Secure connections

When connecting to an Oracle database over untrusted or restricted networks, it’s essential to ensure secure and reliable data transmission. Devart ODBC Driver for Oracle supports multiple secure connection methods, each suited to specific network scenarios and security requirements.

Overview of secure connection methods

Method SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) SSH (Secure Shell) HTTP Tunneling
Primary use case Direct encrypted connections with certificate-based authentication. Secure tunneling through SSH servers with comprehensive encryption. Bypassing firewalls that only allow HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
Key features
  • Server and client authentication using certificates.
  • Symmetric encryption for data transmission.
  • Support for Oracle wallets and individual certificate files.
  • Compatible with Oracle Cloud environments.
  • Built-in SSH client functionality (no separate installation required).
  • Password or key-based authentication.
  • Strong encryption with session key negotiation.
  • Data integrity verification via hashing.
  • Firewall bypass capability.
  • Proxy server compatibility.
  • Usage of standard HTTP/HTTPS protocols.
  • Support for Basic and Bearer Token authentication.
Typical scenarios
  • Standard secure database connections.
  • Oracle Cloud access.
  • Environments requiring certificate-based authentication.
  • Performance-critical production systems.
  • Connections through intermediate SSH servers.
  • Environments with existing SSH infrastructure.
  • High-security environments requiring layered encryption.
  • Corporate environments with strict firewall policies.
  • Remote access where only web traffic is allowed.
  • Connections through multiple proxy layers.
  • Temporary access in restricted networks.

Performance considerations

All secure connection methods introduce some performance overhead due to encryption and additional network layers. Consider the following when choosing a connection method:

  • SSL: Provides best performance among secure methods.
  • SSH: Introduces moderate overhead due to encryption and tunneling.
  • HTTP Tunneling: Has the highest overhead because of HTTP protocol wrapping.

For optimal performance, use direct connections when possible. If a secure connection is required, choose the most efficient option based on your specific use case.