This book is a comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide for using the Oracle Data Provider (ODP) version 11g on the .NET Framework. It also outlines the core GoF (Gang of Four) design patterns and coding techniques employed to build and deploy high-impact mission-critical applications using advanced Oracle database features through the ODP.NET provider. The book details the features of the ODP.NET provider in two main sections: “Basic,” covering the basics and mechanisms for data access via ODP.NET; and “Advanced,’ covering advanced Oracle features such as globalization, savepoints, distributed transactions and how to call them via ODP.NET, advanced queueing (AQ), and promotable transactions. It takes you from the ground up through different implementation scenarios via a rich collection of both VB.NET and C# code samples. It outlines database security and performance optimization tricks and techniques on ODP.NET that conform to best practices and adaptable design. Different GoF design patterns are highlighted for different types of ODP.NET usage scenarios with consideration of performance and security. It provides a comprehensive guide to the synergistic integration of Oracle and Microsoft technologies such as the upcoming Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio (11.1.0.7.10). It also details how programmers can make use of ODT to streamline the creation of robust ODP.NET applications from within the Visual Studio environment. What you’ll learnHow to use the full set of features available in ODP.NET 11g (with code samples and diagrams illustrating each feature/concept). New features such as using Oracle Streams AQ, promotable transactions, Oracle database event notifications, and Oracle database control are also covered. The core performance and feature differences between ODP.NET, Microsoft.NET Provider for Oracle, OLEDB.NET, and ODBC.NET, together with the strengths and weaknesses of each method. This section also provides comprehensive coverage on the differences between ODP.NET 9i, 10g, and 11g.How to take advantage of connection pooling, fetch size controls, ref cursors, bind variables, client result cache and statement caching via ODP.NET to squeeze every ounce of performance from your .NET application.How to secure your ODP.NET applications via authentication and ODP.NET 11g’s new classes to enforce imperative and declarative Oracle security.The common programming pitfalls and design patterns to use/avoid in different ODP.NET usage scenariosHow to use a significant set of features of Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio (11.1.0.7.10), including new features such as the AQ designers, user/role management, and performance-tuning tools.Who this book is forThis book is aimed at .NET developers looking for a comprehensive guide to ODP.NET and its latest features. The book will also appeal to those looking to optimize their OPD.NET applications by applying the best design patterns and other practices.