Connecting to the database is the primary job of Oracle's Net8 software. There have been some exciting new improvements in Net8 that complement improvements in the Oracle8i database server software. This module explores these new features and shows you when and why to use them.

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

1. Configure and run the Connection Manager
2. Configure Net8 for multiplexing
3. Identify scenarios where connection pooling is beneficial
4. Configure a network for load balancing
5. Identify situations where automatic instance registration can be an advantage
6. Define the RADIUS adapter and its purpose
7. Describe what needs to be configured to use RADIUS adapter

The next lesson looks at configuring and running the Connection Manager.