Lesson 1

Welcome to Oracle: Network Configuration Management, the second in a two-course series designed to introduce you to the networking tools and concepts associated with Oracle's database software. Oracle Network Topology is the first course in this series, and focuses on focused on the general concepts associated with

1. Oracle networking,
2. Oracle Network Services architecture, and
3. client- and server-side configuration.

This course, Oracle: Network Configuration Management, delves into the technical details of configuring and using Oracle Net Services components, including

1. "Directory Naming" (Oracle Names has been deprecated),
2. the Oracle Enterprise Manager,
3. the Shared Server (Multi-Threaded Server has been deprecated), and
4. the Connection Manager.

In addition, this course covers security and troubleshooting in the network environment.
Taken together, these courses are designed to prepare you for the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) exam series.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the architecture of Directory Naming
2. Use "Oracle Net Manager" to configure centralized naming
3. Store the overall network topology
4. Oracle Database clients cannot use a Names Server to resolve connect strings. Migrate your applications to Oracle Internet Directory with LDAP directory naming.
5. Configure the Oracle Shared Server
6. Describe the features of the Connection Manager
7. Use logging and tracing to troubleshoot the Oracle Net environment
8. Identify network security risks during data transmission
9. Identify the features of the Advanced Networking Option

If you have already taken the first course in this series, then you may already be somewhat familiar with this material.
The next lesson outlines the prerequisites for this course.

"Oracle Network Services" is intrinsically integrated into Oracle Database 23ai and continues to rely on low-level protocols like TCP/IP, TNS, and UPI. In the Oracle Cloud, it is not a separate "branch" in the sense of a distinct product line you install independently like it might have felt in the past. Here's a breakdown:

• Oracle Net Services is a Core Component: From its inception (originally as SQL*Net), Oracle Net Services has been the fundamental networking layer that allows Oracle clients to connect and communicate with Oracle databases. It's not an add-on; it's a core, inseparable part of the Oracle Database software stack itself. This holds true for 23ai, just as it did for 11g R2 and all versions in between.
• Low-Level Protocols Remain:
  • TCP/IP: This remains the primary underlying transport protocol for network communication with Oracle Database, whether on-premises or in OCI. Oracle Net Services builds on top of TCP/IP to manage connections.
  • TNS (Transparent Network Substrate): TNS is Oracle's proprietary technology that provides a common interface for all industry-standard OSI transport and network layer protocols. It's the layer that abstracts the underlying network protocol (like TCP/IP) from the application. When you use a TNS alias in your `tnsnames.ora` file or an Easy Connect string, you're leveraging TNS. This is still absolutely central to how Oracle clients find and connect to Oracle databases, including 23ai.
  • UPI (User Program Interface): UPI is a programmatic interface that allows applications to interact with the Oracle Database. While developers typically use higher-level APIs (like JDBC, ODP.NET, Python-oracledb, etc.), these APIs ultimately interact with the database through the underlying Oracle Net Services layer, which utilizes UPI internally for communication with the database server process.
• OCI's Role: OCI (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) doesn't replace Oracle Net Services. Instead, OCI provides the *infrastructure* (network, compute, storage) on which Oracle databases (including 23ai) run. When you deploy an Oracle Database in OCI, Oracle Net Services is still the mechanism enabling client applications (whether they are also in OCI, on-premises, or in another cloud) to connect to that database. OCI offers network features (like Virtual Cloud Networks, security lists, Network Load Balancers, etc.) that facilitate and secure these Oracle Net Services connections within the cloud environment.
• Evolution, Not Separation: What might have felt like a "separate branch" in older on-premises days was more about the distinct configuration and management of components like the Listener and Connection Manager (`cman`). These components, which are part of Oracle Net Services, are still very much present and relevant in 23ai. For example, Oracle Connection Manager (CMAN) in 23ai has even gained new features like a REST API for administration, indicating its continued importance.

In essence, Oracle Net Services is the **nervous system** of Oracle Database connectivity. It has always been, and remains, deeply integrated into the database software. OCI provides the environment, but Oracle Net Services provides the communication.