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Oracle® Database Installation Guide 10g Release 2 (10.2) for Microsoft Windows (32-Bit) Part Number B14316-01 |
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# What's New in Oracle Database for Windows?

This chapter describes new and deprecated features of Oracle Database 10g release 2 (10.2) for Windows and provides pointers to additional information. It also retains new and deprecated features information from previous releases to help those users migrating to the current release.

The following sections describe the new features in Oracle Database:

- Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) New Features for Windows

- Oracle Data Provider for .NET New Features for Release 10.1.0.3

- Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) Deprecated Components

- Oracle Database 10g Release 1 (10.1) New Features for Windows

- Oracle Database 10g Release 1 (10.1) Deprecated Components

See Also: Oracle Database New Features for the list of new features, options, and enhancements of Oracle Database The README file at the root level of the documentation media for more information about the Oracle Documentation Library

## Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) New Features for Windows

This section contains these topics:

- Oracle Data Provider for .NET

- Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

- Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server

- Oracle Cluster Ready Services (CRS) Name and Functionality Change

### Oracle Data Provider for .NET

Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) 10g release 2 (10.2) has the following enhancements:

- Support for Application Context Client Identifier

  This feature exposes the `OracleConnection.ClientId` property, which provides support for Oracle Virtual Private Database (VPD) and application context. Client identifier simplifies the Virtual Private Database configuration tasks.

- Support for ActiveX Data Objects .NET (ADO.NET)

  Oracle Data Provider for .NET now can take advantage of the .NET Framework 1.1 ActiveX Data Objects .NET (ADO.NET) functionality.

- Enhanced Connection Pool Administration

  This feature provides a way for applications to clear connections in one pool or all pools in an application domain. It can refresh the connections and clear the pool of any invalid connections. It also allows applications to destroy the pool all together.

- Database Change Notification

  Database Change Notification allows applications to receive notifications whenever there has been a change in a query result set, schema objects, or the state of the database. This allows your applications to maintain the validity of the database cache (for example, Oracle Data Provider for .NET middle-tier cache, the ADO.NET DataSet) easily.

- Optimization of Connection Pooling in an Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) and Grid Environments

  The following new connection-related features are available with Oracle Data Provider for .NET:

  - The Oracle Data Provider for .NET connection pool subscribes to notifications that indicate whether nodes and services are available or unavailable. Based on these notifications, the Oracle Data Provider for .NET connection pool now can free idle connections that were connected to bad nodes and create new connections to healthy ones.

  - The Oracle Data Provider for .NET connection pool subscribes to notifications that describe how connections are to be divided for a service between different instances based on percentages. Connections now can be dispensed or removed from the connection pool based on this percentage service level.

- Support for IN and IN/OUT REF Cursors

  This feature enables Oracle Data Provider for .NET applications to retrieve `REF` CURSOR objects from a PL/SQL stored procedure or function and pass them to another stored procedure or function.

- LOB Performance Enhancements

  Oracle Data Provider for .NET now has the following enhancements for LOB performance:

  - Oracle Data Provider for .NET accommodates your needs more easily when you need to decide whether to fetch LOB column data immediately or later. The performance for the worst-case scenario have been increased tremendously.

  - `OracleDataReader` methods `GetOracleBlob` and `GetOracleClob` are now supported irrespective of the value in `InitialLOBFetchSize`. Therefore, an application no longer has to choose between performance and OracleBlob and OracleClob functionality.

  - You now can set `InitialLOBFetchSize` up to 2 GB.

See Also: Oracle Data Provider for .NET Developer's Guide

### Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

Oracle Database Extensions for .NET provides the following new functionality:

- A Common Language Runtime (CLR) host for Oracle Database

- Data access through server-side Oracle Data Provider for .NET classes

- A deployment wizard integrated with Visual Studio .NET

- Server-side Oracle Data Provider for .NET

  Server-side Oracle Data Provider for .NET provides data access from .NET stored procedures and functions. Such procedures and functions are enabled by Oracle Database Extensions for .NET, a new feature included with Oracle Database on Windows.

Oracle Database hosts the Microsoft Common Language Runtime (CLR) in an external process, outside of the Oracle database process, but on the same computer. With the integration of Oracle Database with the Microsoft Common Language Runtime (CLR), applications can run .NET stored procedures on Oracle Database running under Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Windows XP.

See Also: Oracle Data Provider for .NET Developer's Guide Oracle Database Extensions for .NET Developer's Guide Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference

### Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server

Distributed Transactions in an Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) environment detect failures and start the failover and failback processes automatically.

See Also: Oracle Database Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server Developer's Guide

### Oracle Cluster Ready Services (CRS) Name and Functionality Change

Starting with this release, Oracle Cluster Ready Services has the following changes:

- Its new name is Oracle Clusterware.

- You can install and use Oracle Clusterware without having to install Oracle Real Application Clusters. At least one server in the cluster must be licensed for Oracle Database 10g.

## Oracle Data Provider for .NET New Features for Release 10.1.0.3

New Oracle Data Provider for .NET release 10.1.0.3 features are as follows:

### Command Cancellation

The following two new features enhance command cancellation:

- `CommandTimeout` cancels the execution of a command when a specified amount of time elapses after the command executes.

- The `Cancel` method can be called explicitly by the application to terminate the execution of a command.

### Statement Caching

This feature provides and manages a cache of PL/SQL statements for each session. In the server, it means that cursors are ready to be used without the need to parse the statement again during that session. You can use statement caching with connection pooling to improve performance and scalability.

### DerivedParameters Method

This method populates the parameter collection for the `OracleCommand` that represents a stored procedure or function by querying the database for the parameter information.

### Support for .NET 1.1 Enhancements

These enhancements expose new ADO.NET functionality that was introduced in Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1.

See Also: Oracle Data Provider for .NET Developer's Guide

## Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) Deprecated Components

The following Oracle Database 10g release 2 (10.2) components that were part of Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1) are not available for installation with Oracle Database 10g release 2 (10.2):

- Legato Single Server Version (LSSV) (instead, use Oracle Database Recovery Manager (RMAN)

- Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) component of Oracle Advanced Security

- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 compiler

## Oracle Database 10g Release 1 (10.1) New Features for Windows

This section contains these topics:

- Automatic Storage Management

- Database Password Encryption

- Data Pump Import and Data Pump Export

- Instant Client

- Large Page Support

- Oracle Data Provider for .NET

- Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

- Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server

- Oracle Objects for OLE

- Oracle Provider for OLE DB

- Oracle Scheduler

- Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server

- Renamed Components

### Automatic Storage Management

Automatic Storage Management enables creation of a single disk group from a collection of individual disk devices.

See Also: Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information on Automatic Storage Management

### Database Password Encryption

When a user attempts a remote login to an Oracle Database 10g release 2 (10.2) database, the password is automatically encrypted before it is sent to the remote database.

See Also: "Administering a Database on Windows" in Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft Windows (32-Bit)

### Data Pump Import and Data Pump Export

Two new utilities, Data Pump Import and Data Pump Export, offer faster transfer of files to and from Oracle databases. The previous file transfer utilities, Import and Export, are retained for use with Oracle databases created with earlier versions of Oracle software.

See Also: "Database Tools on Windows" in Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft Windows (32-Bit)

### Instant Client

The Instant Client feature of Oracle Call Interface (OCI) simplifies OCI installation. The activation of Instant Client mode is only dependent on the ability to load the Instant Client data shared library. It requires only two dynamic link libraries to be loaded by the dynamic loader of the operating system.

See Also: OCI Instant Client" in Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide Oracle Database Client Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows (32-Bit)

### Large Page Support

Large page support provides a performance boost for memory-intensive database instances running on Windows Server 2003. By taking advantage of newly introduced operating system support, Oracle Database now can make more efficient use of processor memory addressing resources.

See Also: "Large Page Support for 64-Bit Windows" in Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft Windows (32-Bit)

### Oracle Data Provider for .NET

Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) 10g release 2 (10.2) includes the following new features:

- Support for Oracle grids

  Oracle Data Provider for .NET is grid-enabled, allowing developers to take advantage of Oracle database grid support without having to make changes to their application code.

- Support for new datatypes in the database

  Oracle Data Provider for .NET supports the new database native types `BINARY_FLOAT` and `BINARY_DOUBLE`.

- Support for multiple Oracle homes

  You can install Oracle Data Provider for .NET in multiple Oracle homes. In order to make multiple homes available, some of the Oracle Data Provider for .NET files include a version number, and the use of a `HOME` `ID` is required.

- Support for schema-based `XMLType` in the database

  Oracle Data Provider for .NET supports the native schema-based `XMLType`.

See Also: Oracle Data Provider for .NET Developer's Guide

### Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Control

Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Control is installed in the same Oracle home as the database and supports standalone Oracle Containers for Java (OC4J) instances.

See Also: "Logging into Enterprise Manager Database Control" Oracle Database 2 Day DBA for details on Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Control

### Oracle Home Selector

Oracle Home Selector is no longer available from the Start menu. Instead, use Oracle Universal Installer, which has functionality similar to Oracle Home Selector.

### Oracle Objects for OLE

Oracle Objects for OLE (OO4O) 10g release 2 (10.2) has the following new and updated features:

- Support for Oracle grids

  Oracle Objects for OLE is grid-enabled, allowing developers to take advantage of Oracle database grid support without having to make changes to their application code.

- Support for new datatypes

  Oracle Objects for OLE 10g release 2 (10.2) now provides support for the `BINARY_DOUBLE` and `BINARY_FLOAT` datatypes. You can fetch instances of these types from the database or passed them as input or output variables to SQL statements and PL/SQL blocks, including stored procedures and functions.

- Support for multiple Oracle homes

  You can install Oracle Objects for OLE in multiple Oracle homes, starting with 10g release 2 (10.2). However, being a COM component, only one instance can be active on the computer. This means that the current (latest) installation renders the previous one inactive.

  In order to make multiple homes available, you must use a `HOME` `ID`. Also, some of the Oracle Objects for OLE files include a version number.

See Also: Oracle Objects for OLE Developer's Guide

### Oracle Provider for OLE DB

Oracle Provider for OLE DB 10g release 2 (10.2) includes the following new features:

- Support for Oracle grids

  Oracle Provider for OLE DB is grid-enabled, allowing developers to take advantage of Oracle database grid support without having to make changes to their application code.

- Support for the following datatypes introduced with Oracle Database 10g release 2 (10.2):

  - `BINARY_DOUBLE`

  - `BINARY_FLOAT`

- Support for multiple Oracle homes

  You can install Oracle Provider for OLE DB in multiple Oracle homes, starting with 10g release 2 (10.2). However, being a COM component, only one instance can be active on the computer. This means that the current (latest) installation renders the previous one inactive.

  In order to make multiple homes available, some of the Oracle Provider for OLE DB files now include a version number, and the use of a `HOME` `ID` is required.

See Also: Oracle Provider for OLE DB Developer's Guide

### Oracle Scheduler

This release includes a new database scheduler, Oracle Scheduler, to provide enterprise scheduling functionality. You can use the `OracleJobScheduler` service to start external jobs. This service is disabled by default. In order to use the external jobs functionality, the administrator must set the username and password for the user account under which this service must run, and then enable the service.

See Also: "The Scheduler" in Oracle Database New Features "Overview of Scheduler Concepts" in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide "Using the Scheduler" in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide "Managing the Scheduler" in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide

### Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server

Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server supports .NET transactional applications with Oracle Data Provider for .NET through the Oracle Provider for OLE DB, and ODBC.NET through the Oracle ODBC driver.

### Renamed Components

The following components were renamed in this release:

Previous Name | New Name
--- | ---
Oracle Windows Performance Monitor | Oracle Counters for Windows Performance Monitor
Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows NT | Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows
Oracle Demos | Oracle Examples

## Oracle Database 10g Release 1 (10.1) Deprecated Components

The following Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1) components that were part of Oracle9i release 2 (9.2.0) were not available for installation with Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1):

- INTYPE File Assistant (IFA)

- Migration Utility

- Oracle Names

- Oracle Trace (use SQL Trace and TKPROF in place of Oracle Traces)

- Pro*C GUI

- Pro*COBOL 1.8.77