You are a database administrator in your company working on the ADMIN database. There are 25 users in the office that must access this database by using the TCP/IP protocol. You must configure the database so that these users can access the database from their local computers. You are using Database Control to configure the naming methods.

Configuring which naming method would involve the least administrative overhead in this scenario?

In this scenario, the Easy Connect naming method would be the best option to ensure the least administrative overhead. The Easy Connect naming method is enabled by default and does not require any client-side configuration or naming service method and the directory system. It can be used in the situation where there are fewer users accessing the database. Also, the Easy Connect naming method is supported only by the TCP/IP protocol. It does not provide support for advanced options such as connect-time failover, source routing, and load balancing.

Local naming can also be used in this scenario, but Local naming involves more administrative overhead than the Easy tnsnames.ora Connect naming method. Local naming involves using the   file, which contains the list of net service names. These net service names map to a connect descriptor that contains detailed information about the connection options and the database for which the net service name is configured. The Local naming method can be used in a similar situation that uses a protocol other than TCP/IP, where you cannot use the Easy Connect naming method.

External naming should not be used in this scenario because it involves more administrative overhead than the Easy Connect method. External naming involves resolving a net service name stored in a non-Oracle naming service.

Directory naming should not be used in this scenario because it involves more administrative overhead than the Easy Connect method. Directory naming involves a centralized LDAP-compliant directory server, which stores the information required by the client computers. This directory enables central administration of database services and net service names when changes are made in the configuration. Directory naming should be used in scenarios where you have a large number of users and want to store and administer the required connection information centrally. This naming method does not involve updating the user-specific files used for resolving connections to the database because all the required information is located centrally.