Oracle

Learn how to add Oracle as a datasource in StrongDM.

Overview

This guide outlines the configuration steps for adding an Oracle database as a datasource as a datasource in StrongDM.

When the resource is added, StrongDM proxies client connections through a node (gateway, relay, or proxy cluster). This enables centralized access control, credential management, and audit logging. StrongDM supports Oracle 19c, 21c, and 23ai servers, using modern authentication protocols and JDBC/OCI clients.

Use this guide to complete all necessary preparations for adding Oracle as a resource to your StrongDM environment; input the correct properties in the Admin UI, CLI, SDKs, or Terraform provider; and test for a successful connection. After completing this setup, users can follow the steps in the Oracle User Guide guide to connect to your Oracle database.

For general information about how to add a database as a resource in StrongDM, see our main guide, Add a Datasource.

Supported Versions and Clients

StrongDM broadly supports a variety of clients for use with Oracle databases. Our automated tests check the following tools against Oracle 19c, 21c, and 23ai servers configured without legacy authentication modes before version 12.

Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) tools

Most of the following tools are Java-based apps and cross-platform tools that use the JDBC API for database access. They tend to use the JDBC Thin Driver (ojdbcX.jar) with no Oracle Client required.

Tool	Versions Supported With Oracle 19c, 21c	NNE Support
Thin Driver	JDBC Versions with JDK 17 23.6.0.24.10 - 23.8.0.25.04 JDBC Versions with JDK 11 21.1.0.0 23.2.0.0 - 23.8.0.25.04 JDBC Versions with JDK 10 19.3.0.0, 19.16.0.0 JDBC Versions with JDK 8 12.2.0.1 18.3.0.0, 18.15.0.0 19.3.0.0 21.1.0.0, 21.7.0.0 23.2.0.0 - 23.8.0.25.04	Yes
DBeaver	JDBC Versions with JDK 11 21.1.0.0 23.2.0.0 - 23.8.0.25.04	Yes
SQL Developer	SQL Developer 23.1.1 with JDK 11 SQL Developer 24.3.1 with JDK 17	Yes

Oracle Call Interface (OCI) tools

The below tools use OCI, a native C API provided by Oracle. These tools are often OS-specific, and are typically used by Database Administrators (DBAs) or power users. They require the Oracle Client (Instant or Full) to be installed, which provides the OCI libraries used by the tools.

Tool	Versions Supported With Oracle 19c, 21c	NNE Support
SQL Plus	Windows 21.18.0.0.0 23.8.0.25.04 macOS 19.8.0.0.0 19.16.0.0.0 23.3.0.23.09 Linux 19.27.0.0.0 21.18 23.7.0.25.01 23.8.0.25.04	Yes
Toad for Oracle	2025 R1 macOS and Windows 2025 R2 macOS and Windows	No

Toad for Oracle is supported only using the native Toad client. The Connect using Oracle Client checkbox must be unchecked.

Oracle RAC Support

StrongDM's Oracle and Oracle (NNE) resource types do support Real Application Clusters (RAC). Oracle RAC requires nodes to be on SDM CLI version 50.50.0 or later. The same Oracle versions, clients, and versions of those clients are supported for RAC as for non-RAC. When configuring a StrongDM resource for an Oracle RAC database, the Hostname of the resource should be configured to the Single Client Access Name (SCAN) DNS hostname of the cluster, which must be resolvable from the StrongDM nodes (workers, gateways, or relays) that will be used to access the database.

Oracle NNE

For the Oracle (NNE) resource type, StrongDM supports the following encryption algorithms, checksum algorithims, and Oracle DB versions. Specific configuration options are presented in the Resource Properties section under the Oracle (NNE) tab. Other than those configuration options and the notes in this section about supported encryption and checksum algorithms, configuration and usage is the same for Oracle (NNE) as for the Oracle resource type.

Supported encryption algorithms

• AES-128

• AES-192

• AES-256

• DES

• RC4_40

• RC4_128

• RC4_256

Supported checksum algorithms

• SHA-256

• SHA-384

• SHA-512

Prerequisites

To add your resource in StrongDM, you need to meet several technical and configuration prerequisites. Please ensure that the following requirements are met.

In StrongDM, you must have the following:

• Administrator permission level

• At least one operational StrongDM node (gateway, relay, or proxy cluster) that can reach the Oracle database hostname and port (1521 or custom)

• If using secrets management tools for storing your database credentials, a Secret Store configured in StrongDM

To verify that the resource is accessible by the node, log in to the gateway or relay and use Netcat: nc -zv <HOSTNAME> <PORT> (in this example, nc -zv testdb-01.fancy.org 3306). If your gateway server can connect to this hostname, proceed.

Netcat is a tool for checking various hostnames and ports by either sending data (a ping) or checking for listeners on the ports. The command in the aforementioned example use "-z" to check for listeners without sending data and "-v" to show verbose output. If you don't have Netcat, you can install the Netcat package with whatever package manager you are using, such as "apt-get install netcat".

On the Oracle side, you must have the following:

• Oracle instance (19c, 21c, 23ai, or supported version) running and accepting TCP connections on the configured port, without deprecated/legacy auth modes disabled by default

• User with required privileges (for example connect, read, etc.) in Oracle, using a supported authentication mode

• Network/firewall settings that allow the StrongDM node to reach the Oracle host and port

Resource Management in StrongDM

After all prerequisites and prep work is done, you are ready to add the resource to StrongDM. This section provides instructions for adding the resource in either the StrongDM Admin UI, CLI, Terraform provider, or SDKs.

Admin UI

Set up and Manage With the Admin UI

If using the Admin UI to add Oracle as a resource to StrongDM, use the following steps.

1. Log in to the StrongDM Admin UI.

2. Go to Resources > Datasources.

3. Click Add datasource.

4. For Datasource Type, select Oracle or Oracle (NNE).

5. Complete all required configuration properties for your selected datasource type.

6. Click Create to save the resource.

7. Click the resource name to view status, diagnostic information, and setting details.

CLI

Set up and Manage With the CLI

This section provides an example of how to add the resource using the StrongDM CLI. For more information and examples, please see the CLI Reference documentation.

# Add Oracle datasource
sdm admin datasources add oracle oracle-prod
  --hostname="oracle-db.example.com"
  --port=1521
  --database="ORCL"
  --username="oracle_user"
  --password="secret"
  --bind-interface="127.0.0.1"
  --egress-filter="tag:env=production"
  --port-override="15220"
  --proxy-cluster-id="n-1a2b345c67890123"
  --secret-store-id="se-e1b2"
  --subdomain="oracle-prod"
  --tags="env=production,team=dbadmin"
  --tls-required

# Add Oracle (NNE) datasource
sdm admin datasources add oraclenne orcl-nne-prod
  --hostname="oracle-prod.example.org"
  --port=1521
  --service-name="ORCL"
  --username="sdm_user"
  --password="secret"
  --bind-interface="127.0.0.1"
  --egress-filter="tag:env=prod"
  --port-override="15432"
  --proxy-cluster-id="n-1a2b345c67890123"
  --secret-store-id="se-e1b2"
  --subdomain="orcl-nne-prod"
  --tags="env=production,team=dba"
  --timeout="30s"

Terraform

Set up and Manage With Terraform

This section provides an example of how to configure and manage the resource using the Terraform provider. For more information and examples, please see the Terraform provider documentation.

# Install StrongDM provider
terraform {
  required_providers {
    sdm = {
      source  = "strongdm/sdm"
      version = "5.1.0"
    }
  }
}

# Configure StrongDM provider
provider "sdm" {
  # Add API access key and secret key from Admin UI
  api_access_key = "njjSn...5hM"
  api_secret_key = "ziG...="
}

# Create Oracle resource
resource "sdm_oracle" "oracle_prod" {
  name             = "oracle-prod"
  hostname         = "oracle-db.example.com"
  port             = 1521
  database         = "ORCL"
  username         = "oracle_user"
  password         = "secret"

  bind_interface   = "127.0.0.1"
  egress_filter    = "tag:env=production"
  port_override    = 15220
  proxy_cluster_id = "n-1a2b345c67890123"

  secret_store_id  = "se-e1b2"
  subdomain        = "oracle-prod"
  tags = {
    env  = "production"
    team = "dbadmin"
  }

  tls_required     = true
}

# Create Oracle (NNE) resource
resource "sdm_oraclenne" "orcl_nne_prod" {
  name             = "orcl-nne-prod"
  hostname         = "oracle-prod.example.org"
  port             = 1521
  service_name     = "ORCL"

  username         = "sdm_user"
  password         = "secret"

  # Networking / node routing
  bind_interface   = "127.0.0.1"
  egress_filter    = "tag:env=prod"
  port_override    = 15432
  proxy_cluster_id = "n-1a2b345c67890123"

  # Secrets / metadata
  secret_store_id  = "se-e1b2"
  subdomain        = "orcl-nne-prod"
  tags = {
    env  = "production"
    team = "dba"
  }
}

SDKs

Set up and manage with SDKs

In addition to the Admin UI, CLI, and Terraform, you may configure and manage your resource with any of the following SDK options: Go, Java, Python, and Ruby. Please see the following references for more information and examples.

Language	Reference	GitHub	Examples
Go	pkg.go.dev	strongdm-sdk-go	Go SDK Examples
Java	javadoc	strongdm-sdk-java	Java SDK Examples
Python	pdocs	strongdm-sdk-python	Python SDK Examples
Ruby	RubyDoc	strongdm-sdk-ruby	Ruby SDK Examples

Configuration Properties

The following configuration properties are required to define a Oracle datasource in StrongDM. These settings control how StrongDM connects to the database, authenticates the connection, and optionally uses encryption or secret management. Each property must be correctly configured to ensure connectivity and access enforcement through StrongDM.

Oracle

Property	Requirement	Description
Display Name	Required	Meaningful name to display the resource throughout StrongDM; exclude special characters like quotes (") or angle brackets (< or >)
Datasource Type	Required	Oracle
Proxy Cluster	Required	Defaults to "None (use gateways)"; if using proxy clusters, select the appropriate cluster to proxy traffic to this resource
Hostname	Required	Hostname for your Oracle database resource; must be accessible to a gateway or relay
Port	Required	Port to use when connecting to your Oracle database; default port value is 1521; if TLS is required, port 2484 is typically used instead
Connectivity Mode	Required	Select either Virtual Networking Mode, which lets users connect to the resource with a software-defined, IP-based network; or Loopback Mode, which allows users to connect to the resource using the local loopback adapter in their operating system; this field is shown if Virtual Networking Mode enabled for your organization
IP Address	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, an IP address value in the configured Virtual Networking Mode subnet in the organization network settings; if Loopback Mode is the selected connectivity mode, an IP address value in the configured Loopback IP range in the organization network settings (by default, 127.0.0.1); if not specified, an available IP address in the configured IP address space for the selected connectivity mode will be automatically assigned; this field is shown if Virtual Networking Mode and/or multi-loopback mode is enabled for your organization
Port Override	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a port value between 1 and 65535 that is not already in use by another resource with the same IP address; if Loopback Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a port value between 1024 to 64999 that is not already in use by another resource with the same IP address; when left empty with Virtual Networking Mode, the system assigns the default port to this resource; when left empty for Loopback Mode, an available port that is not already in use by another resource is assigned; preferred port also can be modified later from the Port Overrides settings
DNS	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a unique hostname alias for this resource; when set, causes the desktop app to display this resource's human-readable DNS name (for example, k8s.my-organization-name) instead of the bind address that includes IP address and port (for example, 100.64.100.100:5432)
Service Name	Required	Oracle service name (for example, ORCL) to connect to using this datasource
Secret Store	Optional	Credential store location with the default set to Strong Vault; learn more about Secret Store options
Username	Required	Username to utilize when connecting to this datasource; displays when Secret Store integration is not configured for your organization or when StrongDM serves as the Secret Store type
Password	Required	Password for the user connecting to this datasource; displays when Secret Store integration is not configured for your organization or when StrongDM serves as the Secret Store type
Username (path)	Required	Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-StrongDM Secret Store type
Password (path)	Required	Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-StrongDM Secret Store type
TLS Required	Optional	Indicator to require StrongDM to use TLS to connect to the database
Resource Tags	Optional	Datasource Tags consisting of key-value pairs <KEY>=<VALUE> (for example, env=dev)

Oracle (NNE)

Property	Requirement	Description
Display Name	Required	Meaningful name to display the resource throughout StrongDM; exclude special characters like quotes (") or angle brackets (< or >)
Datasource Type	Required	Oracle (NNE)
Proxy Cluster	Required	Defaults to "None (use gateways)"; if using proxy clusters, select the appropriate cluster to proxy traffic to this resource
Hostname	Required	Hostname for your Oracle database resource; must be accessible to a gateway or relay
Port	Required	Port to use when connecting to your Oracle database; default port value is 1521; if TLS is required, port 2484 is typically used instead
Connectivity Mode	Required	Select either Virtual Networking Mode, which lets users connect to the resource with a software-defined, IP-based network; or Loopback Mode, which allows users to connect to the resource using the local loopback adapter in their operating system; this field is shown if Virtual Networking Mode and/or multi-loopback mode is enabled for your organization
IP Address	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, an IP address value in the configured Virtual Networking Mode subnet in the organization network settings; if Loopback Mode is the selected connectivity mode, an IP address value in the configured Loopback IP range in the organization network settings (by default, 127.0.0.1); if not specified, an available IP address in the configured IP address space for the selected connectivity mode will be automatically assigned; this field is shown if Virtual Networking Mode and/or multi-loopback mode is enabled for your organization
Port Override	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a port value between 1 and 65535 that is not already in use by another resource with the same IP address; if Loopback Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a port value between 1024 to 64999 that is not already in use by another resource with the same IP address; when left empty with Virtual Networking Mode, the system assigns the default port to this resource; when left empty for Loopback Mode, an available port that is not already in use by another resource is assigned; preferred port also can be modified later from the Port Overrides settings
DNS	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a unique hostname alias for this resource; when set, causes the desktop app to display this resource's human-readable DNS name (for example, k8s.my-organization-name) instead of the bind address that includes IP address and port (for example, 100.64.100.100:5432)
Service Name	Required	Oracle service name (for example, ORCL) to connect to using this datasource
Secret Store	Optional	Credential store location with the default set to Strong Vault; learn more about Secret Store options
Username	Required	Username to utilize when connecting to this datasource; displays when Secret Store integration is not configured for your organization or when StrongDM serves as the Secret Store type
Password	Required	Password for the user connecting to this datasource; displays when Secret Store integration is not configured for your organization or when StrongDM serves as the Secret Store type
Username (path)	Required	Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-StrongDM Secret Store type
Password (path)	Required	Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-StrongDM Secret Store type
TLS Required	Optional	Indicator to require StrongDM to use TLS to connect to the database
Resource Tags	Optional	Datasource Tags consisting of key-value pairs <KEY>=<VALUE> (for example, env=dev)

TLS version 1.2 or later with a strong cipher, such as TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384, is recommended. Insecure cipher suites, such as SSL_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA, are not supported.

Secret Store options

By default, datasource credentials are stored in StrongDM. However, these credentials can also be saved in a secrets management tool.

Non-StrongDM options appear in the Secret Store dropdown if they are created under Network > Secret Stores. When you select another Secret Store type, its unique properties display. For more details, see Configure Secret Store Integrations.

Resource status

After a resource is created, the Admin UI displays that resource as unhealthy until the healthchecks run successfully. When the resource is ready, the Health icon indicates a positive, green status.

When the resource does not display a positive status, click the resource name to go to the Diagnostics tab and check for errors.

Test the Connection

After you have added your resource in StrongDM, follow these steps to verify that it’s working correctly.

1. Assign yourself access by ensuring that your user or role has access to the resource. In the StrongDM Admin UI, go to Access > Roles, and verify that the resource is attached to a role you’re in.

2. In the CLI, run sdm status to list the available datasources. Confirm that the resource is available.

3. Start a session. For example:

   sdm connect oracle-prod

   See the CLI Reference documentation for details on sdm connect.

4. Connect using an Oracle client. Using JDBC, for example:

   jdbc:oracle:thin:@localhost:<PORT>/<SERVICE_NAME>

5. In the StrongDM Admin UI, check Logs > Queries (and Logs > Connections) to verify your session and queries were captured.

When these steps succeed, users can follow the steps in the Oracle User Guide guide to connect to the Oracle database.

Help

If you encounter issues, please consult the StrongDM Help Center.

Be prepared to provide the following information to StrongDM Support, so that they can inspect logs and confirm node and resource health:

• Resource name or ID

• CLI error output or logs

• Node name and region