• 57
• Workgroup 2000
• Overview of the Oracle Workgroup/2000 Suite
• How Oracle7 Workgroup Server Differs From Other Oracle Packages
• Oracle7 Workgroup Server Components
• System Requirements
• Server Hardware Requirements
• Server Operating System Requirements
• Client System Requirements
• Oracle7 Workgroup Server Tools and Utilities
• Start Oracle Networks for Intel UNIX
• Stop Oracle Networks for Intel UNIX
• Maintenance Manager for Intel UNIX
• Network Manager for Windows
• When To Use Oracle7 Workgroup Server
• Summary

57

Workgroup 2000

Oracle announced the Workgroup/2000 suite of integrated client/server tools in January, 1995. The available product list in the Oracle Workgroup/2000 suite is growing. Information about the Oracle Workgroup/2000 suite is available on the Oracle World Wide Web server. Currently, you can download the 90-day free trial software from the Oracle World Wide Web server at http://www.oracle.com.

This chapter gives an overview of what is included in the Oracle Workgroup/2000 suite, the system requirements for Oracle Workgroup Server, and the differences among Oracle Workgroup Server and other Oracle packages. This chapter concentrates on the Oracle7 Workgroup Server, which is part of the Oracle Workgroup/2000 suite. It also discusses what tools and utilities are included and their major components. This chapter explains when it is appropriate to use the Oracle Workgroup Server and how it meets your business and technical needs.

Overview of the Oracle Workgroup/2000 Suite

The Oracle Workgroup/2000 suite is targeted for the workgroup client/server environment in which the users and developers have easy access and control of their database with integrated graphical tools and utilities. The following products are part of the Oracle Workgroup/2000 suite:

• Personal Oracle7
  
  
• Oracle7 Workgroup Server (for NetWare, Windows NT, OS/2, UnixWare, SCO, and Solaris x86.)
  
  
• Oracle Objects for OLE
  
  
• Oracle Power Objects
  
  

Personal Oracle7 is presented in Chapter 56, "Personal Oracle7," Oracle Objects for OLE is discussed in detail in Part IX of this guide, and Part VIII gives an in-depth look at Oracle Power Objects. This section gives an overview of the Oracle7 Workgroup Server.

How Oracle7 Workgroup Server Differs From Other Oracle Packages

The Oracle7 server supports large-scale and distributed database environments, whereas the Oracle7 Workgroup Server is designed for small to medium-sized workgroups that require powerful client/server solutions with the advantages of easy installation, ease-of-use, and simplified database administration and management. The Oracle7 Workgroup Server is a full-functioning, multiuser Oracle7 server. It is designed to meet the needs of workgroups to access data within a personal computer local area network environment.

Certain Oracle7 features are currently not available in the Oracle7 Workgroup Server version 7.1, such as the distributed options, data replication, two-phase commit, parallel options, symmetric data replication, and the parallel server option. Some of them are not implemented in the Oracle7 Workgroup Server because most of the independent workgroups do not require real-time access to the data from their distributed databases.

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server is based on the Oracle7 architecture. It is completely scaleable because it shares the same Oracle7 code base as the Oracle7 Server that runs on over 80 different hardware and operating system platforms, from desktop to mainframe. Therefore, when you scale your Oracle7 database and applications from one platform to another, it is transparent to the users.

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server is bundled with a set of graphical database administration tools to enable you to perform the common database administration tasks in a graphical user interface environment. An authorized administrator can easily manage and maintain the database with these tools without typing in any SQL command.

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server also comes with an initial or seed database that has been preconfigured for the workgroup environment. The initial database contains four tablespaces: SYSTEM, USER_DATA, TEMPORARY_DATA, and ROLLBACK_DATA. When you use the User Manager tool to create a new database user account, its default tablespace will be USER_DATA and its temporary tablespace will be TEMPORARY_DATA. The initial database defaults to NOARCHIVELOG mode. You can change it to ARCHIVELOG mode to archive redo log files.

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server is tightly integrated with the operating system (OS) to produce the optimal performance. The Oracle7 Workgroup Server supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), asynchronous I/O, and the direct file system support on most of the Desktop and Intel UNIX platforms. It also supports OS registry on Windows NT and OS threads on the Windows NT, NetWare, and OS/2 platforms. Table 57.1 summarizes the current operating system integration support.

Table 57.1. Operating system integration support.

Oracle7 Workgroup Server version 7.1 for

Windows NT

NetWare

OS/2

UnixWare

Oracle7 Workgroup Server Components

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server includes the Oracle7 database, Oracle database tools, Oracle utilities, SQL products, SQL*Net, Oracle Objects for OLE, Oracle7 ODBC driver, and online documentation. These Oracle7 Workgroup Server components can be categorized into the server or client software. The primary components of the Oracle7 Workgroup Server are summarized in Table 57.2. For a complete list of all components and their detailed description, refer to your Oracle7 Workgroup Server User's Guide.

Table 57.2. Oracle7 Workgroup Server Components.

Components

Windows NT

NetWare

OS/2

SCO, Solaris x86, UnixWare

System Requirements

This section specifies the minimum hardware and software requirements to install the Oracle7 Workgroup Server. The hardware and software requirements depend on many factors, such as the size of the Oracle database System Global Area (SGA), the number of current client connections, and the applications installed on the system. You need to refer to your Oracle7 Workgroup Server User's Guide for detailed information on how to determine your system requirements. This section also provides several tips on installing and using the Oracle7 Workgroup Server.

Server Hardware Requirements

This section describes the minimum server hardware requirements for installing and running the Oracle7 Workgroup Server.

• A minimum of 386 (486 or higher is recommended) - based IBM, COMPAQ, or 100-percent compatible PC.
  
  
• A minimum of 16 MB of RAM; 32 MB is recommended. The minimum amount of RAM required depends primarily on the size of the Oracle database SGA, the number of concurrent user connections, the type of client/server transactions, and the applications installed on the server.
  
  

• For Windows NT, NetWare, and OS/2: a minimum of 50 MB of free disk space.
  
  
• For Intel UNIX (UnixWare, Solaris x86, and SCO): a minimum of 200 MB of free disk space.
  
  

• Have access to a CD-ROM drive locally or remotely (through a network).
  
  
• A compatible network interface card (NIC) and the appropriate software.
  
  

Server Operating System Requirements

This section describes the minimum server operating system requirements for installing and running the Oracle7 Workgroup Server.

• Windows NT 3.1 or higher, NetWare 3.12 or higher, OS/2 2.1 or higher, UnixWare 2.0 or higher, Solaris x86 2.4 or higher, or SCO Open Server 3.0 or higher.
  
  

Client System Requirements

This section describes the minimum client system requirements for installing and running the client system of the Oracle7 Workgroup Server.

• Windows: Windows 3.1 or higher, minimum of 4 MB of RAM; 8 MB is recommended, minimum of 30 MB of free disk space, and a CD-ROM drive.
  
  
• OS/2: OS/2 2.1 or higher, minimum of 4 MB of RAM; 8 MB is recommended, minimum of 30 MB of free disk space, and a CD-ROM drive.
  
  
• DOS: DOS 5.0 or higher, minimum of 4 MB of RAM; 8 MB is recommended, and minimum of 30 MB of free disk space.
  
  
• Intel UNIX: UnixWare 2.0 or higher, Solaris x86 2.4 or higher, or SCO Open Desktop 3.0 or higher, minimum of 4 MB of RAM; 8 MB is recommended, minimum of 100 MB of free disk space, and a CD-ROM drive.
  
  

Oracle7 Workgroup Server Tools and Utilities

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server tools and utilities are listed in Table 57.2. Most of the Oracle database user tools are discussed in Chapter 56. Some of them, such as Start Oracle, Stop Oracle, and the Maintenance Manager, are specific to the Intel UNIX servers. They are introduced in the following sections. This section also introduces the Network Manager for Windows. For a detailed description, refer to your Oracle7 Workgroup Server User's Guide and the Oracle Database Tools User's Guide.

In the Oracle7 Workgroup Server for the Intel UNIX, most of the database administration tools can be executed from the Oracle Admin toolbar. You can bring up the Oracle Admin toolbar from an xterm window by entering the following command at the operating system prompt:

     $  otoolbar

The Oracle Admin toolbar contains the icons for most of the database tools, such as the Database Manager, Database Expander, Object Manager, User Manager, Backup Manager, and Start Oracle Networks.

Start Oracle Networks for Intel UNIX

You use the Start Oracle Networks to start up the SQL*Net listener on your Oracle7 Workgroup Server to accept SQL*Net client connections. You can execute this utility by clicking the Start Oracle Networks icon from the Oracle Admin toolbar. The processes start running in the background, and a minimized xterm window appears at the bottom of your screen. If you want to see what processes are running, you can maximize the xterm window at the bottom of your screen. The xterm window disappears when all its processes are completed.

After the Oracle7 Workgroup Server installation, it is not necessary to use Start Oracle Networks to start up the SQL*Net listener. You might need to use the Start Oracle Networks utility to activate the SQL*Net listener after you install a patch, reconfigure your networks, or after a system crash.

Stop Oracle Networks for Intel UNIX

The Stop Oracle Networks utility is for shutting down the SQL*Net listener. After the SQL*Net listener has been shut down, the database will not receive any SQL*Net client connections. You can execute this utility by clicking the Stop Oracle Networks icon from the Oracle Admin toolbar. The processes start running in the background and a minimized xterm window appears at the bottom of your screen. If you want to see what processes are running, you can maximize the xterm window at the bottom of your screen. The xterm window disappears when all Stop Oracle Networks processes are completed. It is appropriate to use the Stop Oracle Networks utility to shut down the SQL*Net listener before you reconfigure your networks and install a patch.

Maintenance Manager for Intel UNIX

The Maintenance Manager is used to install or remove patches for Oracle from your Oracle7 Workgroup Server. A patch may be in the form of a file (which can be downloaded from an online bulletin board), or a cartridge tape released by Oracle. There is no icon for the Oracle Maintenance Manager on the Oracle Admin toolbar. You can start the Maintenance Manager from an xterm window by entering the following command at the operating system prompt:

$  mainmgr

The Update button in the Maintenance Manager is used to install patches and the Rollback button is used to remove patches. You can install a patch from a file or from a tape depending on the format and media of the patch.

Network Manager for Windows

Before you start using SQL*Net Version 2, you might need to create or modify several configuration files, such as LISTENER.ORA and TNSNAMES.ORA. These files are not easy to create or modify manually because they need to follow certain syntax for different network protocols. The Network Manager for Windows is a graphical tool, and it enables you to create these configuration files by entering the necessary information on the screen. Before the Network Manager generates the configuration files, it validates the information that you enter and warns you if it discovers any inconsistency. Figure 57.1 shows the Network Manager dialog box.

Figure 57.1. The Oracle Network Manager dialog box.

When To Use Oracle7 Workgroup Server

Because of the similarities among the Oracle7 Server, Oracle7 Workgroup Server, and Personal Oracle7, it is not obvious which product meets the needs of your client/server applications. This section suggests when it is appropriate to use the Oracle7 Workgroup Server and how Oracle7 Workgroup Server meets your business and technical needs.

The Oracle7 Workgroup Server is appropriate in the following situations:

• Network Protocol Support. In a small-to-medium size company, when all personal computers are connected together in a local area network using one or more of the following network protocols: Named Pipes, SPX/IPX, TCP/IP, IBM's APPC, and NETBIOS. If you want the power and functionality of the Oracle7 database, it is appropriate to use the Oracle7 Workgroup Server because it is designed and optimized in the workgroup environment, and it supports the common network protocol for the desktop and Intel UNIX platforms.
  
  
• Decision Support and Online Transaction Processing (OLTP). Oracle7 Workgroup Server brings the power of a multiuser Oracle7 database, and it integrates with a set of client/server tools to the desktop platform. Combining with the preconfigured initial database, the Oracle7 Workgroup Server is optimized for developing and deploying decision support and online transaction processing (OLTP) applications in the workgroup environment.
  
  
• Independent Workgroup. In a large company, the Oracle7 Workgroup Server provides the flexibility, scalability, and openness for an independent workgroup in developing and deploying applications that do not require the distributed options. It offers flexibility to a workgroup by making the Oracle7 Workgroup Server available on all the major desktop and Intel UNIX platforms. The advantage of scalability enables you to port your Oracle applications and data to other systems and platforms transparently. It meets the needs of a workgroup that needs data to be migrated between Oracle databases. Openness means it is compliant with and supports the industry standards, such as ODBC and OLE.
  
  
• Ease of Administration. The Oracle7 Workgroup Server includes a suite of graphical database administration tools to simplify the database administration tasks. For example, You can start a database by clicking a single Startup button in the Database Manager dialog box. This advantage meets the needs of an independent workgroup that does not have a database administrator with extensive database administration experience. With the Oracle7 Workgroup Server, a database administrator can use the User Manager to create a new database user account or use the Database Expander to expand the database without writing a single SQL statement.
  
  
• Operating System Support. Oracle7 Workgroup Server is tightly integrated with the operating system. Table 57.1 shows the operating system integration support. Therefore, no matter which platform you select, the Oracle7 Workgroup Server is designed to take advantage of the operating system architecture. By providing the client tools, the Oracle Workgroup Server is also appropriate for a workgroup with client machines on various platforms, including NT, Windows, OS/2, DOS, and Intel UNIX.
  
  
• Minimize Training Time. The graphical user interface tools and utilities that come with the Oracle7 Workgroup Server provide ease-of-use and therefore reduce the training time. It also increases the productivity of the users by making the look and feel of the graphical user interface tools and utilities uniform across the NT, OS/2, Windows, and Intel UNIX clients. Therefore, the Oracle7 Workgroup Server is appropriate for users who do not have extensive database tools and utilities training and who are under time constraints to complete a workgroup project that is developed and deployed across all major desktop and Intel UNIX platforms.
  
  

Summary

This chapter discussed the Oracle7 Workgroup Server, the major server and client components of the Oracle7 Workgroup Server, and the system requirements. We have compared the Oracle7 Workgroup Server with other Oracle packages and explained when it is appropriate to use the Oracle7 Workgroup Server. The Oracle7 Server for the desktop platform is discussed in the next chapter.