Oracle7 Getting Started for Windows NT

Introducing Oracle7 Server for Windows NT

What is Oracle7 Server for Windows NT?
What are the New Features of This Release?
How is Oracle7 Server Integrated with Windows NT?

What is Oracle7 Server for Windows NT?

Oracle7 Server for Windows NT is a fully functional release 7.3 Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). Oracle7 client and server software runs on a personal computer (PC), running one of the following operating system releases:

Operating System Oracle7 Server software Oracle7 Client software
Windows NT Workstation Version 4.0

YES

YES

Windows NT Workstation Version 3.51

YES

YES

Windows NT Server Version 4.0

YES

YES

Windows NT Server Version 3.51

YES

YES

Windows 95

NO

YES

Windows 3.1

NO

YES

Windows for Workgroups 3.11

NO

YES

Key Features of Oracle7 Server for Windows NT

Integration with the Windows NT Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, and Registry.
Automatic authentication of users by the Windows NT operating system.
Oracle Enterprise Manager, which provides central and local management of one or more databases, through a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Advanced Replication Option, Parallel Query Option, Oracle XA Interface and bitmapped indexing.
Additional options, purchasable separately, for example, Oracle Parallel Server, ConText Option, and Oracle7 Spatial Data Option.

What are the New Features of This Release?

This release of Oracle7 Server for Windows NT includes the following new features:

New Features Description
Oracle XA Interface

The Oracle XA Interface is an external interface that allows global transactions to be coordinated by a transaction manager other than the Oracle7 Server. This allows inclusion of non-Oracle7 Server entities called resource managers (RM) in distributed transactions.
The Oracle XA Interface conforms to the Distributed Transaction Processing: The XA Specification published by X/Open
Additional Information... See the section "Compiling and Linking Oracle XA Library" in this Getting Started.
Oracle Migration Wizard for Microsoft Access

Migrates data from Microsoft Access to an Oracle7 Server database quickly and easily.
Note... The Oracle Migration Wizard for Microsoft Access is not supported against Microsoft Access 97.
Note... The Oracle Migration Wizard for Microsoft Access is only supported against Oracle7 Server release 7.3.3.

Oracle DECnet Protocol Adapter

Previously only available on Windows NT and Windows 3.1. Now available on Windows 95.

Advanced Networking Option

Supports both Gradient DCE and DEC DCE.

How is Oracle7 Server Integrated with Windows NT?

The tight integration of Oracle7 Server for Windows NT with the Windows NT operating system gives you unprecedented opportunity to monitor and manipulate your server. This chapter describes these features briefly; more detailed discussions appear in the chapter "Monitoring a Database".

Windows NT Services and Oracle Instances

A service is an executable process installed in the Windows NT Registry repository and administered by Windows NT. The Windows NT Registry automatically tracks and records security information for each service you create. Oracle services are similar to Windows NT services. In order to connect to and use an Oracle instance, an Oracle service must be created and associated with an Oracle database.

An Oracle instance is a logical term that refers to an Oracle System Global Area (SGA) and an Oracle service with background threads running. The Oracle service defined when each instance is created is named OracleServicesid, where sid is the unique instance name. An Oracle instance is capable of mounting and opening an Oracle database, which is composed of one or more control files, data files and redo log files. To connect to and switch between Oracle databases, users must specify a system identifier (SID).

In addition, for each network listener defined during network installation, Oracle7 Server creates a SQL*Net version 2 listener service--another Windows NT service related to the network listener. This service is named OracleTNSListener.

Both services are created as automatic Windows NT services. They start automatically when the computer is started.

During installation of Oracle7 Server for Windows NT, a default Oracle instance, identified by the SID ORCL, and an Oracle service named OracleServiceORCL is created. This Getting Started refers to the database of this default Oracle instance as the starter database.

Note With Oracle7 Server for Windows NT, you can run multiple Oracle instances simultaneously on one computer. See the section "Running Multiple Instances" in the chapter "Administering a Database" for more information.

Workstation Security

Once you create and start a service on your Oracle7 Server for Windows NT computer, the service can run even while no user is logged on. Since Oracle7 Server for Windows NT runs each instance as a service, instances can run with no user logged on to the server computer's console.

This feature allows you to maintain workstation security while running Oracle7 Server for Windows NT. A Database Administrator can start a particular instance of the database and log off the computer.

Additional Information See the chapter "Establishing Security Policies" in Oracle7 Server Administrator's Guide.

Memory Structures

When you start a database, Oracle7 Server for Windows NT automatically starts a single instance by creating background threads and memory structures unique to the Windows NT environment.

When you make a local or remote connection to an Oracle instance, the Oracle7 Server process (ORACLE73.EXE) starts one new thread dedicated to the new connection.

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