for SQL*Net.

As with DNS, you can build resilience in to the Oracle Names configuration by having multiple Oracle Name servers on your network.

Also, the SQL*Net SQLNET.ORA file is modified to say where the Name Servers are located (similar to a database alias in TNSNAMES.ORA), and this is placed on the desktop PC's and the Servers as with normal SQL*Net.

When a client wants to connect to a database 'PROD' a call is sent from the Client, to the Name Server, which returns the connect string back to the client. Finally, the client makes the connection to the database 'PROD'. An extra Network call is required to obtain the information from the Name Server, but see below.

If you have a very small number of clients, and a static number of Oracle databases, all located within a small office environment, then Oracle Names is not really necessary. If however, you have a number of offices, a large client base, or a dynamic database environment, where the databases are being built and moved on a regular basis, then Oracle Names can help, because from a central location you update the Name Server(s) and that's it. There is no need to visit all the PC's and Servers to change the TNSNAMES.ORA file.

Hope this helps,
Andrew

nikko wrote:

> I havn been reading on Oracle manuals still I cann't understand what's
> the components that makes up a Oracle Name Server. Pls asist me. Thank
> you.
Received on Mon Apr 12 1999 - 23:14:00 CDT