Generic Connectivity and Oracle Database Gateways

Oracle alternatively provides the generic connectivity agent and optional Oracle Database Gateways for connecting to non-Oracle databases such as SQL Server, Sybase, Informix, Teradata, DRDA, ODBC, and other sources. OWB can communicate with non-Oracle systems using Oracle Database Heterogeneous Services and a complementary agent if you choose this route.

The generic connectivity agent is intended for low-end data integration solutions. The transfer of data is subject to the rules of specific ODBC or OLE DB drivers installed on the client computer. In this case, you do not need to purchase a separate transparent gateway. You use the generic connectivity agent included with Oracle Database. You must still create and customize an initialization file for your generic connectivity agent.

Oracle Database Gateways provide specific connection agents, designed and optimized for other databases, which you install and configure separately as needed. For example, for a Sybase data source, you install the Sybase-specific gateway. The non-Oracle system appears as a remote Oracle Database to which you can then create a connection and import its data into Oracle. This is especially useful for database environments that do not intend to harbor data marts or data warehouses, but that need integration with a set of other data sources.