This system is where the Oracle Data Base is installed. The professional and self service interface connect to the application server and it is the application server that connects to the data base. Third party and external tools like Discoverer, SQL plus, SQl Loader or other report writing tools would connect to the data base directly.

There are several functions that will activate procedures in the data base that will then execute on that server, including outputting files for interface purposes. In this case, the user on t he server that is executing the Oracle data base process must have write access to the directory indicated. Unless you change the user who is running the Oracle processes using the Contol Panel Services applet, you are limited to local (on the server) directories.

With recent versions of the Oracle Data Base, it is recommended that this be further abstracted using the CREATE DIRECTORY operations.

The "owner" of the objects in the data base, also known as the schema owner, is the reserved data base user P2K. many operations, including the application of scripts to create stored procedures, tables and views and other objects required for the proper functinoing of this application.

Oracle provides some additional structures that allow a user to view the data base schema. These internal tables also allow users with the correct permissions to view internal structures, such as locks and blocked sessions, and other session information.