A simple name for a service that resolves to a connect descriptor. Users initiate a connect request by passing a user name and password along with a net service name in a connect string for the service to which they wish to connect:
CONNECT username/password@net_service_name
Depending on your needs, net service names can be stored in a variety of places, including:
Local configuration file, tnsnames.ora, on each client
External naming service or Network Information Service (NIS)
Oracle Net Services Configuration Overview
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