Java Programming with Oracle JDBC

Using the Server-Side Thin Driver

With the server-side Thin driver you now have two ways to connect to another Oracle database from a Java program in an Oracle database. You can create a database link or use the server-side Thin driver. In my opinion, it’s a much better solution to use database links than to use the server-side Thin driver. With database links you get the following advantages:

• Transparent distributed transaction management

• Centralized administration of the database connection

• Centralized database security

To access another database with the Thin driver, you need to use:

• An XAConnection for distributed transaction management

• An appropriate database URL in each Java object

However, you also open the database to security compromises. For example, to access an Oracle database outside of the current database, you need to set up a SocketPermission security policy to allow your Java program to open a socket to the external database. Once that policy is created, any program can use it to open external connections. This also means that external programs can access the current database without going through its authentication system. That said, there may be times when an external connection using the Thin driver is the right solution to a problem. So let’s examine the use of the Thin driver by working through an example.

A Server-Side Thin Driver Example

Example 5-4 contains a stored procedure that makes a connection to an external database using the Thin driver. This stored procedure, ...