Re: Oracle Client Tools

On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 16:21:15 +0100, "Steen Persson" <steen_p_at_REMOVEmail.dk> wrote:

>Hi Frank
>
>I'm now about to download the full client, and then I'll take it from there.
>I might be able to use the ODBC driver, but I just don't know how to set it
>up. The descriptions I've found, tells me to install the Oracle Client tools
>and SQL*Net and then from the Oracle tools setup an SQL*NEt Alias for my
>Oracle server/database. Then I can set up a linked server in Ms SQL using
>the alias specified.
>There might be other ways of doing it, but I simply can't find it anywhere.
>
>Regards
>Steen
>
>Frank van Bortel wrote:
>> Steen Persson wrote:
>>> Hi Frank
>>>
>>> I think I'm still missing some client components. I have to admit
>>> that I know next to nothing about Oracle and their terms, but as I
>>> understand, I need to install an Oracle Client on my MS SQL Server
>>> and then add a 'SQL*Net alias for Oracle database'. By installing
>>> the files you directed me to, it only seems to install an ODBC
>>> driver and that's it. Actually I could only install from the ODBC
>>> downloaded files - the 33 Mb file didn't contain any file(s) that
>>> could be executed (..or maybe I'm missing something).
>>> I'm sorry if I sound dumb, but I'm really confused about what files
>>> to get - and where to get them from.
>>>
>>> /Steen
>>>
>>
>> My bad - I assumed you would need/use an ODBC driver...
>> If you want the SQL*Net network stack (the SQL*Net alias
>> stuff comes with that), you would need the full package.
>>
>> But then what? SQL Server supports SQL*Net now?
>>
>> (BTW, tried to configure the Instant Client ODBC,
>> no dice...)
>

Remember, as far as Oracle is concerned, SQL Server is *just another client application*. (Technically, I guess one could make the argument that it's the ODBC driver that is the client app, acting on behalf of SQL Sever or Excel or ... or ...) So, first you simply have to have a working Oracle client installation. Once you have that, you should be able to connect to your Oracle db with SQL*Plus. If you can't make that connection, forget about ODBC or SQL Server until you get that issue resolved.

Once you've proven your basic client connection with SQLPlus, you can add ODBC to the mix. The Oracle install comes with a little ODBC test program -- odbctest.exe, I believe -- that you can use to test your connection thru the ODBC driver. This pgm is just a little sql command line processor. It allows you to connect and issue SQL statements via the ODBC driver. A gotcha may be that the ODBC is not installed as a default with the client installation -- you may have to go back to the Oracle Installer and do a custom install so you can specifically select the ODBC -- and it won't be identified as such on the product list. I think it's something like 'Windows tools' or some such, but if you hover over the component name, a pop-up will detail what is included. look for the one that includes ODBC.

Once you get that working, any ODBC capable app should be able to use the connection.

Thanks.

• Ed Stevens