Faking Forms4.5 to 9iR2 DBMS

Hello,
I fear this silly, but I see it as an option. Our OLTP client application is in Forms4.5/Reports2.5. From Metalink I understood that connecting some versions of Forms4.5 to 8i is supported (for as long as it lasts).
Our underlaying DBMS is now being converted from 7.3.4. to 8iR3 - at last. But I have read a lot about 9iR2 new features and like to apply some of them.
Upgrading Forms to 6i or 9i is not supported by management since we will be purchasing a new release of our OLTP which will bring us a new set of 9i Forms - this migration not to be completed before mid 2006. I am wondering - would it be possible for the meantime to:
- convert the OLTP DBMS to 9i

• have an 8i instance on the same machine
• create a database link between the two
• create public synonyms to all relevant 9i objects in the 8i instance over the dblink And hence access (DML) the 9i objects as being 8i objects from Forms4.5? Does Forms access the datadictionary for any lookup etc?

I also believe that having the dblink over the bequeath protocol is not allowed since the dblink communications protocol should be the same as the client-server connection protocol (TCP/IP) accessing the link. Is there a serious performance penalty in having TCP/IP dblink traffic in the same machine. (I know Oracle Warehousebuilder 9i generates TCP/IP dblinks between instances on the same server.)

I am preparing a full test for this scenario, but any input would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Erik.Ykema_at_REMOVETHIS.we.nl Received on Thu Jan 27 2005 - 14:42:01 CST