TNS Names and Configuration

When connecting to an Oracle database, typically your database server will have tnsnames.ora, which is a configuration file that informs the server about NET_SERVICE_NAMES which are valid database connections. By default, this file is located at ORACLE_HOME/network/admin.

For example, a NET_SERVICE_NAME descriptor in tnsnames.ora may be formatted like this:

myDatabaseNetService =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = tcp)(HOST = localhost)(PORT = 1521)(QUEUESIZE = 100))
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = bookstore.company.com)
    )
  )

This would define a NET_SERVICE_NAME using the SERVICE_NAME we discussed earlier (bookstore.company.com) and connecting to localhost through port 1521.

Connection String