The database connection dialog box displays any existing connections. Depending on the context, you can select a connection to connect to the database, edit the information about existing connections, or specify information while creating a new connection. (See Creating and Editing Connections.)
Connection Name: An alias for a connection to the database using the information that you enter. (The connection name is not stored in the database, and the connection is not a database object.) Suggestion: Include the database name (SID) and user name in the connection name. Example: personnel_herman for connecting to the personnel database as user Herman.
Username: Name of the database user for the connection. This user must have sufficient privileges to perform the tasks that you want perform while connected to the database, such as creating, editing, and deleting tables, views, and other objects.
Password: Password associated with the specified database user.
Save Password: If this option is checked, the password is saved with the connection information, and you will not be prompted for the password on subsequent attempts to connect using this connection.
The following information applies to a connection to an Oracle Database.
Role: The set of privileges to be associated with the connection. For a user that has been granted the SYSDBA system privilege, you can specify a connection that includes the privilege.
Connection Type: Select Basic, TNS, LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), or Advanced. (The display of fields changes to reflect any change in connection type.)
OS Authentication: If this option is checked, control of user authentication is passed to the operating system (OS). This allows the specified user to connect to the database by authenticating that user's OS username in the database. No password is associated with the connection since it is assumed that OS authentication is sufficient. For information about using OS authentication, see Oracle Database JDBC Developer's Guide and Reference.
Proxy Connection: If this option is checked, proxy authentication will be used, as explained in Connections with Proxy Authentication. Displays the Oracle Proxy Authentication dialog box.
Basic connection type
Host Name: Host system for the Oracle database.
Port: Listener port.
SID: Database name.
Service Name: Network service name of the database (for a remote database connection over a secure connection).
TNS connection type
Network Alias: Oracle Net alias for the database. (The list for selecting a network alias is initially filled from the tnsnames.ora file on your system, if that file exists.)
Connect Identifier: Oracle Net connect identifier.
LDAP connection type
Enterprise users are authenticated with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server. The user login information must be configured in the LDAP server and mapped to a schema in the database. Support for LDAP-compliant directory servers provides a centralized vehicle for managing and configuring a distributed Oracle network. The directory server can replace client-side and server-side localized tnsnames.ora files.
LDAP Server: Select from the list (from <DIRECTORY_SERVER> entries in the ldap.ora file, or enter a new directory server.
Context: LDAP administrative context. The contexts available in the selected server are listed.
DB Service: Database connection information. To load the information, click Load.
Advanced connection type
Custom JDBC URL: URL for connecting directly from Java to the database; overrides any other connection type specification. If you are using TNS or a naming service with the OCI driver, you must specify this information: Example:
jdbc:oracle:thin:scott/@localhost:1521:orcl
Note that in this example, the "/" is required, and the user will be prompted to enter the password.
The following information applies to a connection to an Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database.
For Username and Password, specify the user name and password of the user account in the TimesTen database.
DSN: Data source name. Select an existing DSN (if any are displayed), or User-specified to create a new DSN. A DSN is a character string that identifies a TimesTen database and includes connection attributes to be used when connecting to the database. A DSN has the following characteristics: its maximum length is 32 characters; it cannot contain spaces; and it consists of ASCII characters except for the following: []{},;?*=!@\
Connection Type (if DNS is user-specified): C/S for client-server mode or Direct for direct mode
Connection String: Connection attributes including database attributes, first connection attributes, general connection attributes, NLS attributes, and Cache Connect attributes. (See the Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database API Reference Guide for information about the attributes.)
Oracle Password (for Cache): The password for the TimesTen user account on the Oracle Database. (See the Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Cache Connect Guide for more information.)
For more information about SQL Developer support for TimesTen, see Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database Support.
For detailed usage and reference information about Oracle TimesTen, see the online documentation that is included in the TimesTen installation. For additional information, go to: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/timesten/
For a connection to a Microsoft Access database, click Browse and find the database (.mdb) file. However, to be able to use the connection, you must first ensure that the system tables in the database file are readable by SQL Developer, as follows:
Open the database (.mdb) file in Microsoft Access.
Click Tools, then Options, and on the View tab ensure that System Objects are shown.
Click Tools, then Security, and, if necessary, modify the user and group permissions for the MSysObjects, MsysQueries, and MSysRelationships tables as follows: select the table and give the Admin user at least Read Design and Read Data permission on the table.
Save changes and close the Access database file.
Create and test the connection in SQL Developer.
The following information applies to a connection to a MySQL database.
Note that to connect to a MySQL database, you must first download the appropriate MySQL connection driver, and then click Tools, then Preferences, and use the SQL Developer user preference pane for Database: Third Party JDBC Drivers to add the driver.
Host Name: Host system for the MySQL database.
Port: TCP/IP Port on which the MySQL server will listen.
Choose Database: Name of the MySQL database.
Zero Date Handling: Because the MySQL JDBC driver cannot handle the default 0000-00-00 date, specify one of the following options for handling this date: Set to NULL to set it to a null value, or Round to 0001-01-01 to set it to 0001-01-01.
The following information applies to a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database.
Note that to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database, you must first download the appropriate connection driver, and then click Tools, then Preferences, and use the SQL Developer user preference pane for Database: Third Party JDBC Drivers to add the driver.
Host Name: Host system for the Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database.
Port: TCP/IP Port on which Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server will listen.
Retrieve Database: Name of the Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database.
Creating and Editing Connections
To create a new connection when no connections exist, enter the connection information and click Connect. To test the connection before you create it, click Test.
To create a new connection when one or more connections already exist, click to select an existing connection, change the Connection Name to the desired name, edit other connection information as needed, and click Save or Connect to create the new connection. To test the connection before you create it, click Test.
To edit an existing connection, click in its entry in the Connection Name column, change any connection information except the connection name, and click Save or Connect. To test the connection before you save changes to it, click Test.
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