C
Configuration Files

This appendix describes the configuration files.

Specific topics discussed are:

• Understanding the Configuration Files
• Understanding the TNSNAMES.ORA File
• Understanding the SQLNET.ORA File
• Understanding the LISTENER.ORA File
• Understanding the CMAN.ORA File

Understanding the Configuration Files

Oracle Network Products use the following configuration files:

On Your Server	On Your Client
CMAN.ORA	SQLNET.ORA
LISTENER.ORA	TNSNAMES.ORA
SQLNET.ORA
TNSNAMES.ORA

 

Below is a description of the configuration files:

Configuration File	Description
CMAN.ORA	Contains Oracle Connection Manager parameters.
LISTENER.ORA	Includes service names and addresses of all network listeners on a machine, the system IDs (SIDs) of the databases for which they listen, and various control parameters used by the network listener.
NAMES.ORA	Contains control parameters for preferred Oracle Names Servers.   This file is not needed for well-known Oracle Names Servers.
SQLNET.ORA	Includes optional diagnostic parameters, client information about Oracle Names Servers, and can contain other optional parameters.
TNSNAMES.ORA	Includes a list of service names of network databases mapped to connect descriptors.

 

Note:   It is possible to have system and local versions of TNSNAMES.ORA and SQLNET.ORA files. Any service name or parameter is first searched in the local version of the configuration file. If the service name or parameters is not found in the local version, it is searched in the system version.   The system version is located in the ORACLE_HOME\NET80\ADMIN directory. A local version can exist in the current working directory where the application is running. For example, if you start SQL*Plus in ORACLE_HOME\BIN, then Net8 looks for a local TNSNAMES.ORA in ORAWIN\BIN. If you start SQL*Plus in \PLUS, then Net8 looks for a local TNSNAMES.ORA in \PLUS.   A consequence of this is that you can have multiple local files in the various directories from which you start applications. In most cases, it is recommended that only one TNSNAMES.ORA file exist and that it be located in the default ORACLE_HOME\NET80\ADMIN directory.

   

A description of how the files are created is described below:

This file...	Is created...
CMAN.ORA	during installation on the server
LISTENER.ORA	during installation on the server
NAMES.ORA	on the server by Oracle Net8 Assistant when configuring preferred Oracle Names Servers
SQLNET.ORA	during installation on the clients and server, and regenerated on the client by Oracle Net8 Assistant.
TNSNAMES.ORA	on the clients and server by Oracle Net8 Easy Config or Oracle Net8 Assistant

 

Understanding the TNSNAMES.ORA File

The TNSNAMES.ORA file is used by clients and distributed database servers to identify potential server destinations. It stores the service names of databases addresses.

Note::   The Oracle Net8 Assistant creates TNSNAMES.ORA in ORACLE_HOME\NET80\ADMIN on the clients. TNSNAMES.ORA must be manually added on the server for server-to-server connections.

   

A sample file is shown in Figure C-1:

Figure C-1 TNSNAMES.ORA Configuration File

 

Relationship To Other Configuration Files

The address of the server in TNSNAMES.ORA is the same as the address of the network listener for a server in LISTENER.ORA. Similarly, the address in the TNSNAMES.ORA file includes the SID which is required (as SID_NAME) in the LISTENER.ORA file. Figure C-2 shows the matching elements:

Figure C-2 TNSNAMES.ORA and LISTENER.ORA

 

The domain added to the service name in TNSNAMES.ORA is the same as the domain defined in the NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH parameter in the SQLNET.ORA. Figure C-3 shows the relationship:

Figure C-3 TNSNAMES.ORA and SQLNET.ORA

 

Please note that the default domain WORLD appended to the service name if the server name does not have the .DOMAIN extension in a connect string. For example, the connect string SCOTT/TIGER@INVENTORYDB gets searched in the TNSNAMES.ORA as INVENTORYDB.WORLD because the SQLNET.ORA has a NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN = WORLD. If the connect string has the DOMAIN extension, (such as SCOTT/TIGER@HR.US), the default domain is not appended.

TNSNAMES.ORA is comprised of two parts:

• Specifying Service Names
• Specifying Connect Descriptors

These parts are described in the following subsections.

Specifying Service Names

The user specifies the service name (up to 64 characters), an easy to remember database alias name, with Net8 Easy Configuration Tool or Oracle Net8 Assistant--a single word rather than the lengthier connect descriptor--to identify the service to which to connect. The TNSNAMES.ORA file consists of a series of service names mapped to TNS connect descriptors.

If you are using Oracle Names Server, the service name for a database must be exactly the same as the global database name defined by the system administrator. Net8 limits the total length of a global database name to 64 characters. Of these, up to eight are the DB_NAME as defined by the database administrator, and the remainder show the service's place in the domain hierarchy (DB_DOMAIN). The name part of the service name can be longer than eight characters only if the DBA changes the name of the database with a RENAME GLOBAL_NAME parameter. The total global database name, or service name, must remain at or below 64 characters.

Alternate service names can be assigned to a database service through the TNSNAMES.ORA file. The alternate service names can be names you choose because you find them convenient and easy to remember. For example, if a database is used by two different divisions of a company, Human Resources and Finance, you can map two different service name aliases, hr and finance to the database. The TNSNAMES.ORA file has three separate entries:

• service name that is the same as the global database name
• two aliases, mapped to the same connect descriptor

Note:   Although you can have multiple aliases for the same database service, you cannot have multiple network listeners for the same database service.

   

Specifying Connect Descriptors

All service name are assigned a connect descriptors in the TNSNAMES.ORA file. For a database, a connect descriptor describes the location of the network listener and the SID of the database to which to connect. For an Oracle Connection Manager, a connect descriptor describes the location of the Oracle Connection Manager, the location of the network listener, and the SID of the database to which to connect.

After the service name is listed, a database connect descriptor starts with a DESCRIPTION parameter which indicates the beginning definition of a database listening address. After DESCRIPTION, a connect descriptor contains two sections:

• ADDRESS
• CONNECT_DATA

ADDRESS

ADDRESS contains the information required to reach the application within a given protocol environment. It includes the

• protocol it uses
• protocol-specific parameters

Oracle Net8 Assistant and Net8 Easy Configuration Tool automatically provide the correct protocol specific parameters for common protocols, but you must provide the appropriate values. For information about the parameter values of a given protocol, see the section "Configuring TNSNAMES.ORA for Oracle Protocol Adapters" in this chapter.

Note::   If you specify a TCP/IP address prefixed with a 0, it is assumed to be an octal number, not a decimal number. For example, 39.223.72.44 is a decimal number, but 039.223.72.44 is an octal number.

   

CONNECT_DATA

CONNECT_DATA denotes the SID of the remote database. When Net8 on the server side receives the connection request, TNS passes the CONNECT_DATA contents to the network listener, which identifies the desired database.

A sample CONNECT_DATA section looks like:

(CONNECT_DATA = 
   (SID = ORCL)

Keyword	Description
CONNECT_DATA	Indicates that application-specific data is supplied at connect time.
SID	Specifies the SID of the database server. You must specify the SID in the CONNECT_DATA section of the connect descriptor

 

If the network contains an Oracle Connection Manager, an additional SOURCE_ROUTE parameter is required. This parameter creates a source route through all Oracle Connection Managers to the destination database:

(CONNECT_DATA = 
   (SID = ORCL)
(SOURCE_ROUTE = YES)

Connect Descriptor Syntax

Below is the connect descriptor syntax of the TNSNAMES.ORA file:

SERVICE_NAME.world =   
  (DESCRIPTION =    
    (ADDRESS_LIST =    
        (ADDRESS =    
        (protocol adapter information)    
        )    
    )    
    (CONNECT_DATA =    
      (SID = SID)
        )   
  )

See "Configuring TNSNAMES.ORA for Oracle Protocol Adapters" in this chapter for a description of the keywords.

Configuring TNSNAMES.ORA for Oracle Protocol Adapters

This section describes the address format used in a client's TNSNAMES.ORA file for the following Oracle Protocol Adapters:

• TCP/IP Addresses
• SPX Addresses
• Named Pipes Addresses
• LU6.2 Addresses
• Bequeath Addresses

TNSNAMES.ORA defines the location of Oracle8 Server machines to which a client can connect.

The table below describes the parameters used by the Oracle Protocol Adapters. Refer to this table for definitions as you review the syntax examples provided throughout this section.

Oracle Protocol Adapter	Parameter	Description
All	PROTOCOL	Indicates the type of network on which the TNS-based application resides.
All	SID	Identifies the Oracle system ID of the database server to which to connect. The TNSNAMES.ORA file uses the same SID defined in the server's LISTENER.ORA file.
TCP/IP	HOST and PORT	Identifies the server and its network listener port number for TNS-based application on the network. Ask your network administrator for the host names and port numbers of TNS-based applications on your TCP/IP network.
SPX	SERVICE	Defines the name of the TNS-based application on the network. (Mandatory for server and client.) Speak to your network administrator to learn the service names of TNS-based applications on your network.
Named Pipes	SERVER	Indicates the name of your Oracle8 Server computer.
Named Pipes	PIPE	Indicates the pipe name you use to connect to your Oracle8 Server (the same PIPE keyword you specified on your Oracle8 Server with Named Pipes). This name can be any arbitrary name.
Bequeath	PROGRAM	Identifies the Oracle8 executable.
Bequeath	ARGV0	Identifies the Oracle system ID (SID).
Bequeath	ARGS	Identifies the source of the connection (local client).
LU6.2	LU_NAME	Identifies the Oracle8 Server; must be a fully-qualified name.
LU6.2	LLU or LOCAL_LU	Identifies the local LU alias. This parameter cannot be used with LLU_NAME.
LU6.2	LLU_NAME or LOCAL_LU_NAME	Specifies the local LU name; must be a fully qualified name. This parameter cannot be used with LLU.
LU6.2	MODE or MDN	Identifies the log mode entry of the LU6.2 session; the value is typically ORAPLU62.
LU6.2	PLU or PARTNER_LU_NAME	Identifies the Oracle8 Server; must be a fully qualified name.This parameter cannot be used with PLU_LA.
LU6.2	PLU_LA or PARTNER_LU_LOCAL_ALIAS	Identifies the partner LU alias of the Oracle7 Server. This parameter cannot be used with PLU.
LU6.2	TP_NAME or TPN	Identifies the transaction program name of the host machine. This parameter is not required for a connection to an MVS host.

 

TCP/IP Addresses

When using the Oracle TCP/IP Protocol Adapter, specify the address of a TNS-based application in the following format:

          (ADDRESS =    
          (PROTOCOL = TCP)    
          (HOST = SERVER_NAME)   
          (PORT = PORT_NUMBER))

Net8 Example on a TCP/IP Network

The entry below is taken from a client machine that connects to an Oracle8 database with a SID of ORCL on a host name of INVENTORY by using the service name INVENTORYDB on a TCP/IP network.

INVENTORYDB.WORLD =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
        (ADDRESS =
          (PROTOCOL = TCP)
          (Host = INVENTORY)
          (Port = 1521)
        )
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = ORCL)
    )
  )

SPX Addresses

When using the Oracle SPX Protocol Adapter, specify the address as follows:

        (ADDRESS =    
          (PROTOCOL = SPX)    
          (SERVICE = TNS_APPLICATION)   
        )

Net8 Example on a SPX Network

The entry below is taken from a client machine that connects to an Oracle8 database with a SID of ORCL and network listener service name of INVENTORY_LSNR by using the service name INVENTORYDB on a SPX network.

INVENTORYDB.WORLd =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
        (ADDRESS =
          (PROTOCOL = SPX)
          (Service = INVENTORY_LSNR)
        )
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = ORCL)
    )
  )

Named Pipes Addresses

When using the Oracle Named Pipes Protocol Adapter, specify the address of a TNS-based application as follows:

        (ADDRESS =    
          (PROTOCOL = NMP)    
          (SERVER = COMPUTER_NAME)  
          (PIPE = PIPE _NAME)    
        )

Net8 Example on a Named Pipes Network

The entry below is taken from a client machine that connects to an Oracle8 database with a SID of ORCL on a computer name of NT_INVENTORY_BOX by using the service name INVENTORYDB on a Named Pipes network.

INVENTORYDB.WORLD =

  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
        (ADDRESS =
          (PROTOCOL = NMP)
          (Server = NT_INVENTORY_BOX)
          (Pipe = ORAPIPE)
        )
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = ORCL)
    )
  )

LU6.2 Addresses

When using the Oracle LU6.2 Protocol Adapter for Windows NT, specify the address of a TNS-based application as follows:

        (ADDRESS = 
          (COMMUNITY= LU62.world)
          (PROTOCOL=LU62)
          (TPN= TPN_NAME)
          (MODE=ORAPLU62)
          (PARTNER_LU_NAME = "PARTNER_LU_NAME")
          (LLU_NAME = LOCAL_LU_NAME)
        )

Note:   LLU and PARTNER_LU_LOCAL_ALIAS can be used in place of LLU_NAME and PARTNER_LU_NAME.

   

Additional Information:   See the Administrator's Guide in the Microsoft SNA Server Documentation folder for LU6.2 setup information.

   

Net8 Examples on an LU6.2 Network

Example to connect to an IBM MVS instance:

mvs.world = (DESCRIPTION =
               (ADDRESS =
                 (COMMUNITY= LU62.world)
                 (PROTOCOL=LU62)
                 (TPN=RECVTP)
                 (MODE=ORAPLU62)
                 (PARTNER_LU_NAME = "ORACLE.TNSORAK")
                 (LLU = SENDLU)
               )
               (CONNECT_DATA=(SID=ORCL)
               )
             )

Example to connect to a Windows NT network listener:

nt.world = (DESCRIPTION =
               (ADDRESS =
                 (COMMUNITY= LU62.world)
                 (PROTOCOL=LU62)
                 (TPN=RECVTP)
                 (MODE=ORAPLU62)
                 (PARTNER_LU_NAME = "ORACLE.HQEW001")
                 (LLU = SENDLU)
               )
               (CONNECT_DATA=(SID=ORCL)
               )
             )

Bequeath Addresses

When using the Bequeath Protocol Adapter, specify the address of a TNS-based application as follows:

        (ADDRESS = 
          (PROTOCOL = BEQ)    
          (PROGRAM = oracle80)
          (ARGV0 = oracle80SID)  
          (ARGS = `(DESCRIPTION=(LOCAL=YES)(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=beq)))')
        )

Net8 Example on a Bequeath Network

The entry below is taken from a client machine that connects to a single Oracle8 database.

Beq-local.world =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
        (ADDRESS =
          (PROTOCOL = BEQ)
          (PROGRAM = oracle80)
          (ARGV0 = oracle80ORCL)
          (ARGS = `(DESCRIPTION=(LOCAL=YES)(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=beq)))')
        )
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = ORCL)
    )
  )

Understanding the SQLNET.ORA File

The SQLNET.ORA file contains optional parameters used by clients and the server (when acting as client) on the network, such as logging, tracing, and security parameters.

Note:   The SQLNET.ORA file is automatically installed on the server and the clients in ORACLE_HOME\NET80\ADMIN.

   

A sample file is shown in Figure C-4:

Figure C-4 SQLNET.ORA Configuration File

TRACE_LEVEL_CLIENT = OFF  <---set this to 16 if tracing is required  
sqlnet.authentication_services = (NONE)
names.directory_path = (TNSNAMES, HOSTNAME)
names.default_domain = world
automatic_ipc = off

This section covers the following SQLNET.ORA configuration issues:

• Specifying Dead Connection Detection
• Using SQLNET.ORA Logging and Tracing Parameters
• Understanding Client Parameters for Use with Oracle Names Server
• Understanding the IPC Parameter
• Understanding Authentication, Encryption, and Checksumming Parameters

Specifying Dead Connection Detection

The optional server parameter, SQLNET.EXPIRE_TIME, determines how often the network listener sends a probe to verify that a client/server connection is still active. If a client is abnormally terminated, a connection remains open indefinitely unless identified and closed by the system. If you specify this parameter, the network listener sends a probe periodically to determine whether there is an invalid connection to terminate. If the network listener finds a dead connection, or a connection no longer in use, it returns an error, causing the server process to exit. This parameter must be set in the SQLNET.ORA file on the server.

Note:   The time set in this parameter is not necessarily the amount of time a dead connection remains. This parameter sets the time between probes for dead connections. Depending on the underlying protocol, shutting down a dead process can take longer.

   

Dead connection detection has costs associated with it:

• Additional network traffic is generated to probe for dead connections. A probe packet is very small, but one is sent on each connection at the interval specified in the SQLNET.EXPIRE_TIME parameter in the SQLNET.ORA file.
• When dead connection detection is enabled, the Oracle8 database needs to do additional processing to distinguish the connection probing event from other events. You can test the performance of your application with or without the dead connection detection feature enabled.
• For some protocols, the generic Net8 dead connection detection feature is no better than the native mechanism available in the underlying transport protocol. In that case, it is not necessary to enable it. For example, the native keep-alive mechanism provided by the TCP/IP stack is enabled by default, and it can be tuned by changing registry values, as explained in operating system documentation.

In short, evaluate carefully whether you benefit from enabling the dead connection detection feature.

Using SQLNET.ORA Logging and Tracing Parameters

The following SQLNET.ORA logging and tracing parameters are available:

Parameter	Description
LOG_FILE_CLIENT   LOG_FILE_SERVER	Sets the name of the log file. By default the log name is SQLNET.LOG.
LOG_DIRECTORY_CLIENT   LOG_DIRECTORY_SERVER	Establishes the destination directory for log files. By default, the client directory is the current working directory. By default the server directory is ORACLE_HOME\NET80\LOG.
TRACE_LEVEL_CLIENT   TRACE_LEVEL_SERVER	Indicates the level of detail the trace facility records. The trace level value can either be a value within the range of 0 to 16 (where 0 is no tracing and 16 represents the maximum amount of tracing) or a value of OFF, ADMIN, USER, or SUPPORT.  OFF (equivalent to 0) provides no tracing.  USER (equivalent to 4) traces to identify user-induced error conditions.  ADMIN (equivalent to 6) traces to identify installation-specific problems.  SUPPORT (equivalent to 16) provides trace information for troubleshooting information for support.
TRACE_FILE_CLIENT   TRACE_FILE_SERVER	Establishes the name of the file to which trace information is written. By default, the client trace file name is SQLNET.TRC. By default the server trace file is SERVERTHREAD_ID.TRC.
TRACE_DIRECTORY_CLIENT   TRACE_DIRECTORY_SERVER	Sets the directory where the trace file is placed. By default, the client directory is the current working directory. By default, the server directory is ORACLE_HOME\NET80\TRACE.
TRACE_UNIQUE_CLIENT	This parameter determines whether or not a unique trace file is created for each client. By default, the value is OFF. The same trace file name is used for every client. If the value is OFF, when a new trace file is created for a client, it overwrites the existing file. If the value is set to ON, a thread identifier is appended to the name of each trace file generated so that several can coexist.   This parameter creates unique trace files named SQLNETTHREAD_ID.TRC.

 

All errors that occur in Net8 are written to log files, while detailed sequences of events as they happen are written to trace files. Trace files provide more information than log files.

You can also manually add the following optional tracing parameters for the TNSPING utility to SQLNET.ORA. TNSPING determines whether or not a service (such as a database, an Oracle Names Server, or other TNS services) on a Net8 network can be successfully reached.

• TNSPING.TRACE_LEVEL
• TNSPING.TRACE_DIRECTORY

Additional Information:   See the Oracle Net8 Administrator's Guide for more information about the logging and tracing parameters in SQLNET.ORA.

   

Understanding Default Domains

The NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN parameter indicates the domain from which the client most often requests names. When this parameter is set, the domain name is automatically appended to the service name in a connect string. For example, the connect string SCOTT/TIGER@INVENTORYDB gets searched in the TNSNAMES.ORA as INVENTORYDB.WORLD, because the SQLNET.ORA has a NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN = WORLD. If the connect string has the DOMAIN extension, (such as SCOTT/TIGER@HR.US), the default domain is not appended.

Understanding Client Parameters for Use with Oracle Names Server

If you use preferred (not well-known) Oracle Names Server, another parameter, NAMES.PREFERRED_SERVERS, is required. This parameter includes one or more addresses of the Names servers in the order the client prefers to use them.

Additional Information:   See the Oracle Net8 Administrator's Guide.

   

Understanding the IPC Parameter

The IPC interprocess communication parameter, AUTOMATIC_IPC, determines if Net8 attempts to connect to a database using IPC or through the network first. If the parameter is set to ON (it's set to OFF by default), Net8 tries to connect using a service name as an IPC key. If it fails, it resolves the service name (using the TNSNAMES.ORA file or an Oracle Names Server) and uses it for connection. If the parameter is set to OFF, Net8 does not look for an IPC address and goes directly to the network.

Understanding Authentication, Encryption, and Checksumming Parameters

Authentication, data encryption, and checksumming parameters ensure secure transmission of data over networks. Authentication is available with or without the Advanced Networking Option (ANO). Encryption and checksumming parameters are only available with ANO.

Additional Information:   See the Oracle Advanced Networking Option Administrator's Guide for specific configuration information on these parameters.

   

Understanding the LISTENER.ORA File

The LISTENER.ORA file is the configuration file for the network listener. It resides on the server and defines:

• the network listener address
• the SID of the database for which it listens
• parameters that influence the network listener's behavior, including tracing and logging

A sample file is shown in Figure C-5:

Note:   The LISTENER.ORA file is automatically installed on the server in ORACLE_HOME\NET80\ADMIN.

   

Figure C-5 LISTENER.ORA Configuration File

################
# Filename......: listener.ora
# Node..........: local.world
# Date..........: 24-MAY-97 13:23:20
################
LISTENER =
  (ADDRESS_LIST =
        (ADDRESS=
          (PROTOCOL= IPC)  <---IPC is the internal protocol  
          (KEY= oracle.world)
        )
        (ADDRESS=
          (PROTOCOL= IPC)
          (KEY= ORCL)
        )
        (ADDRESS=
          (PROTOCOL= NMP)
          (SERVER= inventory.com)
          (PIPE= ORAPIPE)
        )
        (ADDRESS= 
          (PROTOCOL= TCP)
          (Host= INVENTORY) <---or, use the IP address of server 
          (Port= 1521)
        )
        (ADDRESS= 
          (PROTOCOL= TCP)
          (Host= INVENTORY)
          (Port= 1526)
        )
        (ADDRESS= 
          (PROTOCOL= TCP)
          (Host= 127.0.0.1)
          (Port= 1521)
        )
  )
STARTUP_WAIT_TIME_LISTENER = 0
CONNECT_TIMEOUT_LISTENER = 10
TRACE_LEVEL_LISTENER = 0
SID_LIST_LISTENER =
  (SID_LIST =
    (SID_DESC =
      (GLOBAL_DBNAME = inventory.com)
      (SID_NAME = ORCL)  <---Database system identifier, default is ORCL   
    )
    (SID_DESC =
      (SID_NAME = extproc)
      (PROGRAM=extproc)
    )
  )
PASSWORDS_LISTENER = (oracle)

This section covers the following LISTENER.ORA configuration issues:

• Defining the Network Listener Name
• Defining the Network Listener Address
• Describing the Databases on the Network Listener
• Using LISTENER.ORA Control Parameters
• Using Oracle Names
• Using the Host Naming

Defining the Network Listener Name

You can create connections to multiple databases in two ways, using one or multiple network listeners:

• you specifically configure one network listener to multiple databases
• you configure multiple network listeners, each for a specific database. All the network listeners on a single machine share one LISTENER.ORA file.

The default network listener name is LISTENER, which is the recommended name in a standard installation that requires only one network listener on a machine. The network listener name must be unique on the machine running Oracle8 database. If you have more than one network listener on a machine, each requires a unique name.

The TURTLE node, for example, might have three network listeners with the names:

• LSNR1_TURTLE
• LSNR2_TURTLE
• LSNR3_TURTLE

Note:   The listener name is limited to 45 character for the first installed multiple Oracle home. For subsequent Oracle homes, the character length is limited to 45 characters for the home name and listener name combined.

   

Defining the Network Listener Address

The network listener usually listens both for internal connection requests and for connection requests from across the network.

IPC Addresses for the Network Listener (Windows NT Only)

The network listener listens for IPC calls if IPC addresses are in the LISTENER.ORA file.

The IPC address format, which is the same across platforms, is as follows:

(ADDRESS=
   (PROTOCOL=IPC)
   (KEY=string)
)

Net8 Easy Configuration Tool and Oracle Net8 Assistant create two IPC addresses for each database for which a network listener queries. In one, the key value is equal to the service name. This IPC address is used for connections from applications on the same node. Service names are described in the section "Understanding the TNSNAMES.ORA File" in this appendix. In the other IPC address, the key value is equal to the database SID.

LU6.2 Addresses

The network listener must have a fully qualified local LU name rather than a partner LU name (that may be specified in the TNSNAMES.ORA). Below is a sample LU6.2 address:

        (ADDRESS=
          (PROTOCOL= LU62)
          (TPN = RECVTP)
          (LLU_NAME = "ORACLE.HQEW001")
          (MODE = ORAPLU62)
        )

Configuring the Listener to Handle Larger Volumes of Connection Requests

If you expect the listener to handle large volumes of connection requests, you may specify a queue for the process. This will allow the listener to dynamically handle larger numbers of concurrent connection requests.

To specify a queue size for a listener, enter a value to the QUEUESIZE keyword at the end of any listening address in your listener configuration file.

A typical listener configuration file with the queue size specified.

LISTENER =
  (ADDRESS_LIST =
        (ADDRESS= 
          (PROTOCOL= TCP)
          (HOST= INVENTORY)
          (PORT= 1521)
          (     QUEUESIZE = 20)
        )

Note::   Currently, you can only configure the queue size for listeners operating on TCP/IP. The queue size is 5 for Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and 50 for Windows NT 4.0 Server.

   

Describing the Databases on the Network Listener

The LISTENER.ORA file describes the database SIDs for which the network listener queries. These are the same SIDs listed in the client's TNSNAMES.ORA file. LISTENER.ORA is made up of keyword-value pairs.

SID_LIST_LISTENER_NAME=
   (SID_LIST =
      (SID_DESC =
         (SID_NAME = SID)
      )
   )

The SID is the Oracle SID of the database server.

       (SID_NAME = ORCL)

Using LISTENER.ORA Control Parameters

The following parameters control the behavior of the network listener:

Parameter	Description
LOG_FILE_LISTENER_NAME	Sets the name of the log file for the network listener. By default, the log name is SQLNET.LOG.
LOG_DIRECTORY_LISTENER_NAME	Establishes the destination directory for the log file that is automatically generated for network listener events. By default, the directory is ORACLE_HOME\NET80\ADMIN\LOG.
PASSWORDS_LISTENER_NAME	Allows one or more passwords. If this optional parameter specifies one or more passwords, then the use of one of these passwords is required to perform DBA tasks against the network listener using the Listener Control Utility.
STARTUP_WAITTIME_LISTENER_NAME	Sets the number of seconds that the network listener sleeps before responding to the first network listener control status command.
TRACE_LEVEL_LISTENER_NAME	Indicates the level of detail the trace facility records. The trace level value can either be a value within the range of 0 to 16 (where 0 is no tracing and 16 represents the maximum amount of tracing) or a value of OFF, ADMIN, USER, or SUPPORT.  OFF (equivalent to 0) provides no tracing.  USER (equivalent to 4) traces to identify user-induced error conditions.  ADMIN (equivalent to 6) traces to identify installation-specific problems.  SUPPORT (equivalent to 16) provides trace information for troubleshooting information for support.
TRACE_FILE__LISTENER_NAME	Establishes the name of the file to which trace information is written.
TRACE_DIRECTORY__LISTENER_NAME	Sets the directory where the trace file is placed.

 

Using Oracle Names

Clients do not need a TNSNAMES.ORA file if an Oracle Names Server is used. If the TNSNAMES.ORA is created, the client may use it to resolve the service name before resolving it through the Names Servers. Oracle Names requires the following entries in the LISTENER.ORA file for a network listener to register itself as a service to a well-known Oracle Names Server:

SID_LIST_LISTENER_NAME=
   (SID_LIST =
      (SID_DESC =
         (SID_NAME = ORCL)
         (GLOBAL_DBNAME = ORCL.world)
        )
   )

where LISTENER_NAME is the name of the network listener. LISTENER is the name of the default network listener.

Additionally, the Oracle Names allows databases to automatically register with Oracle Names Servers and allows clients to automatically find Oracle Names Servers. Oracle Names requires the following entry in the LISTENER.ORA file:

USE_PLUG_AND_PLAY_LISTENER_NAME=ON

GLOBAL_DBNAME

This is the name with which the network listener registers the database instance with an Oracle Names Server (in this example ORCL) and the name by which the Oracle Names Server identifies a database.   When clients request the connect information for a database from an Oracle Names Server, this is the alias they use.   WORLD is the domain. Domain is defined in the SQLNET.ORA file by the NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN parameter.

USE_PLUG_AND_PLAY

Instructs the network listener to find and register with a well-known Oracle Names Server.   When the network listener starts, it looks for hosts with the well-known host names, tries to gather connection information from the Oracle Names Server, and registers its SID(s) with it.

 

Using the Host Naming

Clients do not need a TNSNAMES.ORA file if the host naming adapter is used. A Oracle8 server requires the following entry in the LISTENER.ORA file to use host naming names resolution:

SID_LIST_LISTENER_NAME=
   (SID_LIST =
      (SID_DESC =
         (SID_NAME = ORCL)
         (GLOBAL_DBNAME = HOSTNAME)
        )

where

• LISTENER_NAME is the name of the network listener. LISTENER is the name of the default network listener.
• HOSTNAME is the TCP/IP host name of the server machine.

Understanding the CMAN.ORA File

The CMAN.ORA file is the configuration file for the Oracle Connection Manager on the server.

A sample file is shown in Figure C-6:

Figure C-6 CMAN.ORA Configuration File

#
# Connection Manager config file
# cman.ora
#
#
# cman's listening addresses
#

cman = (ADDRESS_LIST=
           (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=inventory.com)(PORT=1610))
           (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=inventory.com)(PORT=1620))
       )

#
# cman's configurable params
#
#         MAXIMUM_RELAYS               defaults to 8
#         LOG_LEVEL                    defaults to 0
#         TRACING                      defaults to no
#         RELAY_STATISTICS             defaults to no
#         SHOW_TNS_INFO                defaults to no
#         USE_ASYNC_CALL (for nscall/nsanswer/nsaccept calls)
#                                      defaults to yes
#         AUTHENTICATION_LEVEL         defaults to 0
#         MAXIMUM_CONNECT_DATA         defaults to 1024
#         ANSWER_TIMEOUT               defaults to 0
#

cman_profile = (parameter_list=
                   (MAXIMUM_RELAYS=1024)
                   (LOG_LEVEL=1)
                   (TRACING=yes)
                   (RELAY_STATISTICS=yes)
                   (SHOW_TNS_INFO=yes)
                   (USE_ASYNC_CALL=yes)
                   (AUTHENTICATION_LEVEL=1)
               )

#
#==========================================================================
# cman is used as a TCP fire wall proxy IF AND ONLY IF "cman_rules" exists
#==========================================================================
#

#cman_rules = (rule_list=
#                 (rule=(src=spcstn)(dst=x)(srv=x)(act=accept))
#             )

The CMAN.ORA consists of following sections:

CMAN	Contains the listening address for the Oracle Connection Manager.
CMAN_PROFILE	Contains CMAN configuration parameters.
CMAN_RULES	Contains the rules for filtering incoming connection requests.

 

CMAN

The listening address is a combination of the service name and address. The format of the address is similar to the listening addresses in the LISTENER.ORA file, except for the exclusion of the CONNECT_DATA segment.

In the example below, the Oracle Connection Manager is listening on two addresses, SPX and TCP/IP. The Oracle Connection Manager can listen on any protocol that Oracle supports on the platform the Oracle Connection Manager is running on.

CMAN= 
    (ADDRESS_LIST= 
       (ADDRESS= 
            (PROTOCOL=SPX) 
            (SERVICE=CMAN) 
       ) 
       (ADDRESS= 
           (PROTOCOL=TCP) 
           (HOST=CMAN.US.ORACLE.COM) 
           (PORT=1610) 
       ) 
    )

CMAN_PROFILE

The CMAN_PROFILE section defines Oracle Connection Manager parameters:

CMAN_PROFILE= 
    (PARAMETER_LIST= 
         (MAXIMUM_RELAYS=64) 
         (LOG_LEVEL=0) 
         (TRACING=YES) 
         (RELAY_STATISTICS=YES) 
         (SHOW_TNS_INFO=NO) 
         (USE_ASYNC_CALL=YES) 
         (AUTHENTICATION_LEVEL=0) 
    )

Parameter	Description
ANSWER_TIMEOUT	Determines the timeout for connections to the Oracle Connection Manager.  0 is the default  range is 0 to n
AUTHENTICATION_LEVEL	1 instructs the CMAN to reject connect requests that are not using Secure Network Services. Secure Network Services is part of the Oracle Advanced Networking Option.   0 is the default, which means Secure Network Services is not required
MAXIMUM_CONNECT_DATA	Determines the maximum number of concurrent connections allowed.  default is 1024  range is 257-4096
MAXIMUM_RELAYS	Determines the maximum number of concurrent connections allowed.  default is 8  range is 0 to 10240
LOG_LEVEL	Determines the level of logging performed by the CMAN.  default is 0, which means no logging is performed  range is 0 to 4
RELAY_STATISTICS	YES instructs the CMAN to maintain statistics pertaining to relay I/O activities such as:  number of IN bytes  number of OUT bytes  number of IN packets  number of out packets  Default is NO.
SHOW_TNS_INFO	Yes instructs the CMAN to include TNS events in the log file   Default is NO
TRACING	YES enables tracing for the Oracle Connection Manager.   Default is NO
USE_ASYNC_CALL	YES instructs the CMAN to use all asynchronous functions while in the answering, accepting, or calling phase of establishing a connection   Default is NO   Note: CMAN supports out-of-band breaks, it will forward it on to the server.

 

CMAN_RULES

The CMAN_RULES section defines access control rules:

In order to have access control on your database server, you need to specify whom to accept or reject in the RULES configuration parameter. The rules specification involves these elements:

• source hostname(s) for designated incoming clients
• destination hostname(s) for designated servers
• the destination database -- SID
• whether to accept or reject if the session request matches the first three rules

You can specify several rules for a single access control to fine tune whom accesses your database server.

CMAN_RULES= 
   (RULE_LIST= 
        (RULE= 
            (SRC = shost) 
            (DST = dhost) 
            (SRV = service) 
            (ACT = ACCEPT | REJECT) 
        ) 
     )

Where	Description
SHOST	source host name or IP address of session request (client)
DHOST	destination host name or IP address (server)
SERVICES	SID name
ACCEPT | REJECT	accept or reject the incoming requests based on the above three parameters.

 

Multiple RULEs can be defined within the RULE_LIST. The rules in the first matched RULE are applied to the request. When CMAN_RULES exists, the Oracle Connection Manager adheres to the principle "that which is not expressly permitted is prohibited." If the CMAN_RULES are not defined, then everything is permitted.

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