Oracle Net8 Administrator's Guide Release 8.0 A58230-01 |
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# 1
Introducing Net8

Net8 is the follow-on networking product to SQL*Net version 2. Its primary purpose is to enable the underlying network connectivity between remote client applications and Oracle8 and Oracle7 servers.

This chapter introduces Net8 Release 8.0, and provides an overview of its main applications, features, and functionality. It contains the following sections:

- Section 1.1, "What Net8 Does"
- Section 1.2, "Net8 Applications"
- Section 1.3, "Why Use Net8?"
- Section 1.4, "Net8 Features"

## 1.1 What Net8 Does

Net8 enables the machines in your network to "talk" with one another. It facilitates and manages communication sessions between a client application and a remote database. Specifically, Net8 performs three basic operations:

- Connection - opening and closing connections between a client (or a server acting as a client) and a database server over a network protocol.
- Data Transport - packaging and sending data such as SQL statements and data responses so that it can be transmitted and understood between a client and a server.
- Exception Handling - initiating interrupt requests from the client or server.

For more information on these operations, refer to Chapter 2, "Understanding Net8".

### 1.1.1 What Happened to SQL*Net?

Net8 replaces SQL*Net as the networking services and connectivity component for Oracle8. The new name reflects enhanced capabilities of the product that now go beyond simply sending SQL statements across a network. Net8 supports application programming interfaces, Java-enabled Internet browsers, and network services such as naming and security.

Following Net8 Release 8.0, all future networking products will synchronize version numbers with those of the Oracle server to eliminate any confusion regarding product compatibility.

## 1.2 Net8 Applications

Net8 is part of the standard Oracle networking package. This package also includes:

- Oracle Names
- Oracle Connection Manager (available with Oracle8 Enterprise Edition)
- Net8 OPEN

For more information on Oracle Names, refer to Chapter 6, "Oracle Names".

For more information on the Oracle Connection Manager, refer to Chapter 7, "Oracle Connection Manager".

For more information about Net8 OPEN, refer to Chapter 11, "Net8 Enhancements for Programmers".

## 1.3 Why Use Net8?

Net8 provides the following benefits to users of networked applications:

- Network Transparency
- Protocol Independence
- Media/Topology Independence
- Heterogeneous Networking
- Large Scale Scalability

### 1.3.1 Network Transparency

Net8 provides support for a broad range of network transport protocols including TCP/IP, SPX/IPX, IBM LU6.2, Novell, and DECnet. It does so in a manner that is invisible to the application user. This enables Net8 to interoperate across different types of computers, operating systems, and networks to transparently connect any combination of PC, UNIX, legacy, and other system without changes to the existing infrastructure.

### 1.3.2 Protocol Independence

Net8 enables Oracle applications to run over any supported network protocol by using the appropriate Oracle Protocol Adapter. Applications can be moved to another protocol stack by installing the necessary Oracle Protocol Adapter and the industry protocol stack. Oracle Protocol Adapters provide Net8 access to connections over specific protocols or networks. On some platforms, a single Oracle Protocol Adapter will operate on several different network interface boards, allowing you to deploy applications in any networking environment.

### 1.3.3 Media/Topology Independence

When Net8 passes control of a connection to the underlying protocol, it inherits all media and/or topologies supported by that network protocol stack. This allows the network protocol to use any means of data transmission, such as Ethernet, Token Ring, or other, to accomplish low level data link transmissions between two machines.

### 1.3.4 Heterogeneous Networking

Oracle's client-server and server-server models provide connectivity between multiple network protocols using Oracle Connection Manager.

### 1.3.5 Large Scale Scalability

By enabling you to use advanced connection concentration and connection pooling features, Net8 makes it possible for thousands of concurrent users to connect to a server.

## 1.4 Net8 Features

Net8 Release 8.0 features several enhancements that extend scalability, manageability and security for the Oracle network.

### 1.4.1 Scalability Features

Scalability refers to the ability to support simultaneous network access by a large number of clients to a single server. With Net8, this is accomplished by optimizing the usage of network resources by reducing the number of physical network connections a server must maintain.

Net8 offers improved scalability through two new features:

- Connection pooling
- Connection concentration

Both of these features optimize usage of server network resources to eliminate data access bottlenecks and enable large numbers of concurrent clients to access a single server. Additionally, other enhancements such as a new buffering methods and asynchronous operations further improve Net8 performance. For more information on Net8's scalability features, refer to Section 3.4, "Improving Large Network Performance".

Connection pooling is implemented as a configuration option with the Multi-Threaded Server. For more information on connection pooling, refer to Section 3.4.2, "Connection Pooling".

### 1.4.2 Manageability Features

Net8 introduces a number of new features that will simplify configuration and administration of the Oracle network for both workgroup and enterprise environments.

For workgroup environments, Net8 offers simple configuration-free connectivity through installation defaults and a new name resolution feature called host naming. For enterprise environments, Net8 centralizes client administration and simplifies network management with Oracle Names. In addition to these new features, Net8 introduces the Oracle Net8 Assistant.

#### 1.4.2.1 Host Naming

Host Naming refers to a new naming method which resolves service names to network addresses by enlisting the services of existing TCP/IP hostname resolution systems. Host Naming can eliminate the need for a local naming configuration file (TNSNAMES.ORA) in environments where simple database connectivity is desired. For more information on host naming, refer to Section 3.3.2, "Host Naming".

#### 1.4.2.2 Oracle Net8 Assistant

The Oracle Net8 Assistant is a new end user, stand-alone Java application that can be launched either as a stand-alone application or from the Oracle Enterprise Manager console. It automates client configuration and provides an easy-to-use interface as well as wizards to configure and manage Net8 networks. For more information on the Oracle Net8 Assistant, refer to Section 5.1.3, "Oracle Net8 Assistant".

Because the Oracle Net8 Assistant is implemented in Java, it is available on any platform that supports the Java Virtual Machine.

##### 1.4.2.2.1 What happened to Oracle Network Manager?

Oracle Network Manager is not needed or supported with Net8. The tasks previously accomplished by Oracle Network Manager are either performed automatically by Net8 and its components or can be executed more simply by using the Oracle Net8 Assistant. Oracle Network Manager is, however, still required and supported for SQL*Net V2 environments.

### 1.4.3 Security Features

Three complementary products extend and enhance security using Net8:

- Oracle Security Server, a new X.509 certificate-based server that provides scalable, standards-based security services and support for electronic commerce
- Oracle Advanced Networking Option, which supports not only network data encryption and checksumming, but also biometric user authentication devices such as the IdentixTouchSAFE II finger print scanner
- Oracle Enterprise Manager, which provides the interface to the Oracle Security Server certificate authority enabling administrators to maintain uniform user identities throughout the enterprise via unique identities and roles. This allows administrators to grant and revoke user privileges uniformly and at once, allowing for easier and more efficient administration, as well as improved security gained by faster removal of terminated users privileges.

For more information about Net8's related Oracle products, refer to Chapter 12, "Extending Net8 Functionality".

### 1.4.4 Other Features

Other features and changes notable in Net8 Release 8.0 are as follows:

#### 1.4.4.1 Multiprotocol Support Using Oracle Connection Manager

Oracle Connection Manager provides the capability to seamlessly connect two or more network protocol communities, enabling transparent Net8 access across multiple protocols. In this sense, it replaces the functionality provided by the Oracle MultiProtocol Interchange with SQL*Net. Oracle Connection Manager can also be used to provide network access control. For example, links processed through Oracle Connection Manager can be filtered on the basis of origin, destination, or user ID. It incorporates a Net8 application proxy for implementing firewall-like functionality.

For more information on Oracle Connection Manager, refer to Chapter 7, "Oracle Connection Manager".

#### 1.4.4.2 Oracle Trace Assistant

Net8 includes the Oracle Trace Assistant, a tool introduced with SQL*Net V2.3 to help decode and analyze the data stored in Net8 trace files. The Oracle Trace Assistant (formerly called Trace Evaluator) provides an easy way to understand and take advantage of the information stored in trace files, it is useful for diagnosing network problems and analyzing network performance. It can be used to better pinpoint the source of a network problem or identify a potential performance bottleneck.

For more information on the Oracle Trace Assistant, refer to Section 10.4.3, "Using the Trace Assistant to Examine Your Trace Files".

#### 1.4.4.3 Native Naming Adapters

Native Naming Adapters, previously bundled with the Advanced Networking Option, are now included with Net8. These adapters provide native support for industry-standard name services, including Sun NIS/Yellow Pages and Novell NetWare Directory Services (NDS).

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