How to connect to Oracle using Service Name instead of SID

I have a Java application that uses JDBC (via JPA) that was connecting to a development database using hostname, port and Oracle SID, like this:

jdbc:oracle:thin:@oracle.hostserver1.mydomain.ca:1521:XYZ

XYZ was the Oracle SID. Now I need to connect to a different Oracle database that does not use a SID, but uses an Oracle "Service Name" instead.

I tried this but it doesn't work:

jdbc:oracle:thin:@oracle.hostserver2.mydomain.ca:1522:ABCD

ABCD is the Service Name of the other database.

What am I doing wrong?

Solution 1:

http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/java.111/b31224/urls.htm#BEIDHCBA

Thin-style Service Name Syntax

Thin-style service names are supported only by the JDBC Thin driver. The syntax is:

@//host_name:port_number/service_name

For example:

jdbc:oracle:thin:scott/tiger@//myhost:1521/myservicename

So I would try:

jdbc:oracle:thin:@//oracle.hostserver2.mydomain.ca:1522/ABCD

Also, per Robert Greathouse's answer, you can also specify the TNS name in the JDBC URL as below:

jdbc:oracle:thin:@(DESCRIPTION =(ADDRESS_LIST =(ADDRESS =(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=blah.example.com)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=BLAHSID)(GLOBAL_NAME=BLAHSID.WORLD)(SERVER=DEDICATED)))

Solution 2:

So there are two easy ways to make this work. The solution posted by Bert F works fine if you don't need to supply any other special Oracle-specific connection properties. The format for that is:

jdbc:oracle:thin:@//HOSTNAME:PORT/SERVICENAME

However, if you need to supply other Oracle-specific connection properties then you need to use the long TNSNAMES style. I had to do this recently to enable Oracle shared connections (where the server does its own connection pooling). The TNS format is:

jdbc:oracle:thin:@(description=(address=(host=HOSTNAME)(protocol=tcp)(port=PORT))(connect_data=(service_name=SERVICENAME)(server=SHARED)))

If you're familiar with the Oracle TNSNAMES file format, then this should look familiar to you. If not then just Google it for the details.

Solution 3:

You can also specify the TNS name in the JDBC URL as below

jdbc:oracle:thin:@(DESCRIPTION =(ADDRESS_LIST =(ADDRESS =(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=blah.example.com)(PORT=1521)))(CONNECT_DATA=(SID=BLAHSID)(GLOBAL_NAME=BLAHSID.WORLD)(SERVER=DEDICATED)))