Step 1: Set up SQL*Net on the server. This is the network layer that should
have come with your Oracle software, and documentation on how to install it
should be included with your original shipment. (It varies from platform to
platform, obviously.)
Step 2: Set up SQL*Net on Windows. This is the client end of the SQL*Net
communications software and is likely on a CD-ROM titled "Oracle Products
for Windows". Again there is separate documentation for this, but it's
actually very simple to install using the setup program.
Step 3: Run Network Manager to describe your network to SQL*Net. This
software tool is also on the Oracle Products for Windows CD. This is
where you define the location(s) of your database(s).
Step 4: Start a listener on the server. This is platform dependent,
check your Oracle server documentation. But it simply involves entering
the Listener Control Utility and entering a simple start command.
Step 5: Test the SQL*Net setup. The Windows CD has a utility that
lets you "ping" a database from the client machine.
Step 6: Access cannot use Oracle directly (stupid, but true) so you need
to download an ODBC driver for Oracle. There's one on Oracle's web page,
it's a 6MB self-extracting zip file. Download it, extract it, then run
the install program. Then run ODBC Administrator to define your ODBC
connection.
If everything went well, Access should now be able to reach Oracle through
ODBC.
--
========================================================================
"In sports, it's not who wins or | Mike Carmack
loses; it's how drunk you get." | Vulcan Dragon -==(UDIC)==-
- Homer Simpson | mcarmack_at_freenet.columbus.oh.us
