Named vs Windows users

Question

Hi,
I have a .net 2005 windows app that uses ODP to connect to an Oracle 8i db and pull some simple data, then throw it on a grid.
If I use a connection string with a named user in Oracle ("Data Source=sss;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=moi;Password=pwdpwd;"), ODP persists the connection for the lifetime of my session and allows me to pick it up the next time I come through the door. All good to here.
If, however, I pass my windows credentials to the database ("Data Source=sss;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=/;"), ODP will not persist the connection; the connection closes automatically such that I have to create a new connection each time through the door.
The code being executed is the same;only the connection string changes.
Private oc As OracleConnection
Public Function GetClients(ByVal conn As String) As DataTable
oc = New OracleConnection
oc.ConnectionString = conn
Dim comm As New OracleCommand
With comm
.CommandType = CommandType.Text
.CommandText = "select * from myCLIENTS"
.Connection = oc
End With
Dim ad As New OracleDataAdapter(comm)
Dim dt As New DataTable("CLIENTS")
ad.Fill(dt)
Return dt
End Function
So the question is: Is this an ODP thing or an Oracle thing? Why would a named user's connection persist, but not a windows authenticated user? And secondly, have you any idea how I can configure things such that a connection made by a Windows user is the same as that made by a named user?

Answer 1

Hi,
It's not in the docs, but it's in the readme.txt under "TIPS, LIMITATIONS AND KNOWN ISSUES"
7. OS Authenticated connections are not pooled by ODP.NET, even if pooling
is enabled.
Hope that helps,
Greg