From: cattorayye@yahoo.com   
      
   Dear all,   
   We use TCP/IP for our Oracle networking to the database server but I see   
   2 formats for specifying the definition of a connection string of a   
   database in tnsnames.ora.   
      
   format 1:   
   testdb =   
   (DESCRIPTION =   
   (ADDRESS_LIST =   
   (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = myhost)(PORT = 1521))   
   )   
   (CONNECT_DATA =   
   (SERVER = DEDICATED)   
   (SERVICE_NAME = testdb)   
   )   
   )   
      
   format 2:   
   testdb =   
   (DESCRIPTION =   
   (ADDRESS_LIST =   
   (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(Host = myhost)(Port = 1521))   
   )   
   (CONNECT_DATA =   
   (SID = test)   
   (GLOBAL_NAME = testdb.mydomain)   
   )   
   )   
      
   What is the difference between these 2 formats, is one for a certain   
   Oracle DB version and the other for another version for example? I mean   
   when to use which format or are both of them interchangable?   
      
   Many thanks for the replies,   
   Miori   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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