Knowledge Base > Automation Engine and Target Systems > Databases > Connection to Oracle Databases

Connection to Oracle Databases

The databaseA database is an organized collection of data including relevant data structures. agent can connect either to an Oracle Database instance or to Oracle RAC nodes.

Single Instance Oracle Connections

This is the standard connection method. The Database can only connect to an Oracle Database instance. The Job object contains the relevant connection data.

The database agent's INI-file parameter useOraClient= (section [SQL]) must be set to the value "0".

Oracle RAC connections

The database agent can connect itself to Oracle RAC nodes. The Oracle file tnsnames.ora contains the relevant connection data. It is not necessary to fill in the field "Server" in the Job object's SQL tab.

The agent's connection information itself has to be defined by using Connection objects (e.g. in SQL variables). In the Connection object you would use Oracle or Oracle OCI as connection type.

The following steps are required in addition to installing the database agent:

  1. Set the database agent's INI-file parameter useOraClient= to the value "1".
  2. Install the Oracle Client or the Oracle Instant Client on the database agent's computer. Several packages are available for the Oracle Instant Client. The database agent requires the "Basic" package.
  3. When using the Oracle Instant Client, set two environment variables. Include the Oracle Instant Client's installation directory in the environment variable PATH (for Windows) or LD_LIBRARY_PATH (for UNIX). The environment variable TNS_ADMIN must point to the directory in which the file tnsnames.ora is stored.

Example for the file tnsnames.ora:

APPL_DB = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = db-server01)(PORT = 1521)) (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = db-server02)(PORT = 1521)) (LOAD_BALANCE = yes) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVER = DEDICATED) (SERVICE_NAME = APPLDB.CUSTOMER.COM) ) )

For this example, the name "APPL_DB" must be specified in the Job object's field Database.