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How do I access my database on the IU Research Database Complex using the Oracle client for Windows?

The Research Database Complex (RDC) is dedicated to research-related databases and data-intensive applications that require a database. Oracle and MySQL databases are supported, and the default database size is 15MB. The RDC also provides an environment for database-driven web applications with a research focus. This system, rdcweb.uits.iu.edu, runs Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. User home directories reside on the IBM N5500 NAS storage device, with disk quotas of 10GB per user. This quota is shared by your Big Red and Quarry accounts, if you have accounts on those systems.

Following are instructions for accessing your RDC database using the Oracle client for Windows.

On this page:

Download the Oracle client from IUware Online

The Oracle client for Windows is available free of charge to Indiana University students, faculty, and staff via IUware Online:

  1. Go to: http://iuware.iu.edu/
  2. On the left, click Database.

  3. Under "Database", click Oracle 10g R2 Client for Windows (not Vista).

  4. Next to "Available for Download", click Login, enter your IU Network ID username and passphrase, and then click login.

    When you're logged in, next to "Available for Download", click Download, and choose to save the file (Oracle10gR2ClientWin32.exe) to your computer.

Install the Oracle client

After you've downloaded the client software, you must install it on your computer:

  1. On your computer, find the Oracle10gR2ClientWin32.exe file you downloaded from IUware Online, and double-click it to begin the installation.

  2. In the Oracle 10g R2 Client Win 32 window, choose where to save the program files. By default, the installation saves files to: C:\IUware Online\Oracle 10g R2 Client Win 32

    To choose a different locations, click Browse... . To extract the files and start the installation, click Install.

    Note: The installation program takes a few minutes to extract files to the directory you specified. When it's complete, the Oracle Universal Installer should automatically run. If it doesn't, go to the directory you specified (e.g., C:\IUware Online\Oracle 10g R2 Client Win 32), and in the client folder, double-click the setup.exe file.

  3. In the Oracle Universal Installer window, click Next.

  4. Under "Select Installation Type", choose Custom, and then click Next

  5. Under "Specify Home Details", select a name for the installation and the full path where you want to install the client. The default path is: C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\client_1

    Note: You may click Browse... to select an alternate path, but UITS recommends keeping the default path.

  6. Click Next to continue.

  7. Under "Available Product Components", near the bottom, click the checkbox to select Show all components, including required dependencies.

  8. From the list of available product components, use the checkboxes to select these components, in the following order:

    • Oracle Net 10.2.0.1.0
    • SQL *Plus 10.2.0.1.0
    • Oracle JDBC/THIN Interfaces 10.2.0.1.0
    • Oracle Call Interface (OCI) 10.2.0.1.0
    • Oracle Windows Interfaces 10.2.0.1.0
    • Enterprise Manager 10g Java Console 10.2.0.1.0

  9. In the list of available product components, click to deselect (i.e., not install) Oracle Services For Microsoft Transaction Server 10.2.0.1.0 (found under "Oracle Windows Interfaces 10.2.0.1.0").

  10. Click Next. The installer will verify that your environment meets the minimum requirements for installing and configuring the products you selected. You must manually verify and confirm any items that are flagged with warnings and items that could not be verified automatically. For details about performing these checks, click the item and review the details in the box at the bottom of the window.

    When all requirements are verified, click Next.

  11. Under "Summary", verify the installation information, and then click Install.

After the components are installed, the Oracle Universal Installer will guide you through configuring and starting the components you selected. For instructions, see the next section.

Configure Oracle Net

Note: Before continuing, you need the following pieces of information:

  • The name of the host computer where the database is located: libra45.uits.iu.edu
  • The System Identifier (SID) of the database and its full service name; to find these, see the RDC Oracle Database Welcome letter you received in email after creating your account

To begin configuring the products you installed:

  1. In the Oracle Universal Installer window, under "Configuration Assistants", you'll see the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant has started and is in progress. Beneath this window (where you may not be able to see it at first), you'll find the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant dialog box. You may have to move the Oracle Universal Installer window to reveal the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant dialog box.

  2. In the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant dialog box, to see if your client can be configured automatically, click the checkbox to select Perform typical configuration, and then click Next:

    • If you see the messages, "Welcome to the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant" and "The Assistant has determined that your client can use the easy connect naming method for identifying the database", click Next, and then Finish. Skip to step 11.
    • If this step fails, deselect Perform typical configuration, and then click Next and continue with step 3.

  3. Under "Selected Naming Methods", make sure "Local Naming" is displayed in the box, and then click Next.

  4. You will be prompted to enter the Service Name. This is the database SID, followed by an extension (e.g., IUGP.IU.EDU). Enter the full Service Name, and then click Next. If you do not know the Service Name, email the High Performance Systems group.

  5. You will be prompted to enter the Network Protocol. Select TCP, and then click Next.

  6. You will be prompted to enter the Host Name (use libra45.uits.indiana.edu). Leave the port number as the default port (1521). Then click Next.

  7. Click the radio button to select Yes, perform test, and then click Next. If the login test fails, select Change Login, enter your correct user information, and try again. Click Next when the test is successful.

  8. You will be prompted to enter a name for the net service you just created. UITS recommends using the Service Name you supplied above (e.g., IUGP.IU.EDU). Then, click Next.

  9. If you want to configure another net service name, select Yes, and follow steps 4 through 8 above. Otherwise, select No, and then click Next.

  10. Once you have configured all of your net service names, click Next twice, and then click Finish.

  11. Under "End of Installation", click Exit. When asked if you really want to exit, click Yes.

Connect to Oracle with SQL*Plus

For security reasons, it is best not to include your password on the SQL*Plus command line. At the system prompt, enter the following (replacing your_username with your database login and oracle_instance_name with your database SID):

doe@RDC:~> sqlplus your_username@oracle_instance_name

Then, when prompted, enter your Oracle database password.

Following a successful login you will see:

Connected to: Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.3.0 - 64bit Production With the Partitioning, OLAP and Data Mining options SQL>

Getting help

If you need help connecting to your Oracle database, email the High Performance Systems group.

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Last modified on May 13, 2009.

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