This module introduces the new features of Net8 in Oracle8i. Oracle networking has significantly evolved from the earliest SQL*Net 1.0 to the Net8 software. With each new release, Oracle has improved both the functionality and performance of Net8. This course assumes that you already have a basic familiarity with Oracle 8 and Oracle's Net8 facility. We will concentrate on the new features of Net8, the new features to the Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) facility, as well as the new GUI facilities, such as the Net8 Connection Manager and the connection-pooling feature. When you have completed this course, you should have a firm conceptual grasp of the new features of Net8 as they apply to Oracle8i. We will be taking a close look at new Net8 security features, increased functionality, Net8 features for distributed and Oracle Parallel Server databases, and the new features of OEM. While this may seem like an overwhelming amount of material, we will take a step-by-step approach to ensure we explain and illustrate each concept thoroughly.
This module simply gives you a quick overview of the main features we will be studying in this course.

By the end of this module, you'll be able to:

1. Identify new features of the Net8 listener
2. Describe Oracle8i enhancements for scalability
3. Identify the new features for partitioned tables
4. Describe Oracle8i enhancements and new features that improve connectivity
5. Describe Oracle8i enhancements that improve manageability of network/database tasks
6. Describe Oracle8i enhancements that improve and simplify security