If you're talking database connectivity, JDBC deserves a good look.
Which version of JDBC drivers support which version of Oracle database?
Check out this table for the Oracle database versions supported by JDBC drivers. Best Practice that we recommend is, JDBC driver version should always be either same as or higher than the Oracle database version being used in order to leverage the latest capabilities of the JDBC driver.
Interoperability Matrix | Database 12.1.0.x | Database 11.2.0.x | Database 11.1.0.x |
Database10.2.0.x |
JDBC 12.1.0.x |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
JDBC 11.2.0.x |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
JDBC 11.1.0.x |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
JDBC 10.2.0.x |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Support for Latest Java Standards: Oracle JDBC and UCP now support JSE 7 with JDBC 4.1 specification.
Support for Multitenant Container Support:The Oracle database 12c introduces a new multitenant architecture consisting of a root infrastructure called Container Database(CDB) which contains exclusively Oracle provided metadata, then a set of pluggable databases(PDBs), which are full fledged databases containing customers, applications data and metadata. Oracle JDBC and UCP furnish the Multitenant Datasource for Java by allowing sharing a single pool of connections across multiple PDBs i.e., tenants.
Support for New SQL DataTypes: Java pplications may leverage new data types including: 32K VARCHAR, NVARCHAR, and RAW, invisible/hidden columns, implicit results, auto-increment or IDENTITY columns, PL/SQL packaged types and AS parameters, larger row count data type, and XStream enhancements.
Improved Performance and Scalability:New performance and scalability enhancements include: New JDBC memory managemen, Database Resident Connection Pool (DRCP), very large network buffers(SDU), and RuntimeConnections Load Balancing across geographies (Global Data Services).
Transaction Guard and Application Continuity for Java: When a database outage occurs, four problems confront applications:(1) hangs, (2) errors, (3) determining the outcome of in-flight work and (4) the resubmission of in-flight work. Oracle database 12c handles these outages better throughTransaction Guard for a reliable outcome of in-flight work and Application Continuity for capturing and replaying in-flight transactions.
Better Manageability, Ease of use:Oracle database 12c furnishes row count per iteration for array DML,monitoring and tracing database operations, intelligent client connectivity and faster dead connection detection.
Advanced Security:With Oracle database 12c, JDBC now supports SHA-2 hashing algorithms(including:SHA-256, SHA-384,and SHA-512) to generate secure message digests. Overall,Java applications can use the following hashing algorithms:MD5, SHA1, SHA-256, SHA-384 or SHA-512.
Easier Applications Migration: Solves the problem for migrating Java applications built against non Oracle RDBMS. Oracle 12c provides a framework for translating foreign SQL syntax into Oracle SQL syntax before being submitted to the Oracle RDBMS, SQL engine for compilation and execution.
Get the whole story from the JDBC page on OTN.
Download JDBC Drivers and Documentation HERE.
Ciao for now!
LKR