1. Client Installation Guide
  2. Installing Oracle Database Client
  3. Installation Considerations for Oracle Database Client

4.1 Installation Considerations for Oracle Database Client

The Oracle Database Client software is available on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) website. In most cases, Oracle Universal Installer provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to install the software.

However, you can also use the Oracle Universal Installer to complete silent or response file installations, without using the GUI.

Topics:

4.1.1 Installation Consideration

Review the installation consideration on Windows.

Open the command prompt with Administrator privileges.

4.1.2 Installing Oracle Database Client Installations in Silent or Response File Mode

If you need to perform multiple installations of Oracle Database Client, then you can use silent or a response file installation.

In these modes, at each computer, you run Oracle Universal Installer from the command line using a response file. The response file is a text file containing the settings you normally enter in the Oracle Universal Installer GUI dialog boxes. This method lets you quickly perform multiple installations using similar settings for each computer.

4.1.3 Creating the Oracle Base Directory

If you install Oracle Database Client on a computer with no other Oracle software installed, Oracle Universal Installer creates an Oracle base directory for you.

If Oracle software is already installed, one or more Oracle base directories already exist. In the latter case, Oracle Universal Installer offers you a choice of Oracle Base directories into which you can install Oracle Database Client.

You are not required to create an Oracle base directory before installation, but you can do so if you want. If a Windows User Account is used as the Oracle Home User, it can only share an Oracle base with other Oracle homes with the same Windows user account. If Windows Built-in Account is specified as the Oracle Home User, it can only share an Oracle base with other client Oracle homes using a Windows Built-in Account.

Oracle Database Client 12c Release 2 (12.2) cannot share an Oracle base with Oracle homes from earlier database versions, such as Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2) and earlier.

Note:

You can choose to create a new Oracle base directory, even if other Oracle base directories exist on the system.

4.1.4 Installing Oracle Database Client into Multiple Oracle Homes

You can install all Oracle components in multiple Oracle homes on the same computer.

However, some components can only support one active instance at a time. This means that the current (latest) installation renders the previous one inactive. These components are:

  • Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows

  • Oracle Provider for OLE DB

4.1.5 Installing Oracle Database Client on a System with an Existing Oracle Software

Oracle Database Client can be installed in the same Oracle Database home if both products are at the same release level.

For example, you can install Oracle Database Client 12.2.0.1 into an existing Oracle Database 12.2.0.1 home. If you apply a patch set before installing the client, then you must apply the patch set again.

If you perform the installation on a separate Oracle home directory, then you can install this release more than once on the same system.