Re: What is SQL*NET?

Dan Creswell <dancres_at_drake.bt.co.uk> wrote:

>

Dan,

It's the glue that links a PC application with a server application. For instance, we are using PowerBuilder on the PC to communicate with an Alpha running OpenVMS. To communicate from one to the other we obviously use a network, which for the moment is running DECnet.

On top of DECnet is SQL*Net, which allows the PC to access data in the Oracle database on the sever. PowerBuilder talks to SQL*Net, which in turn talks to DECnet, which sends packets of info to the server's DECnet, which passes it on to SQL*Net on the server which finally parses and executes the statement, returning any results back to the PC.

You may want to use ODBC to access Oracle - fair enough, but you still require SQL*Net (for all the ODBC drivers I have heard of), as ODBC is NOT a transport in it's own right.

As far as how to get it, contact Oracle and ask for SQL*Net for your particular platform. Note that it does take some time for them to issue SQL*Net for more esoteric networks, so if you want to get the latest software most quickly, you should use TCP/IP for your networking protocol.

Q: I have a PC and an Alpha, what bits do I need... A: (1) Server

      Oracle 7, 7.1 (or after may?) 7.2
      SQL*Net V2 (Is a new version coming out?)
      {All the server stuff comes on one CD for your platform}

   (2) Client
      Windows for WorkGroups
      TCP/IP - anything that supports WINDOWS SOCKETS.  Microsoft
               have a good version that I beleive is free, otherwise
               look in any good computer mag, TCP/IP stacks are
               ten a penny these days.
      SQL*Net V2 for TCP/IP (Lots of disks...)
      *** Something to write your application with ***

The last thing is the application builder you choose. There are a large number of Client/Server application builder tools on the market, each purporting to give you the best in Mission Critical Client Server blah blah blah (Yawn). It really depends what you want to do. For application builders, look at PowerBuilder from PowerSoft, Gupta SQL*Windows from Gupta Corp, Oracle's new CDE2 (which you can get for a limited time at no charge ... look at  www.oracle.com / ftp.oracle.com for details). These all do much the same job.

Hope this clarifies SQL*Net for you. Received on Thu Feb 23 1995 - 15:00:07 CET