Use Direct Connect to connect to Oracle or SQL Server from a PC Client with Database Access 2.1c

Summary

Database Access applications function the same way, regardless of whether a user connects to an ArcSDE service or to a database instance using Direct Connect.

There is a slight difference in the connection information needed for Oracle and SQL Server.

Procedure

• Oracle Servers:
  
  For a direct connection to an Oracle instance, the Oracle Client must first be installed on your machine. This includes the installation of Oracle's Net8 software, which allows you to configure the Net Service Name needed to connect to the server. A direct connection to Oracle requires the password string contain this Net8 Service Name. (Details for Net Service install are in the ArcSDE Configuration and Tuning Guide for Oracle, located in the ...\AV_GIS\AvDocs directory after you complete your ArcView install.)
  
  EXAMPLE:
  This example uses a username of 'username' and a password of 'password' to connect to an
  Oracle Server named 'loco' for which a Net8 Service name called "loco817"
  has been defined. With these variables, ArcView SQL Query Wizard entries would be as follows:
  
  SDEServer:Instance - "loco:sde:oracle"
  Username: - "username"
  Password: - "password@loco817"
  
  The Avenue connection request syntax for the same server would be:
  SDEConnection("loco:sde:oracle","","username","password@loco817")
  
• SQL Servers:
  
  SQL servers are automatically supported by Microsoft and do not need an
  additional client installed to connect.
  
  EXAMPLE:
  This example uses a username of 'username' and a password 'password' to connect to
  an SQL Server named 'lift.' With these variables, the ArcView SQL Query Wizard entries would
  be as follows:
  
  SDEServer:Instance - ":sde:sqlserver:lift" (**NOTE the leading ":" )
  Username: - "username"
  Password: - "password"
  
  The Avenue connection request syntax for the same server would be:
  SDEConnection(":sde:sqlserver:lift","","username","password")
  
  

  Note:
  For more information on Direct Connect, please refer to the ArcSDE 
  Configuration and Tuning Guides for Oracle8i or SQL server in the
  ...\AV_GIS\AvDocs directory.