New .NET Features for Oracle Database

New ODP.NET Features by Release

Version 11.2.0.3.0

• ADO.NET Entity Framework and LINQ to Entities
• WCF Data Services and OData
• Implicit REF CURSOR Parameter Binding

Version 11.2.0.2.1

• 64-bit Instant Client for Windows x64: Smaller ODP.NET and xcopy installation
• TimesTen In-Memory Database Support: Faster ODP.NET performance through TimesTen access
• 64-bit .NET Framework 4 and .NET Framework 4 Client Profile support

Version 11.2.0.1.2

• 32-bit .NET Framework 4 and .NET Framework 4 Client Profile support

Version 11.2.0.1.0

• Edition-Based Redefinition: Allows upgrading the database component of an application while in use by .NET, thereby minimizing or eliminating down time
• End-to-End Tracing using ClientInfo attribute

Version 11.1.0.7.20

• Oracle Streams Advanced Queuing API: Build .NET messaging applications with Oracle's database-integrated queue
• Promotable Transactions: Promote local transactions to distributed during run time
• Application Self-Tuning: Automatically optimizes statement cache size at run time
• Faster Data Retrieval and Optimized Memory Usage
• Code Access Security: Enforce imperative and declarative Oracle security
• High Availability Event Notification and Callback: Create event handlers to respond to database status changes
• Programmatic Database Startup and Shutdown

Version 11.1.0.6.20

• 32-bit Instant Client: Smaller ODP.NET client and xcopy installation
• User-Defined Types: Map Oracle objects, collections, and REFs to .NET custom types
• ADO.NET 2.0 Bulk Copy: Upload large data sets into Oracle from .NET
• Process Database Down Events: ODP.NET automatically frees connections to a downed Data Guard instance
• Windows-Authenticated User Connection Pooling: Windows users can now use ODP.NET connection pooling
• Connection Pool Performance Counters: Monitor connections and connection pool status
• End-to-End Tracing using Action and Module attributes

Version 11.1.0.6.0

• Oracle Client Result Cache: Faster performance
• Faster data retrieval with SecureFiles and LOBs
• Improved parameter context caching for faster performance
• Row-Based Database Change Notification

Version 10.2.0.4.0

• .NET Framework 3.0 and 3.5 support
• Configuration File Support: Customize ODP.NET settings at the machine.config, web.config, or application config level

Version 10.2.0.3.02

• 64-bit ODP.NET for Windows x64
• 64-bit ODP.NET for Windows Itanium
• Local Transactions in System.Transacations
• Configure FetchSize via Windows Registry

Version 10.2.0.2.20

• Multiple active ODP.NET Oracle Homes: one active home per process
• ADO.NET 2.0 Support

• DbCommon and Factory Classes
• DataAdapter Batch Update
• Schema Discovery
• Connection String Builder
• Server Enumeration
• Distributed Transactions in System.Transactions

Version 10.2.0.1.0

• Server-side ODP.NET for .NET stored procedures
• RAC client-side connection load balancing and automatic connection cleanup
• Database Change Notification
• LOB and LONG retrieval improvements

• Faster data retrieval with no code changes needed
• InitialLOBFetchSize can be up to 2GB
• Full LOB and LONG functionality when initial fetch size is greater than zero
• (i.e. GetOracleClob and GetOracleBlob methods are enabled).

• Connection Pool Management - explicitly clear connection pool(s)
• Metadata Caching in the connection pool
• Client Identifier property for supporting application context security, such as with VPD
• Input REF Cursor parameters
• Dynamic Distributed Transaction Enlistment

Version 10.1.0.3.0

• Statement caching
• DeriveParameters - automatic population of stored procedure parameters
• Cancel long running queries
• ADO.NET 1.1 interfaces - HasRows and EnlistDistributedTransaction properties
• LOB and LONG retrieval - Entire LOB and LONG column data can be retrieved even if the select list does not contain a primary key, ROWID, or unique key

Version 10.1.0.2.0

• Grid support
• Schema-based XMLType
• BINARY_FLOAT and BINARY_DOUBLE datatypes
• Multiple Oracle Homes

Version 9.2.0.4.01

• Improved XML DB and XMLType support
• PL/SQL associative arrays
• Connection validation when retrieving from the connection pool
• InitialLOBFetchSize property to improve LOB retrieval performance

New Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio Features by Release

• Entity Designer is now supported, including a new DDL Generation Template, and new Database Generation Workflows
• Query Window is now a full fledged "code window" including features such as Intellisense and collapsible regions
• Query Window adds support for parameterized anonymous PL/SQL blocks
Version 11.2.0.1.2


• Visual Studio 2010 support

Version 11.1.0.7.20

• Oracle Performance Analyzer - Tune your application from Visual Studio
• SQL Tuning Advisor - Tune ad-hoc queries in Query Window or tune inefficient SQL in your application that is detected by Oracle Performance Analyzer
• Advanced Queuing (AQ) Designers - Create, modify, and administer your queues and queue tables
• Selection and operation on multiple Server Explorer nodes - Generate SQL scripts on any Oracle schema object or group of objects. Compile any number of stored procedures or functions at once.
• Server Explorer Collection Node Filtering - Gives you fine grained control over which Oracle schema objects are displayed
• Server Explorer Node Paging - Improves performance when there are many database objects
• User and Role designers and Users and Roles Server Explorer nodes
• Grant/Revoke Privileges Wizard support for System Privileges and Roles
• PL/SQL Compiler Settings Options page
• Table designer enhancements
• Rename schema objects in Server Explorer
• Oracle Trigger Designer enhancements

Version 11.1.0.6.20

• Integration with Server Explorer in Visual Studio 2005 and 2008
• Integration with Visual Studio 2005/2008 designers and wizards (e.g. Query Designer)
• Support for Visual Studio 2005/2008 "Data Sources" Window and automatic code generation for Windows and ASP.NET applications
• Oracle Database Project with Source Control Integration: Create SQL*Plus scripts automatically, store them in a project and check them into source control
• SQL*Plus Script Editor
• SQL*Plus Script Execution: Run any SQL*Plus script
• Support for User-Defined Types (UDTs): All user-defined types defined in the database can be viewed in the Server Explorer and Oracle Explorer tree controls. Designers have been added for Objects, VARRAYs, and Nested Table Types. .NET code can be automatically generated for User Defined Types.
• Query Window enhancements: EXPLAIN PLAN, auto-commit toggle, and shortcut keys
• Data Window Enhancements: New options page that allows the user to restrict the number of rows fetched and displayed.
• Granting and Revoking Privileges Dialog
• PL/SQL debugger: Autos window support added
• Import Table Wizard: This wizard makes it easy to move tables and their data from external data sources such as Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, and Excel spreadsheets.

New Oracle Providers for ASP.NET Features by Release

Version 11.2.0.2.1

• 64-bit Instant Client for Windows x64: Smaller provider and xcopy installation
• 64-bit ASP.NET 4 support

Version 11.2.0.1.2

• 32-bit ASP.NET 4 support

Version 11.1.0.6.20

• Membership Provider: Stores and retrieves registered user information in the Oracle database
• Role Provider: Stores and retrieves user role information in the Oracle database
• Site Map Provider: Stores and retrieves site map information in the Oracle database
• Session State Provider: Stores and retrieves session state information in the Oracle database
• Profile Provider: Stores and retrieves user profile information in the Oracle database
• Web Event Provider: Stores and retrieves ASP.NET health monitoring event information in the Oracle database
• Web Parts Personalization Provider: Stores and retrieves personalization data in the Oracle database
• Cache Dependency Provider: Automatically invalidates ASP.NET cached data based on changes made to the base data in the Oracle database