Net8 Lookup Method Options - tnsnames(Local) vs. Hostname vs. Onames/LDAP

Just looking for some opinions (or please correct me if I am wrong) on this subject...

Just my 1 opinion, but it seems most shops could just use the Hostname Method for most databases and then have a 2nd fallback method (multiple methods easily configured in sqlnet.ora in 1 line) of the simpler Local(tnsnames) Method.

The other option of Onames/LDAP seems like overkill for something as simple as looking up a database, especially in an Intranet network (most shops?).

1. The Local Method which uses a tnsnames.ora file has problems, but is a well known method. It of course has the biggest disadvantage of replication at the file system level. Of course, depending on the size of the company, the replication could be simple or very complex and problematic.
2. The Hostname Method is by far the simplest to implement and maintain. It simply uses the existing DNS IP lookup method. It has the big advantage of ZERO client configuration and ZERO extra infrastructure (no Onames or LDAP server required and no file system replication required). It also appears to be quicker in every case (even when Hosntame is the LAST method to check in the sqlnet.ora config file specification - ok just 30 or 40 milliseconds, but still quicker).

Of course it has the big disadvantage of requiring use of all defaults for things like port number and use of a TCP network. There are a couple of other limitations like you cannot use MTS or "failover - some NT/W2K option I think - not sure".

But, aren't most people NOT using these non-default Net8 options and therefore Hostname Method would work for most databases? With a simple and well understood fall-back method like Local(Tnsnames), would this be a problem (used for some emergency or in case a non-default option becomes necessary)?

3) Onames (which will be replaced by LDAP storage) seems to have the disadvantage of requiring the most extra infrastructure. I say "seems" because I sorta remember someone saying it works best with an OID (Oracle Internet Directory) LDAP storage . And, I am guessing not that many shops have OID implemented for LDAP.

Onames seemed cleaner and less problematic because at least it could be stored in an existing database (as opposed to OID which I think should be installed in a database dedicated to OID). Also, Onames could cache the information in a local file if the Onames storage database was down, which again seems to make it also better than the LDAP replacement. Received on Sat Nov 29 2003 - 00:28:55 CST