Generic Connectivity

[chrisrlong]

Okay, I want to use Generic Connectivity (Heterogeneous Services) to link an Oracle database on a Unix box to Access running on a Windows Box.

I've read all kinds of stuff on this but can't quite put it together.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

- Chris

[TimHall]

Hi.

This is what I did:

http://www.oracle-base.com/Articles/...ectivity9i.asp

It's the same in 8i also.

Cheers

[chrisrlong]

Yeah - I've seen that (from when you've posted it before ), but that is pointing to a local Access database. I need to point to one on another machine/OS.

- Chris

[marist89]

Originally posted by chrisrlong
Yeah - I've seen that (from when you've posted it before ), but that is pointing to a local Access database. I need to point to one on another machine/OS.

- Chris

Not sure how that would work, even conceptually. MS-Access is a file based database, not a server based database. When MS-Access is shared, it is shared by a fileserver and not a database server. You might be able to get it to work if you always mounted the drive that contains the Access database to your oracle server so it LOOKS local...?

[chrisrlong]

See, I'm blissfully ignorant of the networking stuff .

However, I'm thinking that if I were in Access itself, I could point to another Access database on a different box with no problem. I could open a file through ODBC on a different box. So why shouldn't I be able to use Oracle to look at an Access database on a different box? The only difference I see is that, in my Access example, I'm using ODBC drivers from the local box to talk to the database on the other box.

This question doesn't have a resolution, but people talk as if it should simply 'work': http://www.orafaq.net/msgboard/serve...ages/16676.htm

This part of the Oracle docs shows how a normal (server-based?) connection is done to a non-Oracle database. Again, if we could have the proper ODBC drivers on ORacle, would this not still apply to Access?

Finally, there is this product called an ODBC bridge which might be the solution, but I'm simply not grasping the concept yet:
http://www.easysoft.com/products/2002/main.phtml

Again, any and all help is appreciated,

- Chris

[marist89]

Originally posted by chrisrlong
See, I'm blissfully ignorant of the networking stuff .

However, I'm thinking that if I were in Access itself, I could point to another Access database on a different box with no problem. I could open a file through ODBC on a different box. So why shouldn't I be able to use Oracle to look at an Access database on a different box? The only difference I see is that, in my Access example, I'm using ODBC drivers from the local box to talk to the database on the other box.

Eh, kinda yes, kinda no. You are using the ODBC on your local box to talk to a file visible to your local computer through file sharing. If you don't have permission on that file, you can't read it. With a server based database, you can see all the data in the database (given you have privs) but you don't need to know which files they reside in. In fact, you probably won't have any permission on the respective files in a server based database.

Also, the smarts of a database server live in the software on the server. The smarts of MS Access, lie in MSAccess.exe.

This question doesn't have a resolution, but people talk as if it should simply 'work': http://www.orafaq.net/msgboard/serve...ages/16676.htm

This part of the Oracle docs shows how a normal (server-based?) connection is done to a non-Oracle database. Again, if we could have the proper ODBC drivers on ORacle, would this not still apply to Access?

Again, I don't think it will work unless the file is visible to the local host. Most server based databases have a networking component that can intrepret remote calls and return results. Oracle has the listener. MS Access does not have such a piece (as of 2000, anyway). Sure, ODBC will allow you to attach to MS Access, but ODBC doesn't provide remote connectivity either.

Finally, there is this product called an ODBC bridge which might be the solution, but I'm simply not grasping the concept yet:
http://www.easysoft.com/products/2002/main.phtml

Ah, here is the missing piece. From what I looked at (breifly), this is your "ODBC Listener". You'd have to try this in your own configuration, but I think conceptually this will work.