Glossary

Note the following special terms when using this Guide:

client A client is a system that runs an Oracle-supported application and connects to the shared database(s) on an Oracle7 Server.

community A community is the protocol the clients and servers share.

See TNS community.

connect descriptor A connect descriptor is a specially formatted description of the destination for a network connection. Connect descriptors are constructed using a set of keywords and values mapped to service names. For example, an Oracle Tool would use a service name representing a connect descriptor to initiate a TNS connection with an Oracle7 Server. Each connect descriptor is assigned a service name in the network definition and stored in the TNSNAMES.ORA network configuration file, in an Oracle Names database, or in a native naming service.

database alias A database alias is a single word to identify the service to which to connect. A database alias is also called a service name.

DNS Domain Name Server is a machine used to translate the host name specified in the TNSNAMES.ORA file into the host internet address (IP).

listener A listener enables an Oracle7 Server to accept connections from client machines over SQL*Net.

loopback A loopback uses SQL*Net to go from the server right back to itself. Performing a successful loopback verifies that SQL*Net works on the server.

network definition A network definition is a term used when configuring a network description for the Oracle Network Manager.

Oracle Names Oracle Names is transparent naming software for central storage of network names and addresses in the Names servers database. Oracle Names enables network components to connect easily without regard to specific physical locations or configurations on the network. A complete description of Oracle Names and its configuration file appears in the Oracle Names Administrator's Guide.

Oracle Network Manager Oracle Network Manager is a tool that creates configuration files for use by server and client machines. It also permits more complex configurations that the SQL*Net Easy Configuration tool does not support. A complete description of Oracle Network Manager appears in the Oracle Network Manager Administrator's Guide.

Oracle Protocol Adapter Oracle Protocol Adapters are the software components of the Oracle Transparent Network Substrate (TNS) architecture that translate TNS function calls into requests to the underlying network protocol.

Oracle7 database The Oracle7 database is the software used to create and maintain the database system, as well as the actual data stored in the database.

Oracle7 RDBMS The Oracle Relational Database Management System. Oracle7 Server for Windows NT is an Oracle RDBMS.

Oracle7 Server See server.

server A server is a host system that runs a multi-user Oracle7 Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) and maintains at least one database that can be shared by remote clients. Server refers to the DBMS that is using SQL*Net and is capable of serving any Oracle client.

service name A service name is a short, convenient name mapped to a network address contained in a TNS connect descriptor. Users need only know the appropriate service name to make a TNS connection.

SID A SID is the system identifier.

SQL SQL is Structured Query Language--the internationally accepted standard for defining and manipulating relational databases.

SQL*Net SQL*Net is the Oracle client/server communication software that offers transparent operation to Oracle tools or databases over any type of network protocol and operating system.

TNS Transparent Network Substrate (TNS) is the Oracle networking technology that provides a single application interface to all industry-standard networking protocols.

TNS-based application A TNS-based application uses the common functions of the TNS interface to transmit data across one or more networks. SQL*Net is a TNS-based application.

TNS community A community is a group of TNS-based applications that communicate with one another using a single network protocol. TNS communities are commonly named according to the protocol in use. For example, "TCP/IP community" refers to a discrete network running the TCP/IP protocol.

TNS connection A TNS connection is an application-level connection between two TNS-based applications.

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