What's New in Oracle Net Services?

This section describes the new networking features of Oracle9i release 9.2 and provides pointers to additional information. New features information from previous releases is also retained to help those users migrating to the current release.

The following sections describe the new networking features:

• Oracle9i Release 2 (9.2) New Features in Oracle Net Services
• Oracle9i Release 1 (9.0.1) New Features in Oracle Net Services
• Oracle8i New Features in Oracle Net Services

Oracle9i Release 2 (9.2) New Features in Oracle Net Services

The new features for Oracle Net Services in release 2 (9.2) include:

• Net Service Alias Support in Directory Server

  Oracle Net Manager enables you to create, modify, or delete a net service alias to reference a net service name or database service object in Oracle Internet Directory. In addition to exporting database objects, the Oracle Names Control utility provides support for exporting alias objects stored in an Oracle Names server to a directory server or indirectly to an LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) file.

  See Also: "Net Service Alias Entries" for an overview of net service alias entries "Creating Net Service Aliases" for instruction on creating net service aliases "Exporting Network Objects from an Oracle Names Server" for instruction on exporting aliases to a directory server

• Global Database Link Support in Directory Server

  The Oracle Names Control utility provides supporting for exporting global database link to a directory server. However, username and password credentials are not supported.

  See Also: "Exporting Network Objects from an Oracle Names Server" for instruction on exporting objects stored in an Oracle Names server to a directory server

• Directory Naming Access Control

  Using a new security mechanism for directory naming, you can assign a group as the owner of the OracleNetAdmins group. The default owner is the OracleNetAdmins group itself. By changing the ownership of this group, you can separate the OracleNetAdmins members who manage the directory naming entries from those users who add members to OracleNetAdmins group.

  See Also: "Establishing Access For the OracleNetAdmins Group"

• Trace Assistant

  Oracle Net Services provides a new Trace Assistant tool that converts existing trace file text into a more readable format.

  See Also: "Using the Trace Assistant to Examine Trace Files"

• Dynamic Support for Local and Remote Listener Parameters

  You can use SQL statement ALTER SYSTEM SET to dynamically update the LOCAL_LISTENER and REMOTE_LISTENER parameters. When these parameters are dynamically updated, the PMON process registers this information with the listener.

  See Also: "Configuring Service Registration"

• Security Enhancements

  In an ongoing effort to strengthen networking security, the following new enhancements are available:

  • New parameters that enable you to limit resource consumption by unauthorized users. These parameters constrain the amount of time in which resources can be held prior to authentication. By limiting resource consumption, you can help to mitigate denial-of-service attacks.
  • The Listener Control utility STATUS command is now a privileged command, requiring the SET PASSWORD command when a password is set.

    See Also: "Configuring the Listener and the Oracle Database To Limit Resource Consumption By Unauthorized Users" Oracle9i Net Services Reference Guide for Listener Control utility commands

Oracle9i Release 1 (9.0.1) New Features in Oracle Net Services

The new features for Oracle Net Services in release 1 (9.0.1) include:

• Name Change to Networking Components

  To provide consistency with Oracle9i, several name changes to networking products, features, and parameters have been made in this release. The following table maps the former product and feature names to their new names.

  Former Name	New Name
  multi-threaded server (MTS)	shared server
  Net8	Oracle Net to describe the software that provides connectivity
  Net8	Oracle Net Services to encompass Oracle Net, the listener, and Oracle Connection Manager
  Net8 communication stack layer	Oracle Net foundation layer
  Net8 Configuration Assistant	Oracle Net Configuration Assistant
  Net8 Manager	Oracle Net Manager

  The following table maps the multi-threaded server (MTS) parameters and dynamic view names to the new names associated with shared server. Except for the MTS_MAX_SERVERS parameter, the old parameter names are maintained for backward compatibility to Oracle8i. Oracle Corporation recommends migrating to the new names.

  MTS Parameter/View Name	New Shared Server Parameter/View Name
  MTS_CIRCUITS initialization parameter	CIRCUITS initialization parameter
  MTS_DISPATCHERS initialization parameter	DISPATCHERS initialization parameter
  MTS_MAX_DISPATCHERS initialization parameter	MAX_DISPATCHERS initialization parameter
  MTS_MAX_SERVERS initialization parameter	MAX_SHARED_SERVERS initialization parameter
  MTS_SERVERS initialization parameter	SHARED_SERVERS initialization parameter
  MTS_SESSIONS initialization parameter	SHARED_SERVER_SESSIONS initialization parameter
  V$MTS view	V$SHARED_SERVER_MONITOR view

• Connection Load Balancing for Dedicated Server Configurations

  Configurations that use dedicated servers can now use the connection load balancing feature that was previously available only for shared server configurations.

  See Also: "Connection Load Balancing"

• Multiple Oracle Context Creation in Oracle Net Configuration Assistant

  The Oracle Net Configuration Assistant enables you to create multiple Oracle Contexts to facilitate management of a complex naming structure in a directory server.

  See Also: "Configuring Directory Usage After Installation"

• Oracle Names LDAP Proxy Servers

  In future releases, Oracle Names will not be supported as a centralized naming method. As Oracle Names is deprecated in favor of directory naming with LDAP-compliant directory servers, Oracle Names LDAP Proxy servers provide a way for release 8.1.5 or previous clients that do not support directory naming to use the same data as is used for directory naming. Oracle Names LDAP Proxy servers are Oracle Names servers that have been configured to proxy for LDAP-compliant directory servers. Upon startup, Oracle Names LDAP Proxy servers obtain network object information from a directory server. This provides a single point of definition for all data in a directory server and does not require that both Oracle Names servers and directory servers be maintained separately and simultaneously.

  See Also: "Exporting Network Objects from an Oracle Names Server"

• Unsupported Features

  In an effort to streamline configuration decisions for the Internet, the following subsections describe the features and the configuration file that are no longer being supported:

  • Identix and SecurID Authentication Methods
  • Novell Directory Services (NDS) External Naming and NDS Authentication
  • Net8 OPEN
  • Prespawned Dedicated Servers
  • protocol.ora File
  • Protocol Support

  Identix and SecurID Authentication Methods

  If you are using Identix or SecurID authentication methods, provided by Oracle Advanced Security, Oracle Corporation recommends migrating to one of the following authentication methods:

  • CyberSafe
  • RADIUS
  • Kerberos
  • SSL

    See Also: Oracle Advanced Security Administrator's Guide

  Novell Directory Services (NDS) External Naming and NDS Authentication

  Support for NDS as an authentication method and as an external naming method is no longer supported. If you are using NDS as an external naming method, Oracle Corporation recommends using directory naming instead.

  See Also: "Configuring the Directory Naming Method"

  Net8 OPEN

  Net8 OPEN, which provided an application program interface (API) that enabled programmers to develop both database and non-database applications, is no longer supported.

  Prespawned Dedicated Servers

  Prestarted dedicated server processes are no longer supported. Instead, configure shared server to improve scalability and system resource usage.

  protocol.ora File

  The protocol.ora file is no longer supported.

  Parameters in the protocol.ora file have been merged into the sqlnet.ora file. These parameters enable you to configure access control to the database, as well as no delays in TCP/IP buffer flushing. These parameters include:

  • TCP.NODELAY
  • TCP.EXCLUDED_NODES
  • TCP.INVITED_NODES
  • TCP.VALIDNODE_CHECKING

    See Also: Oracle9i Net Services Reference Guide for a description of these parameters

  If you have a protocol.ora file in the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin directory on UNIX, and the ORACLE_HOME\network\admin directory on Windows operating systems, Oracle Net Manager, when first started, automatically merges the protocol.ora parameters into the sqlnet.ora file.

  There may be operating system-specific parameters in protocol.ora that are node specific. For this reason, Oracle Corporation recommends not sharing sqlnet.ora with other nodes after merging or adding these parameters.

  See Also: Oracle operating system-specific documentation

  Protocol Support

  Protocol addresses using the SPX or LU6.2 protocol must be replaced. Oracle Net provides support for the following network protocols:

  • TCP/IP
  • TCP/IP with SSL
  • Named Pipes

    See Also: Oracle9i Net Services Reference Guide for protocol parameter configuration

Oracle8i New Features in Oracle Net Services

These Oracle Net features introduced in Oracle8i also apply to Oracle9i:

• Client Connection Features

  Client Load Balancing--When more than one listener supports a service, a client can randomize requests to the various listeners.

  Connect-Time Failover--When more than one listener supports a service, a client can be configured to fail over the client request to a different listener if the first listener fails.

  See Also: "Client Load Balancing" "Connect-Time Failover"

• Directory Naming

  Network information can now be stored in a centralized LDAP-compliant directory service, including Oracle Internet Directory and Microsoft Active Directory.

  See Also: "Directory Server Support"

• Instance Role Specification for Primary and Secondary Configurations

  With the connect descriptor INSTANCE_ROLE parameter, you can specify a connection to the primary or secondary instance of Oracle9i Real Application Clusters and Oracle9i Real Application Clusters Guard configurations.

  See Also: "Specifying the Instance Role for Primary and Secondary Instance Configurations"

• Listener Features

  Service Naming--Oracle8i database services are identified by a service name rather than an Oracle System Identifier (SID). This impacts the way connect descriptors are defined.

  Direct Hand-Off--The listener has the ability to hand off requests directly to an shared dispatcher, without issuing a redirect message back to the client.

  Service Registration--Database instances register information with the listener during database startup.

  Connection Load Balancing--The listener is able to balance the number of active connections among various instances and shared server dispatchers for the same service.

  See Also: "Database Service and Database Instance Identification" "Service Handlers" "Connection Load Balancing"

• Oracle Net Configuration Assistant

  Oracle Net Configuration Assistant is a post-installation tool that performs basic configuration. After installation, it automatically configures default configuration files.

  See Also: "Oracle Net Configuration Assistant" and Oracle operating system-specific installation guides

• Service Naming

  Database services are identified by service name and instance name rather than SID.

  See Also: "Database Service and Database Instance Identification"

• TCP/IP with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol

  A protocol for client/server authentication over a network using TCP/IP and the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).