You will learn how to connect to a local Oracle database(your database on your windows machine) using the SQL Developer or Oracle Client.

Before making a connection:

• The Oracle 11g R2 software, oracle client should already be installed on your windows machine.
• You should have already downloaded and installed the Oracle SQl developer client.
• You should have already created a database.
• You should know the database name (SID and Global Database Identifier) of the default database. This name should be ORCL unless you have changed it during the installation process.
• You must also know the administrative password for the default database.You specified this password during the installation process. If you do not know the password, you will not be able to connect to your default database.

Connecting locally means running SQL Command Line (or any other Oracle command-line utility) on the same host computer where Oracle Database 11gR2 is installed (and in your case, it will be your windows machine) and then initiating a database connection from SQL Command Line.

To connect locally, you must supply only a database user name and password.

About Remote Connections

Connecting remotely means running SQL Command Line (or any other Oracle command-line utility) on a computer other than the Oracle Database 11g R2 host computer, and then initiating a database connection from SQL Command Line (or other utility) over the network.

Oracle Client Software

The remote computer must have Oracle client software installed. It is through Oracle client software that Oracle command-line utilities (and your applications) connect to the database.

All Oracle client software includes Oracle Net, which is the Oracle network software that enables client applications on one computer to connect to databases on another computer over a network.

Connecting Locally with SQL Command Line

Connecting locally means running SQL Command Line (SQL*Plus) and Oracle Database 11gR2 on the same computer.