Connections

Create and edit Oracle connections from the Connections Explorer. By default, Specify by fields builds an Easy Connect identifier from host, port, protocol and either a service name or SID. Switch to Raw connect string for an Easy Connect value such as db.example.com:1521/ORCLPDB1, a TNS alias, or a complete Oracle Net descriptor.

Network and protocol

TCP is the standard protocol; TCPS encrypts Oracle Net traffic and requires the server trust configuration or wallet to be valid. Connect timeout limits the whole attempt, transport connect timeout limits each network-address attempt, expire time controls keepalive probes in minutes, and retry count plus retry delay control reconnection attempts. Use a raw descriptor for multi-host, load-balancing, failover, proxy, or certificate-DN clauses.

Wallets and Oracle Net

Config directory contains files such as tnsnames.ora. Wallet location is the extracted wallet directory, not the ZIP file. In the default Thin driver mode it must contain a PEM wallet such as ewallet.pem; wallet password decrypts that wallet and is separate from the database password. Autonomous Database commonly uses the same directory for both fields and a TCPS service alias from tnsnames.ora.

Authentication and safeguards

External authentication omits username and password and only works when Oracle is configured for it. Administrative privileges include SYSDBA, SYSOPER, SYSASM, SYSBACKUP, SYSDG, SYSKM and SYSRAC.

Production and object protection

Production mode enables Nexo safeguards but does not alter the network session. Object locking is development-only.

Testing

Use Test Connection to validate the unsaved values.

Secret storage

Saved database and wallet passwords are kept separately from connection metadata in VS Code SecretStorage.