Connecting to Oracle Database

Connecting to Oracle Database (OracleToSQL)

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To migrate Oracle databases to SQL Server, you must connect to the Oracle database that you want to migrate. When you connect, SSMA obtains metadata about all Oracle schemas, and then displays it in the Oracle Metadata Explorer pane. SSMA stores information about the database server, but does not store passwords.
Your connection to the database stays active until you close the project. When you reopen the project, you must reconnect if you want an active connection to the database.
Metadata about the Oracle database is not automatically updated. Instead, if you want to update the metadata in Oracle Metadata Explorer, you must manually update it. For more information, see the "Refreshing Oracle Metadata" section later in this topic.

Required Oracle Permissions

The account that is used to connect to the Oracle database must have at least CONNECT permissions. This enables SSMA to obtain metadata from schemas owned by the connecting user. To obtain metadata for objects in other schemas and then convert objects in those schemas, the account must have the following permissions:

• CREATE ANY PROCEDURE
  
• EXECUTE ANY PROCEDURE
  
• SELECT ANY TABLE
  
• SELECT ANY SEQUENCE
  
• CREATE ANY TYPE
  
• CREATE ANY TRIGGER
  
• SELECT ANY DICTIONARY

Establishing a Connection to Oracle

When you connect to a database, SSMA reads the database metadata, and then adds this metadata to the project file. This metadata is used by SSMA when it converts objects to SQL Server syntax, and when it migrates data to SQL Server. You can browse this metadata in the Oracle Metadata Explorer pane and review properties of individual database objects.

Important
Before you try to connect, make sure that the database server is running and can accept connections.

To connect to Oracle

1. On the File menu, select Connect to Oracle.
   If you previously connected to Oracle, the command name will be Reconnect to Oracle.
   
2. In the Provider box, select Oracle Client Provider or OLE DB Provider, depending on which provider is installed. The default is Oracle client.
   
3. In the Mode box, select either Standard mode, TNSNAME mode, or Connection string mode.
   Use standard mode to specify the server name and port. Use service name mode to specify the Oracle service name manually. Use connection string mode to provide a full connection string.
   
4. If you select Standard mode, provide the following values:
   
   1. In the Server name box, enter or select the name or IP address of the database server.
      
   2. If the database server is not configured to accept connections on the default port (1521), enter the port number that is used for Oracle connections in the Server port box.
      
   3. In the Oracle SID box, enter the system identifier.
      
   4. In the User name box, enter an Oracle account that has the necessary permissions.
      
   5. In the Password box, enter the password for the specified user name.
5. If you select TNSNAME mode, provide the following values:
   
   1. In the Connect identifier box, enter connect identifier (TNS alias) of the database.
      
   2. In the User name box, enter an Oracle account that has the necessary permissions.
      
   3. In the Password box, enter the password for the specified user name.
6. If you select Connection string mode, provide a connection string in the Connection string box.
   The following example shows an OLE DB connection string:
   Provider=OraOLEDB.Oracle;Data Source=MyOracleDB;User Id=myUsername;Password=myPassword;
   The following example shows an Oracle Client connection string that uses integrated security:
   Data Source=MyOracleDB;Integrated Security=yes;
   For more information, see Connect To Oracle (OracleToSQL).

Reconnecting to Oracle

Your connection to the database server stays active until you close the project. When you reopen the project, you must reconnect if you want an active connection to the database. You can work offline until you want to update metadata, load database objects into SQL Server, and migrate data.

Refreshing Oracle Metadata

Metadata about the Oracle database is not automatically refreshed. The metadata in Oracle Metadata Explorer is a snapshot of the metadata when you first connected, or the last time that you manually refreshed metadata. You can manually update metadata for all schemas, a single schema, or individual database objects.
To refresh metadata

1. Make sure that you are connected to the database.
   
2. In Oracle Metadata Explorer, select the check box next to each schema or database object that you want to update.
   
3. Right-click Schemas, or the individual schema or database object, and then select Refresh from Database.
   If you do not have an active connection, SSMA will display the Connect to Oracle dialog box so that you can connect.
   
4. In the Refresh from Database dialog box, specify which objects to refresh.
   
   • To refresh an object, click the Active field adjacent to the object until an arrow appears.
     
   • To prevent an object from being refreshed, click the Active field adjacent to the object until an X appears.
     
   • To refresh or decline a category of objects, click the Active field adjacent to the category folder.
   To view the definitions of the color coding, click the Legend button.
   
5. Click OK.

Next Step

• The next step in the migration process is to Connect to an instance of SQL Server.

See Also

Concepts

Migrating Oracle Databases to SQL Server (OracleToSQL)