This chapter describes the following tasks that you must complete before you can install the Oracle Database Client products:
Table 2-1 lists the required hardware components for Oracle Database Client on Windows 32-bit.
Table 2-2 lists the required hardware components for Oracle Database Client on Windows x64.
Table 2-1 Windows 32-Bit Hardware Requirements
Requirement | Minimum Value |
---|---|
System Architecture |
Processor: Intel (x86), AMD64, and Intel EM64T Note: Oracle provides 32-bit (Windows x86) and 64-bit (Windows x64) versions of Oracle Database Client. The 32-bit database client version runs on the 32-bit version of Windows on either x86 or x64 hardware. Oracle certifies 32-bit Oracle Database Client on Windows x64. Table 2-5 lists the operating systems supported on Windows 32-bit. |
Physical memory (RAM) |
1 GB minimum |
Virtual memory |
Double the amount of RAM |
Hard disk space |
Total ranges between 300 - 1160 MB. See Table 2-3 for details. |
Video adapter |
256 colors |
Screen Resolution |
1024 X 768 minimum |
Table 2-2 Windows x64 Hardware Requirements
Requirement | Minimum Value |
---|---|
System Architecture |
Processor: AMD64 and Intel EM64T Note: Oracle provides 32-bit (Windows x86) and 64-bit (Windows x64) versions of Oracle Database Client. Oracle certifies 32-bit Oracle Database Client on Windows x64. Table 2-6 lists the operating systems supported on Windows x64. |
Physical memory (RAM) |
2 GB minimum |
Virtual memory |
Double the amount of RAM |
Hard disk space |
Total ranges from 430 - 1570 MB. See Table 2-4 for details. |
Video adapter |
256 colors |
Screen Resolution |
1024 X 768 minimum |
This section lists system requirements for Windows platforms that use the NT File System (NTFS).
The NTFS system requirements listed in this section are more accurate than the hard disk values reported by the Oracle Universal Installer Summary window. The Summary window does not include accurate values for disk space, the space required to create a database, or the size of compressed files that are expanded on the hard drive.
The hard disk requirements for Oracle Database Client components include space required to install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and Oracle Universal Installer on the partition where the operating system is installed. If sufficient space is not detected, then installation fails and an error message appears.
Table 2-3 lists the Windows 32-Bit disk space requirements on NTFS.
Table 2-4 lists the Windows x64 disk space requirements on NTFS.
Table 2-3 Windows 32-Bit Disk Space Requirements on NTFS
Installation Type | TEMP Space | SYSTEM_DRIVE:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory | Oracle Home | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
130 MB |
5 MB |
350 MB |
485 MB |
|
130 MB |
5 MB |
1.5 GB |
1635 MB |
|
130 MB |
5 MB |
1.1 GB |
1235 MB |
|
Custom (all components installed) |
130 MB |
5 MB * |
1.5 GB * |
1635 MB * |
* Disk space requirements vary, depending on the components selected.
Table 2-4 Windows x64 Disk Space Requirements on NTFS
Installation Type | TEMP Space\ | SYSTEM_DRIVE:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory | Oracle Home | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
130 MB |
5 MB |
350 MB |
485 MB |
|
130 MB |
5 MB |
1.5 GB |
1635 MB |
|
130 MB |
5 MB |
1.1 GB |
1235 MB |
|
Custom (all components installed) |
130 MB |
5 MB * |
1.5 GB * |
1635 MB * |
* Disk space requirements vary, depending on the components selected.
Note:
If you want to configure only the Instant Client Light component of Instant Client, you need 30–32 MB of disk space to store the related files. Refer to "Configuring Instant Client Light" for more information.See Also:
"Overview of NTFS File System and Windows Registry Permissions" in Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft WindowsTo ensure that the system meets these requirements, follow these steps:
Determine the physical RAM size. For example, on a Windows Server 2008 computer, double-click System in the Windows Control Panel to display System information such as, Processor, Memory (RAM) and System type.
On a Windows Server 2008 R2 computer, click System and Security in the Windows Control Panel, then click System.
If the size of the physical RAM installed in the system is less than the required size, then you must install more memory before continuing.
Determine the size of the configured virtual memory (also known as paging file size). For example, on a Windows Server 2008 computer, double-click System, click the Advanced tab, and click Settings in the Performance section. Then select the Advanced tab.
On a Windows Server 2008 R2 computer, click System and Security, then click System, click Advanced System Settings, click the Advanced tab on System Properties page, and then click Settings in the Performance section. Then select the Advanced tab on Performance Options page.
The virtual memory is listed in the Virtual Memory section.
If necessary, see your operating system documentation for information about how to configure additional virtual memory.
Determine the amount of free disk space on the system. For example, on a Windows Server 2008 computer, double-click My Computer, right-click the drive where the Oracle software is to be installed, and select Properties.
On a Windows Server 2008 R2 computer, right-click My Computer and click Open.
Determine the amount of disk space available in the temp
directory. This is equivalent to the total amount of free disk space, minus what will be needed for the Oracle software to be installed.
On Windows x64, if there is less than 125 MB of disk space available in the temp
directory, then delete all unnecessary files. If the temp disk space is still less than 125 MB, then set the TEMP
or TMP
environment variable to point to a different hard drive location.
For example, to change the environment variables on a Windows Server 2008 computer, double-click System, click the Advanced tab, and click Environment Variables.
On a Windows Server 2008 R2 computer, click System and Security, then click System, click Advanced System Settings, click the Advanced tab on System Properties page, and then click Environment Variables.
This section covers the following topics:
General Oracle Database Client Software Requirements for Windows 32-Bit
General Oracle Database Client Software Requirements for Windows x64
Instant Client Light Language and Character Set Requirements
Table 2-5 lists the software requirements for Oracle Database Client on Windows 32-bit.
Table 2-5 Windows 32-Bit Software Requirements
Requirement | Value |
---|---|
Operating System |
Oracle Database Client for Windows is supported on the following operating systems:
Windows Multilingual User Interface Pack is supported. For information about Hyper-V support, visit My Oracle Support at https://support.oracle.com/epmos/faces/DocumentDisplay?id=1563794.1 |
Pro*COBOL has been tested and certified with Net Express 5.1. The following components are supported with the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1, Microsoft Visual C++ 2012, Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Update 2, and Intel 12.1 C compilers:
Oracle C++ Call Interface is supported with
|
|
Network Protocol |
The Oracle Net foundation layer uses Oracle protocol support to communicate with the following industry-standard network protocols:
|
Table 2-6 lists the software requirements for Oracle Database Client on Windows x64.
Table 2-6 Windows x64 Software Requirements
Requirement | Value |
---|---|
Operating System |
Oracle Database Client for Windows is supported on the following operating systems:
Windows Multilingual User Interface Pack is supported. The Server Core option is not supported. Note: For more information about Hyper-V support, visit My Oracle Support at https://support.oracle.com/epmos/faces/DocumentDisplay?id=1563794.1 |
Pro*COBOL has been tested and certified with Net Express 5.1. The following components are supported with the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 SP1, Microsoft Visual C++ 2012, Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Update 2, and Intel 12.1 C compilers:
Oracle C++ Call Interface is supported with
|
|
Network Protocol |
The Oracle Net foundation layer uses Oracle protocol support to communicate with the following industry-standard network protocols:
|
In addition to the requirements described in the previous section, if you plan to use Instant Client Light, the applications must use the following languages and character sets:
Language: Any language that is supported by Oracle, but only US English error messages are returned for errors generated on the client side.
Territory: Any territory that is supported by Oracle.
Character sets:
Single byte
US7ASCII
WE8DEC
WE8ISO8859P1
WE8MSWIN1252
Unicode
UTF8
AL16UTF16
AL32UTF8
Instant Client Light can connect to databases having one of the following database character sets. An error is returned if a character set other than those in the list is used as the client or database character set.
US7ASCII
WE8DEC
WE8MSWIN1252
WE8ISO8859P1
WE8EBCDIC37C
WE8EBCDIC1047
UTF8
AL32UTF8
Instant Client Light can also operate with the OCI Environment handles created in the OCI_UTF16 mode.
The language, territory, and character sets are determined by the NLS_LANG
parameter, which is stored in the registry under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\
KEY_HomeName
\NLS_LANG
subkey, where HomeName
is the unique name identifying the Oracle home.
Caution:
AL32UTF8 is the Oracle Database character set that is appropriate for XMLType data. It is equivalent to the IANA registered standard UTF-8 encoding, which supports all valid XML characters.Do not confuse Oracle Database database character set UTF8 (no hyphen) with database character set AL32UTF8 or with character encoding UTF-8. Database character set UTF8 has been superseded by AL32UTF8. Do not use UTF8 for XML data. UTF8 supports only Unicode version 3.1 and earlier; it does not support all valid XML characters. AL32UTF8 has no such limitation.
Using database character set UTF8 for XML data could potentially cause an irrecoverable error or affect security negatively. If a character that is not supported by the database character set appears in an input-document element name, a replacement character (usually "?") is substituted for it. This terminates parsing and raises an exception.
See Also:
Appendix C, " Configuring Oracle Database Globalization Support" for more information aboutNLS_LANG
During Oracle Database Client installation, you can specify an optional Oracle Home User associated with the Oracle home. For example, assume that you use an Administrator user named OraSys
to install the software (Oracle Installation user), then you can specify the ORADOMAIN\OraClient
domain user as the Oracle Home user for this installation. The specified Oracle Home domain user must exist before you install the Oracle Database software.
Oracle Home User can be Windows Built-in Account or a standard Windows User Account (not an Administrator account). Windows User Account can be a Windows Local User, Windows Domain User or Managed Services Account (MSA). If you want to create a new user during installation, then it can only be a Windows Local User and not a Windows Domain User or an MSA. The new user created is denied interactive logon privileges to the Windows computer. However, a Windows administrator can manage this account like any other Windows account.
Note:
You cannot change the Oracle Home User after the installation is complete. If you must change the Oracle Home User, then you must reinstall the Oracle Database Client software.See Also:
"Managing Oracle Home User" in Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft WindowsSilent install is enhanced to support password prompt for Oracle Home User. So, customers and independent software vendors (ISV) can use response files without hard coding the password into the source code.
Oracle Universal Installer creates groups, such as, ORA_INSTALL
, ORA_CLIENT_LISTENERS
, ORA_
HOMENAME
_SVCSIDS
during installation and you should not change these groups, memberships, and ACLs associated with various Oracle created groups.
Typically, the computer on which you want to install Oracle Database Client is connected to the network, has local storage to contain the Oracle Database Client installation, has a display monitor, and has a media drive.
This section describes how to install Oracle Database Client on computers that do not meet the typical scenario. It covers the following topics:
Installing Oracle Database Client on Computers with Multiple IP Addresses
Installing Oracle Database Client on Computers with Multiple Aliases
Installing Oracle Database Client on Non-Networked Computers
You can install Oracle Database Client on a computer that has multiple IP addresses, also known as a multihomed computer. Typically, a multihomed computer has multiple network cards. Each IP address is associated with a host name; additionally, you can set up aliases for the host name. By default, Oracle Universal Installer uses the ORACLE_HOSTNAME
environment variable setting to find the host name.
Clients must be able to access the computer using this host name, or using aliases for this host name. To check, ping the host name from the client computers using the short name (host name only) and the full name (host name and domain name). Both must work.
Setting the ORACLE_HOSTNAME Environment Variable
To set the ORACLE_HOSTNAME
environment variable:
Display System in the Windows Control Panel.
In the System Properties dialog box, click Advanced.
In the Advanced tab, click Environment Variables.
In the Environment Variables dialog box, under System Variables, click New.
In the New System Variable dialog box, enter the following information:
Variable name: ORACLE_HOSTNAME
Variable value: The host name of the computer to use.
Click OK, then in the Environment Variables dialog box, click OK.
Click OK in the Environment Variables dialog box, then in the System Properties dialog box, click OK.
A computer with multiple aliases is registered with the naming service under a single IP address but with multiple aliases. The naming service resolves any of those aliases to the same computer. Before installing Oracle Database Client on such a computer, set the ORACLE_HOSTNAME
environment variable to the computer whose host name you want to use.
You can install Oracle Database Client on a non-networked computer. If the computer, such as a laptop, is configured for DHCP and you plan to connect the computer to the network after the Oracle Database Client installation, perform these steps before you install Oracle Database Client on the non-networked computer.
Install a loopback adapter on the computer.
The loopback adapter and local IP address simulate a networked computer. If you connect the computer to the network, Oracle Database still uses the local IP address and host name.
See Also:
Installing a Loopback AdapterPing the computer from itself, using only the host name and using the fully qualified name, which should be in the DRIVE_LETTER:
\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
file.
For example, if you installed a loopback adapter on a computer called mycomputer
on the mydomain.com
domain, check the following:
DRIVE_LETTER:\>ping mycomputer Ping itself using just the hostname. Reply from 10.10.10.10 Returns local IP. DRIVE_LETTER:\>ping mycomputer.mydomain.com Ping using a fully qualified name. Reply from 10.10.10.10 Returns local IP.
Note:
When you ping a computer from itself, theping
command should return the local IP address (the IP address of the loopback adapter).If the ping
command fails, contact your network administrator.
Connecting the Computer to the Network after Installation
If you connect the computer to a network after installation, the Oracle Database instance on your computer can work with other instances on the network. Remember that you must have installed a loopback adapter on your computer. Your computer can use a static IP or DHCP, depending on the network to which you are connected.
When you install a loopback adapter, the loopback adapter assigns a local IP address for your computer. After the loopback adapter is installed, there are at least two network adapters on your computer: your own network adapter and the loopback adapter. To run Oracle Database Client on Windows, set the loopback adapter as the primary adapter.
You can change the bind order for the adapters without reinstalling the loopback adapter. The bind order of the adapters to the protocol indicates the order in which the adapters are used. When the loopback adapter is used first for the TCP/IP protocol, all programs that access TCP/IP first probe the loopback adapter. The local address is used for tools, such as Oracle Enterprise Manager. Any other applications that use a different Ethernet segment are routed to the network card.
A loopback adapter is required if:
You are installing on a non-networked computer and plan to connect the computer to a network after installation.
This section covers the following topics:
Checking if a Loopback Adapter Is Installed on Your Computer
Installing a Loopback Adapter on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
Installing a Microsoft KM-TEST Loopback Adapter on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
To check if a loopback adapter is installed on your computer, run the ipconfig /all
command:
DRIVE_LETTER:\>ipconfig /all
Note:
Loopback Adapter installed on the computer should be made the Primary Network Adapter.If there is a loopback adapter installed, you would see a section that lists the values for the loopback adapter. For example:
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Loopback Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-4C-4F-4F-50 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.10.10.10 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
To install a loopback adapter on Windows Server 2008:
Open the Windows Control Panel.
Double-click Add Hardware to start the Add Hardware wizard.
In the Welcome window, click Next.
In the The wizard can help you install other hardware window, select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list, and click Next.
From the list of hardware types, select the type of hardware you are installing window, select Network adapters, and click Next.
In the Select Network Adapter window, make the following selections:
Manufacturer: Select Microsoft.
Network Adapter: Select Microsoft Loopback Adapter.
Click Next.
In the The wizard is ready to install your hardware window, click Next.
In the Completing the Add Hardware Wizard window, click Finish.
If you are using Windows Server 2008, restart your computer.
Right-click My Network Places on the desktop and choose Properties. If you are using Windows Server 2008, then click Manage Network Connections. This displays the Network Connections Control Panel item.
Right-click the connection that was just created. This is usually named "Local Area Connection 2". Choose Properties.
On the General tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and click Properties.
In the Properties dialog box, click Use the following IP address and do the following:
IP Address: Enter a non-routable IP for the loopback adapter. Oracle recommends the following non-routable addresses:
192.168.
x
.x
(x
is any value between 0 and 255)
10.10.10.10
Subnet mask: Enter 255.255.255.0
.
Save the values you entered, which you need later in this procedure.
Leave all other fields empty.
Click OK.
Click Close.
Close Network Connections.
Restart the computer.
Add a line to the DRIVE_LETTER
:\ WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
file with the following format, after the localhost
line:
IP_address hostname.domainname hostname
where:
IP_address
is the non-routable IP address you entered in step 16.
hostname
is the name of the computer.
domainname
is the name of the domain.
For example:
10.10.10.10 mycomputer.mydomain.com mycomputer
Check the network configuration:
Note:
Domain name is optional.Open System in the Control Panel, and select the Computer Name tab. In Windows Server 2008, the Computer Name tab is not available. In Full computer name, make sure you see the host name and the domain name, for example, sales.us.example.com
.
Click Change. In Computer name, you should see the host name, and in Full computer name, you should see the host name and domain name. Using the previous example, the host name would be sales
and the domain would be us.example.com
.
Click More. In Primary DNS suffix of this computer, you should see the domain name, for example, us.example.com
.
To install a loopback adapter on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2:
Click Start and enter hdwwiz
in the Search box.
Click hdwwiz to start the Add Hardware wizard.
Go to step 3 of the previous section. The remaining steps are the same as given for Windows Server 2008.
To install a loopback adapter on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012:
Complete steps 1-5 of section "Installing a Loopback Adapter on Windows Server 2008".
In the Select Network Adapter window, make the following selections:
Manufacturer: Select Microsoft.
Network Adapter: Select Microsoft KM-TEST Loopback Adapter.
Then continue with the same steps as given for Windows Server 2008.
To remove a loopback adapter:
Display System in the Windows Control Panel.
In the Hardware tab, click Device Manager. This tab is not available with Windows Server 2008. Click Device Manager instead.
In the Device Manager window, expand Network adapters. You should see Microsoft Loopback Adapter.
Right-click Microsoft Loopback Adapter and select Uninstall.
In Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, right-click Microsoft KM-TEST Loopback Adapter and select Uninstall.
Click OK.
Restart the computer.
Remove the line from the DRIVE_LETTER:
\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
file, added after the localhost line while installing the loopback adapter on other Windows operating systems.
The platform-specific hardware and software requirements included in this installation guide were current at the time this guide was published. However, because new platforms and operating system software versions might be certified after this guide is published, review the certification matrix on the My Oracle Support website for the most up-to-date list of certified hardware platforms and operating system versions. This website also provides compatible client and database versions, patches, and workaround information for bugs. The My Oracle Support website is available at the following URL:
You must register online before using My Oracle Support. After logging in, from the menu options, select the Certifications tab. On the Certifications page, use the Certification Search options to search by Product, Release, and Platform. You can also search using the Certification Quick Links options such as Product Delivery, and Lifetime Support.
The following sections list the certification information:
On Windows, Oracle supports installing, configuring, and running Oracle Database Client through Remote Desktop Services, formerly known as Terminal Services. To install Oracle Database Client, Oracle recommends that you start all configuration tools from the Terminal Server console session of the server (using mstsc/console
).
Platform-specific support information is as follows:
Windows client operating systems: The Remote Desktop is only available in Single User Mode.
Windows server operating systems: You can have multiple Remote Desktop sessions.
See Also:
The Microsoft website for more information about Remote Desktop Services
The My Oracle Support website for the latest Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Services certification information
You can use Oracle SQL Developer to view metadata and data of several non-Oracle databases. Refer to "Database Certification for SQL Developer (Oracle and Third-Party)" in Oracle SQL Developer Installation Guide for more information.
Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), the 64-bit client software does not contain any 32-bit client binaries. If you require 32-bit client binaries on 64-bit platforms, then install the 32-bit binaries from the respective 32-bit client software.
However, when you install the 32-bit client binaries on 64-bit platforms, the installer checks for the existence of 32-bit software.
See Also:
My Oracle Support notes 1243374.1 and 781432.1 if you intend to install both 32-bit and 64-bit Oracle Database Client software on the same system:The prerequisite checks during Oracle Database Client installation require that the system drive on your computer has default share configured on it. Use the net use
command to verify, for example:
C:\>net use\\hostname\c$
The command completed successfully.
Ensure that the current user, the user in the Administrator group, has all the privileges on the default share.
Web browsers are required to use Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express and Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control. Web browsers must support Java Script, and the HTML 4.0 and CSS 1.0 standards. For a list of browsers that meet these requirements, see the Oracle Enterprise Manager certification matrix on My Oracle Support:
See Also:
Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Basic Installation Guide for information on accessing the Oracle Enterprise Manager certification matrix