_Qdp3Kcw6.knit

This note describes how to set up a connection to Oracle Database through ODBC with Oracle’s Instant Client on Windows.

1. Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable

Oracle’s Instant Client requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. If you haven’t installed it yet, do so first. Download the installer from this link and run it. For more details, see Latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Version.

2. Install Oracle Instant Client

Visit the Oracle Instant Client Downloads for Microsoft Windows (x64) 64-bit page (registration required). Multiple driver versions are available. Choose the version certified for your Oracle Database and download the following two packages:

Basic package
ODBC package

After downloading, extract both packages into the same directory, e.g., C:/Oracle/oracle_odbc. You should see the files from both zip files in this directory.

Then, run odbc_install.exe as Administrator by right-clicking it and selecting Run as Administrator.

3. Set Environment Variables

After installing the required software, set up two environment variables that point to the Oracle Instant Client installation directory (e.g., C:/Oracle/oracle_odbc).

To set an environment variable, type “environment” into the Windows search box. You should see a result like “Edit the system environment variables”.

Click on it to open the System Properties window.

Then, click “Environment Variables…”.

3.1 Update PATH Environment Variable

In the User variables pane (upper section), select PATH and click Edit…. In the dialog that appears, click New and enter the Oracle Instant Client installation directory path.

3.2 Add TNS_ADMIN Environment Variable

In the System variables pane (lower section), click New, set TNS_ADMIN as the Variable name, and enter the Oracle Instant Client installation directory as the Variable value. Click OK to save the changes.

4. Create a Connection on Exploratory

Now, open Exploratory to set up a connection to the Oracle Database. Start Exploratory, open a project, and select Data Connection from the project menu.

Click Add to create a new connection. The following dialog will appear. Ensure that the ODBC Driver you installed appears in the ODBC Driver for Oracle dropdown. Fill in your Oracle database details to complete the setup.